מלכים ב, פרק י״ז, פסוק י״ז

The spiritual decay of the nation reached a profound low, marked by the adoption of extreme pagan rituals. Instead of maintaining a direct relationship with divine truth, the people embraced severe abominations that the Torah had explicitly forbidden.

At the height of this deterioration, they engaged in the horrific practice of passing their children through fire, which the primary approach among commentators identifies as the idol worship of Molech. Alongside this, they immersed themselves in forbidden acts of witchcraft and divination [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. While some view these practices as a general violation of the laws against sorcery, a deeper perspective reveals a specific intent. The goal was to draw down the spiritual energy of the stars to obtain magical powers [רלב״ג]. This approach, typical of the surrounding nations, was fundamentally base and weak. By choosing such methods, the people actively abandoned the pure, perfect, and true knowledge that was readily available to them through God's prophets [רלב״ג].

The depth of their betrayal was absolute. They persisted and gave themselves over completely to sin, acting as though they had literally sold themselves to the pursuit of evil [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Ultimately, they did everything in their power to rebel against the will of God and provoke His anger [ביאור שטיינזלץ].