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remphan Summary and Overview

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remphan in Easton's Bible Dictionary

(Acts 7:43; R.V., "Rephan"). In Amos 5:26 the Heb. Chiun (q.v.) is rendered by the LXX. "Rephan," and this name is adopted by Luke in his narrative of the Acts. These names represent the star-god Saturn or Moloch.

remphan in Smith's Bible Dictionary

#Ac 7:43| and Chi'un, #Am 5:26| have been supposed to be names of an idol worshipped secretly by the Israelites in the wilderness, difficulty has been occasioned by this corresponding occurrence of two names so wholly different in sound. The most reasonable opinion seems to be that Chiun was a Hebrew or Semitic name, and Remphan an Egyptian equivalent substituted by the LXX. This idol corresponded probably to Saturn or Molech. The mention of Chiun or Remphan as worshipped in the desert shows that this idolatry was, in part at least that of foreigners, and no doubt of those settled in lower Egypt.

remphan in Schaff's Bible Dictionary

REM'PHAN , occurring only in Acts 7:43, which is a quotation from Am 5:26, where the corresponding word in the Hebrew is "Chiun." It is probable, therefore, that they are interchangeable names for a god worshipped secretly by the Israelites in Egypt and in the wilderness, answering, probably, to Saturn or Moloch, the star-god. Some refer this worship to the time of Amos.

remphan in Fausset's Bible Dictionary

CHIUN. Amos 5:26-27, "ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god which ye made to yourselves." Acts 7:42-43 from the Septuagint of Amos, "ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them." Instead of "Chiun your images" Pusey, deriving Chiun from chun "to fix firmly," translated Amos, "ye did bear the (portable) shrine of your idol king, and the pedestal of your images," etc. Israel secretly carried on idolatry in the wilderness, with a small shrine escaping Moses' observation (Ezekiel 20:7-8; Ezekiel 20:39; Ezekiel 23:3; Joshua 24:14). Ken and Rempu were foreign gods worshipped jointly in Egypt; they became seemingly interchangeable names, so that Chiun in Amos answers to Remphan in Acts; and this god in turn is but another phase of Moloch or Saturn, the "star god". A star was put on the head of the images of the idol representing Saturn; hence "images" answer to "star" in parallelism. The Egyptians represented Rempu as an Asiatic with full board and face of the type given on the monuments to nations E. of Egypt. Ken was represented naked, holding grain in both hands, and standing on a lion; answering to the Syrian goddess or Venus, called also Ketesh (Hebrew qideeshaah "consecrated".) Ken is related to Khem, the Egyptian god of productiveness, Remphan and Chiun answer to the Phoenician Baal and Astarte or Ashtoreth (Mylitta of Babylon).