Exploring the Meaning of Rhemphan in Greek

Rhemphan is the name “Rephan,” appearing once in the New Testament in Stephen’s speech in Acts. In that setting it functions as the named object of illicit worship, paired with a “star” and with man-made “figures.”

Occurrences

“You took up the tabernacle of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship. I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’” (Acts 7:43)

In Acts 7:43, “Rephan” is introduced as the named deity to whom the “star” belongs: “the star of your god Rephan.” The wording places the name inside an accusation about Israel’s misdirected devotion. The verse presents a chain of objects and actions: they “took up the tabernacle of Moloch,” they embraced “the star of your god Rephan,” and they carried “the figures which you made to worship.” Within this list, Rephan is not described by attributes or deeds; the name’s role is to specify which “god” stands behind the astral emblem. The phrasing also makes the worship tangible: it is not only inward allegiance but a practice involving a “tabernacle,” a “star,” and “figures” that were “made.” Rephan thus functions as a focal point for the charge that their worship involved concrete cult objects.

The larger movement of the sentence sets the name in a judicial frame. After naming Moloch and Rephan and mentioning “figures,” the declaration closes with a consequence: “I will carry you away beyond Babylon.” The name “Rephan,” embedded in the clause about worship, is therefore tied to the reason for exile-like removal. The verse’s logic connects the people’s taking up of unauthorized sacred objects with the announced carrying away. In that argument, the mention of Rephan sharpens the indictment by naming the rival “god” whose symbol—“the star”—they embraced.

Sense and Usage

As a proper name glossed “Rephan,” Rhemphan serves to identify a specific object of devotion, not to describe a quality or an action. The construction “your god Rephan” makes the name operate relationally: it defines a belonging (“your god”) and assigns ownership of the “star” (“the star of your god Rephan”). In other words, the name is used to anchor a worship practice to a named recipient, and the verse treats that recipient as standing in contrast to the worship that ought to have been offered elsewhere.

Because the verse pairs Rephan with physical representations (“the star,” “the figures”), the name carries an association with visible, carried religious items. The accusation is not merely that the people held an opinion about Rephan; it is that they “took up” objects connected with this worship and even manufactured “figures” for the purpose of worship. The name therefore appears in a context where worship is mediated by crafted forms—items that can be borne along and set up, rather than an unseen devotion without artifacts. In Stephen’s wording, Rephan is firmly positioned within that world of portable cultic objects.

The verse also coordinates Rephan with another named figure, “Moloch.” The parallelism—“the tabernacle of Moloch” alongside “the star of your god Rephan”—frames both names as labels for rival worship. This pairing intensifies the rhetorical effect: multiple named objects of worship are presented together as evidence of a pattern. Rephan’s name, then, is one part of a cumulative charge, contributing specificity and weight by naming what the worship was directed toward.

Finally, Rephan’s usage here participates in a sentence that moves from action (“You took up…”) to identification (“…your god Rephan…”) to purpose (“…to worship”) to consequence (“I will carry you away…”). The name occupies the identification step: it tells the hearer exactly whose “star” is in view and so clarifies what kind of worship is being condemned. The definition “Rephan” fits this function: it is a designation that marks the object of the people’s worship in the accusation.

Imagery in Context

The imagery surrounding Rephan in Acts 7:43 is concrete and portable: a “tabernacle,” a “star,” and “figures.” The “star of your god Rephan” evokes a visible sign that can be taken up and carried along with other cult objects, while “the figures which you made to worship” underlines human manufacture and intention. Within the same breath, the warning “I will carry you away beyond Babylon” mirrors the earlier “You took up…”—their carrying of worship objects is answered by their being carried away. In that tightly linked picture, the name Rephan stands at the center of a scene where worship, objects, and judgment are bound together in a single line of speech.

Sources: Lexical data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and the Translators Brief Lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (STEPBible, CC BY). Occurrence data from the Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (STEPBible, CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).