or RIFHAT, second son of Gomer, and grandson of Japhet (Gen. x. 3, רִפְחָת Riphat). In most copies he is called Diphath in the Chronicles (1 Chr. i. 6, דִּפָּה Diphah). The resemblance of the two Hebrew letters רֵבֶּה Rebeh and דָּלֶת Daleth is so much, that they are very often confounded. But, to the credit of the translators of our English version be it said, that in this instance, as well as in many others, they have restored the original reading, and rendered it Riphath. The learned are not agreed about the country that was peopled by the descendants of Riphath. The Chaldee and Arabic take it for France; Eusebius for the country of the Sauromatæ; the Chronicon Alexandrinum for that of the Garamantæ; Josephus for Paphlagonia. Mela affirms us, that anciently the people of this province were called Riphatei, or Riphaces; and in Bithynia, bordering upon Paphlagonia, may be found the river Rhebeus, a people called Rhebanites, and a canton of the same name. These reasons have prevailed with Bochart to believe, that Riphath peopled Paphlagonia. Others think he peopled the Montes Riphei; and this opinion seems the most reasonable to us, because the other sons of Gomer peopled the northern countries towards Scythia, and beyond the Euxine sea.