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RIPHATH

Volume 18 · 211 words · 1823 Edition

or Riphat, second son of Gomer, and grandson of Japhet (Gen. x. 3. יָרְפַת Riphath). In most copies he is called Diploth in the Chronicles (1 Chr. i. 6. יָרְפַת Diphat). The resemblance of the two Hebrew letters ר resh and ד 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 Sauromate; the Chronicon Alexandrinum for that of the Garamante; Josephus for Paphlagonia. Mela assures us, that anciently the people of this province were called Riphataei, or Riphates; and in Bithynia, bordering upon Paphlagonia, may be found the river Rhebus, 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.