A.T. Robertson Commentary


A.T. Robertson Commentary
"And ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of the god Rephan, The figures which ye made to worship them: And I will carry you away beyond Babylon." — Acts 7:43 (ASV)
The tabernacle of Moloch (την σκηνην του Μολοχ). Or tent of Moloch which they took up after each halt instead of the tabernacle of Jehovah. Moloch was the god of the Amorites to whom children were offered as live sacrifices, an ox-headed image with arms outstretched in which children were placed and hollow underneath so that fire could burn underneath.
The star of the god Rephan (το αστρον του θεου Ρομφα). Spelled also Romphan and Remphan. Supposed to be Coptic for the star Saturn to which the Egyptians, Arabs, and Phoenicians gave worship. But some scholars take the Hebrew Kiyyoon to mean statues and not a proper name at all, "statues of your gods" carried in procession, making "figures" (τυπους) with both "tabernacle" and "star" which they carried in procession.
I will carry (μετοικιω). Attic future of μετοικισω from μετοικιζω.
Beyond Babylon (επεκεινα Βαβυλωνος). The Hebrew and the LXX have "beyond Damascus." An adverbial preposition (επ' εκεινα with μερη understood) used in the old Greek and the LXX with the ablative case and meaning "beyond." Here only in the N.T. in quotation from Am 5:27.