LiTERATiTtB. — Works on 07* Theology by Schultz and Smend : on NT Theulony by Weiss, Beyscblag. and Holtzn^ann ; Sieffert, DiJi npucMen i/u'ot. Forschnnijeii Tiber Biume undljlaube; Creraer, Bifj.-thenl. Wurterlmch ; Wrede,art. * fj.iTcc>oicc Siunesanderung?' in ZUclir./. XT Wmenicha/l, i. (1900) p. 66 ff.
W. MOBOAN.
REPHAEL (Ss-n ' El has healed ' ; LX.X 'Pa.<pa/i\, cf. Raphael of To 3" 5^"-).— The eponym of a family of gatekeepers, 1 Ch 2(3'. The name belongs to a class of late formations ; see Gray, HPN 225, 311.
REPHAH (nsT; "Pd^ij).— The eponym of an Eph- raimite family, 1 Ch 7".
REPHAIAH (.n;5-| ' Jah has healed,' cf. Rephael). — 1. A Judahite mentioned in the royal genealogy, 1 Ch 3-' (B 'Prx^dX, A 'Pa^aid). 2. One of the chiefs of the 5U0 Simeonites who went on the expedition to RIt. Seir, 1 Ch 4-" ('Po^id). 3. A descendant of Issachar, 1 Ch 7» (B 'Pa^apd, A 'Pa^oid). 4. A descendant of Saul, 1 Ch 9" ('Pa^o.d), called in 8" Raphah (B '?a<t>a.i, A 'Poi/)aid). 5. One of those who helped to repair the wall, Neh 3' ("Pai^aid).
REPHAIM (D'ND-i ; -ylyavrei, fa(padti., "Pa^xieh [Dt 2"- ■-», Jos 15^ 2 K 23^]).— The word used in Hebrew to describe the earlj' giant peoples of Palestine. Many regard rdpha as a proper name, forming the gentilic adjective rephd'i, of which rv/jfui'im is the plural. It is more in accord with the use of the word, however, to regard rdpha as a concrete noun, and rcphd'im as the direct plural either of this or of the corresponding abstract noun. It is used as the geographical name of a certain valley (see next art.). In Gn 14' the syntax indicates that it is a proper name, definite without the article. The statement is strictly that ' they smote Rephaim,' that is, they smote a region of that name, the region, of course, being so named from the char- acter of its inhabitants. Evernvhere else the word is strictly a common noun, dehnite or indefinite as the case may be, substantially equivalent to our English word 'giants.' For the derivation of this meaning from tlie stem idea, and for an account of the rephd'im, see GlANT.
The word rephaim is also used to denote the inhabitants of the world of the dead (Job 26», Ps 88'", Pr 2'* 9'' 21'^ Is 14» 26"- '"), bein'' here nearly the equivalent of the English word ' ghosts,' in the popular sense of that word. RSphd 'im in the sense of ghosts is used only in the plural, and, like riphd'tm in the sense of giants, has the ordinary syntax of a common noun, definite or indefinite. The two are from the same stem. Schwally (Lcben nach dem Tode, 64 f . ) supposes a connexion between C'x;-i ' ghosts ' and D'xd-) ' extinct giants.' W. R. Smith (quoted by Driver, Dent. p. 40) suggests that the ' old giants were still thought to haunt the ruins and deserts of East Canaan ' ; see also Schwally in ZATW, 1898, p. 132 ff.
W. J. Beecher.
REPHAIM, YALE OF (o-NS-ip^i: ; KoiXdi 'Va-txulyL, K. ru;if TiTavujv, k. tCiv yt,'y6.vTwv/l£t^eK'Va<paiivt <pdpay( areped). — A locality near Jerusalem. The Hebrew word here used for valley denotes an arable valley. So we may at once dismiss all theories that would make it either a plateau or a steep-sided ravine j though it is quite possible that it may have been a system of arable valleys, rather than a single
REPEAL
KEPHIDBI
227
ralley. Different opinionB have been held con- cerning it, but really the evidence all bears in one direction. The northern extremity of the vale of Repliaim was just over the western ridge of the upper part of the ravine of the son of Hin- nom (Jos 15'- • 18"). Josephus {Ant. vil. xii. 4) says thnt it was ' the valley which extends to the city of Bctlilehem, which is twenty furlongs from Jerusalem.' It is puzzling to know how lie measures his twenty furlongs ; but that Betlilehem had strategic relations with the vale of Keidiaim is confiniied by 2 S 23", 1 Ch ll'». This is not in contradiction with the statement that David, getting to the rear of the Philistines when they were encamped in the vale of Kephaim, ' smote them from Geba until thou come to Gezer ' (2 S 5^, 1 Ch 14") ; for the effect of his strategic movement might be to compel them to move from their camp and attack him ; or, while encamped to the south- west of Jerusalem, they might have had outposts as far north as Geba or Gibeon.
But the sacred writer evidently thought of the rale of Kephaim as somewhat extensive, for he twice says that the Philistines spread themselves there (2 S 5'«- «", 1 Ch W- "). Hence the locality referred to is probably the system of small valleys which supply the southern affluent of the Naiir Rflbln, a stream which flows into the Mediterranean some distance south of Joppa. One branch of this afUuent starts near Jerusalem and another near Bethlehem, the two unitin" about three miles Bouth-west of Jerusalem. The vale of Rephaim may well be these two, \vith their tributaries. It was natural that invading Philistine armies should march up the valley of the Nahr Kflbin to attack Jerusalem.