But you have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch, and Chiun your star god, your images, which you made for yourselves.
All Commentaries on Amos 5:26 Go To Amos 5
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
A tabernacle All this alludes to the idolatry which they committed, when they were drawn away by the daughters of Moab to the worship of their gods, Numbers xxv. (Challoner)
They imitated the superstitions of Egypt, and bore the image of Osiris, adorned with a star and crescent, on a sort of base, under a canopy. Hebrew, "You carried the tents of your king and the base of your statues, the star of your gods, which you have made for yourselves. "Septuagint by changing (Calmet) ciun into Rephan, or raiphan, (Haydock) have caused great confusion among commentators. If any change were requisite, (Calmet) cima (Haydock) would be preferable, ver. 8., and Job ix. 9. Yet the Hebrew seems to be correct, and chiun denotes a pedestal rather than an idol. Some read Kevan, the Saturn of the Arabs, and think that Rephan has been mistaken for it. The only difficulty is the authority of St. Stephen, who follows the Septuagint, Acts vii. 43. Yet he probably spoke in Syriac, and might pronounce Chevan; though St. Luke might adopt the Septuagint in a matter of so little consequence. (Calmet, Diss.)
This decision may not probably give satisfaction to those who reflect that both these authors were under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit, and that if an error had crept into the copy of the Septuagint, he would have corrected it. Truth is always of sufficient consequence. See Kennicott, Diss. ii. p. 344. (Haydock)
Chiun and Rephan are "expressive of the same "god or idol, representing the machine of the heavens. The people of Peru worshipped Choun. (Parkhurst, p. 137.)
Remvan may be Remmon, (4 Kings v. 18.) or Saturn. (Grotius)
In a Coptic alphabet of the planets it is thus explained: (De Dieu. Collier. Dict. Sept. and Acts) "You have taken the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your Rempham, figures "Protestants marginal note, "the Siccuth, your king, and Chiun, your images, the star "(Haydock)
