Consider the following:
RDF::URI("http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#subPropertyOf").inspect
=> "#<RDF::URI:0x2b384 URI:http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#subPropertyOf>"
but
RDF::RDFS.subPropertyOf.inspect
=> "#<RDF::Vocabulary::Term:0x2b528 URI:["http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#subPropertyOf"]>"
For some reason, an array value is creeping in there, even though Term is just a subclass of URI.