תְּרָפִים
te.ra.phim
teraphim
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe term "teraphim" (Hebrew: תְּרָפִים) refers to a class of household or household-associated idols or figurines, often used for worship and offering sacrifice. These artifacts contain the essence of the worship of a local deity or spirit (H8655). Its fifteen occurrences in the Bible reveal that the teraphim were deeply entrenched in Israelite practice. The primary locations where the teraphim are mentioned are the households of the Israelites, and in the context of ancestor worship. Teraphim are often associated with the use of sacred stones or altars. The significance of the term teraphim lies in their connection to pagan practices and idolatry within early Hebrew society. It also speaks to the depth of the cultural and spiritual influence of surrounding nations on Israelite life.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
15 total occurrences across the text
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shook the arrows back and forth. He consulted the teraphim. He looked in the liver.
Hosea 3:4For the children of Israel shall live many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without sacred stone, and without ephod or idols.
Zechariah 10:2For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore they go their way like sheep. They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd.
Genesis 31:19Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.
Genesis 31:34Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt around all the tent, but didn’t find them.
Genesis 31:35She said to her father, “Don’t let my lord be angry that I can’t rise up before you; for I’m having my period.” He searched, but didn’t find the teraphim.
Judges 18:17The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
Judges 18:18When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
Judges 17:5The man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
Judges 18:14Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brothers, “Do you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a carved image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you have to do.”
Judges 18:20The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.
1 Samuel 15:23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected Yahweh’s word, he has also rejected you from being king.”
1 Samuel 19:13Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with clothes.
1 Samuel 19:16When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head.
2 Kings 23:24Moreover Josiah removed those who had familiar spirits, the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in Yahweh’s house.