Thematic Bible: Teraphim
Thematic Bible
Teraphim » Condemned and disposed of by jacob
Jacob said to his family and those who were with him: Get rid of the foreign gods that you have. Wash yourselves until you are ritually clean. Change your clothes. After that let us go to Bethel. I will make an altar there to God, who answered me when I was troubled and who has been with me wherever I have gone. So everyone gave Jacob their idols and their earrings. He buried them under the oak (big) tree near Shechem.
Rachel said to her father: Do not be angry, Father, but I cannot get up to greet you. I am having my period. So even though Laban had made a thorough search, he did not find the idols. Jacob lost his temper. What crime have I committed? he asked angrily. What law have I broken that gives you the right to hunt me down? Now that you have searched through all my belongings, what household article have you found that belongs to you? Put it out here where your men and mine can see it. Let them decide which one of us is right. read more.
I have been with you now for twenty years. Your sheep and your goats have not failed to reproduce. I have not even eaten any rams from your flocks. I always absorbed the loss when wild animals killed a sheep. I did not take it to you to show that it was not my fault. You demanded that I make good anything that was stolen during the day or during the night.
I have been with you now for twenty years. Your sheep and your goats have not failed to reproduce. I have not even eaten any rams from your flocks. I always absorbed the loss when wild animals killed a sheep. I did not take it to you to show that it was not my fault. You demanded that I make good anything that was stolen during the day or during the night.
Teraphim » Used by micah, stolen by the danites
Micah had his own place of worship. He made some idols and an ephod, and appointed one of his sons as his priest.
The five men who had gone to spy on the country around Laish said to their companions: Did you know that here in one of these houses there is a wooden idol covered with silver? There are also other idols and an ephod. Consider what you should do.
The five spies went straight into the house. They took the wooden idol covered with silver, the other idols, and the ephod. The priest stayed at the gate with the six hundred armed men. The men went into Micah's house and took the sacred objects. The priest asked them: What are you doing? They told him: Be quiet. Do not say a word. Come with us and be our priest and adviser. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel? read more.
This filled the priest with joy. He took the sacred objects and went along with them.
This filled the priest with joy. He took the sacred objects and went along with them.
Teraphim » used by » Laben » Stolen by » Rachel
When Laban went to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household idols.
It appears that you are going because your heart's desire is for your father's house. But why have you taken my gods? Jacob answered Laban: I was afraid you might take your daughters from me by force. As for your gods, if anyone of us has them, let him be put to death. Make a search in front of us all for what is yours, and take it. Jacob had no knowledge that Rachel had taken them. read more.
So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there. He left Leah's tent and went into Rachel's. Rachel took the images. She put them in the camels' basket and was seated on them. Laban searched through the tent and did not find them. Rachel said to her father: Do not be angry, Father, but I cannot get up to greet you. I am having my period. So even though Laban had made a thorough search, he did not find the idols.
So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there. He left Leah's tent and went into Rachel's. Rachel took the images. She put them in the camels' basket and was seated on them. Laban searched through the tent and did not find them. Rachel said to her father: Do not be angry, Father, but I cannot get up to greet you. I am having my period. So even though Laban had made a thorough search, he did not find the idols.