Complete Bible Study Guide

What Does the Bible Say About Teraphim?

24 Scripture references with full text and commentary

Understanding Teraphim in the Bible

What does the Bible say about teraphim? Browse 7 carefully selected verses that illuminate this biblical theme.

24
Total Verses
24
Old Testament
0
New Testament

Top 10 Verses About Teraphim

  1. 1
    Genesis 31:19
    And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. images: Heb. teraphim
    KJV
  2. 2
    Genesis 31:30
    And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
    KJV
  3. 3
    Genesis 31:31
    And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
    KJV
  4. 4
    Genesis 31:32
    With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
    KJV
  5. 5
    Genesis 31:33
    And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
    KJV
  6. 6
    Genesis 31:34
    Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. searched: Heb. felt
    KJV
  7. 7
    Genesis 31:35
    And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
    KJV
  8. 8
    Genesis 31:36
    And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
    KJV
  9. 9
    Genesis 31:37
    Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. searched: Heb. felt
    KJV
  10. 10
    Genesis 31:38
    This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
    KJV

Subtopics of Teraphim

Used by Laban, stolen by Rachael (equivalent to a deed to all of Laban' s property, according to the Nuzi tablets)
Used by Micah, stolen by the Danites
Condemned and disposed of by Jacob
Destroyed by Josiah
Used by Laban, stolen by Rachel

Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Teraphim? (24 Verses)

And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. images: Heb. teraphim
And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. searched: Heb. felt
And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. searched: Heb. felt
This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. consecrated: Heb. filled the hand
Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?
And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?
And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.
Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. from: or, more than the please: or, abound with the
And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes , and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you? armholes: or, elbows
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: image: Heb. a standing, or, statue, or, pillar

How to Study What the Bible Says About Teraphim

  1. 1

    Begin by reading through every verse listed on this page, noting which ones speak most directly to your current season of life. Write them down and revisit them throughout the week.

  2. 2

    Use a concordance or the search tools on this site to find additional passages about teraphim. Look for patterns across both the Old and New Testaments to gain a complete picture of what God reveals on this subject.

  3. 3

    Study the context of each verse. Read the surrounding chapter to understand who was speaking, who the audience was, and what circumstances prompted the passage. Context prevents misapplication.

  4. 4

    Memorise at least one key verse about teraphim and meditate on it daily. Scripture memory transforms thinking and equips you to apply God's Word in real-time situations.

Practical Application

Studying what the Bible says about teraphim is only the beginning. Scripture is meant to be lived out in daily obedience and faith. Here are practical steps to apply these truths:

  • Identify one area of your life where the biblical teaching on teraphim needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.

  • Share what you have learned about teraphim with a fellow believer or in a small group setting. Teaching others solidifies your own understanding and encourages mutual growth.

  • Pray through the key verses about teraphim, asking God to reveal how His Word applies to your relationships, decisions, and daily habits.

How Well Do You Know What the Bible Says About Teraphim?

You have studied 24 verses about teraphim. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Bible say about teraphim?
What does the Bible say about teraphim? Browse 7 carefully selected verses that illuminate this biblical theme. The Bible contains 24 key verses about teraphim spanning both Old and New Testaments.
How many Bible verses about teraphim are there?
There are 24 key Bible verses about teraphim compiled in this study guide, drawn from books across both the Old and New Testaments.
What is the best verse about teraphim?
One of the most well-known and frequently cited verses about teraphim is Genesis 31:19 — "And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. images: Heb. teraphim"
Where in the Bible does it talk about teraphim?
Teraphim is discussed throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. You can find 24 references to this topic across multiple books including the Psalms, Proverbs, the Gospels, and the Epistles.

Continue Studying Teraphim

Topics Included

This page consolidates Bible verses from 2 related topics:

teraphim