TERAPHIM (A.V. sometimes transcribes, e.g.

See also:

• JUDGES, THE BOOK OF

Judges xvii. 5; xviii. 14 seq.;

See also:

• HOSEA

Hosea iii. 4; sometimes translates "

See also:

• IMAGE (Lat. imago, perhaps from the same root as imitari, copy, imitate)

image," r Sam. xix. 13; " idols," Zech. x. 2;

See also:

• IDOLATRY

idolatry," 1 Sam. xv. 23: R.V. renders consistently "teraphim ")  , a Hebrew word, found only in the plural, of uncertain etymology . The name appears to be applied to some form of idol (cf . Gen. xxxi . 19 and 30), but details as to its precise configuration, &c., are lacking . From 1 Sam. xix . 13, 16 it would seem that in the early monarchical period a regular place in every household was still reserved for the teraphim; while in the 8th century Hosea (iii . 4) speaks of "ephod and teraphim " as essential elements in the national worship . Later the teraphim with other adjuncts of heathenish worship were banned by the prophets . The meaning of the Elohistic story in Gen. xxxv . 2–4 clearly is that the employment of teraphim and of other heathen practices of Aramean paganism was given up by Israel in order that they might serve Jehovah alone at Bethel . In Judges and Hosea the teraphim are closely associated with the ephod; both are mentioned in connexion with divination (cf . 2 Kings xxiii .

24; Ezek. xxi . 21 [26]; Zech. x . 2) . Whether the teraphim were " consulted " by

lot or not is uncertain . In view of Ezek. xxi . 21 and Hosea iii . 4 it is difficult to suppose that the teraphim were purely household idols . The Rabbinical conjectures on the subject can be found in Buxtorf, Lex . Talm . (ed . Fischer), 1315 seq . One of the most curious is that the teraphim consisted of a mummified human head (see also EPHOD) .

(W . R . S.; G . H .