What does תְּרָפִים (tĕrāpiym) mean in the Bible?
תְּרָפִים (tĕrāpiym): Household idols kept for divination and protection; strictly forbidden in Israel's covenant with YHWH
Hebrew · H8655
תְּרָפִים
Teraphim (singular or plural) a family idol
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תְּרָפִים H8655
Pronunciation tĕrāpiym
What does תְּרָפִים (tĕrāpiym) mean in the Bible?
תְּרָפִים (tĕrāpiym): Household idols kept for divination and protection; strictly forbidden in Israel's covenant with YHWH
Full entry for תְּרָפִים (H8655) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8655?
The BSB source-word alignment has 15 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the household idols (4), a household idol (1), and some household idols (1), household gods (1), household idols (1).
Where does תְּרָפִים (tĕrāpiym) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 31:19. Its strongest book concentrations include Judges (5), 1 Samuel (3), Genesis (3), 2 Kings (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the household idols 4× Genesis 31:35, Judges 18:17, Judges 18:18, Judges 18:20
a household idol 1× 1 Samuel 19:13
and some household idols 1× Judges 17:5
household gods 1× Judges 18:14
household idols 1× Genesis 31:19
idols 1× Zechariah 10:2
Laban’s household idols 1× Genesis 31:34
of idolatry 1× 1 Samuel 15:23
or idol 1× Hosea 3:4
the household gods 1× 2 Kings 23:24
the idol 1× 1 Samuel 19:16
the idols 1× Ezekiel 21:21
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 31:19 הַתְּרָפִ֖ים to household idols Article | Noun - masculine plural Genesis 31:34 הַתְּרָפִ֗ים to Laban’s household idols Article | Noun - masculine plural Genesis 31:35 הַתְּרָפִֽים׃ to the household idols Article | Noun - masculine plural Judges 17:5 וּתְרָפִ֔ים to and some household idols Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural Judges 18:14 וּתְרָפִ֔ים to household gods Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural Judges 18:17 הַתְּרָפִ֖ים to the household idols Article | Noun - masculine plural Judges 18:18 הַתְּרָפִ֖ים to the household idols Article | Noun - masculine plural Judges 18:20 הַתְּרָפִ֖ים to the household idols Article | Noun - masculine plural 1 Samuel 15:23 וּתְרָפִ֖ים to of idolatry Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural 1 Samuel 19:13 הַתְּרָפִ֗ים to a household idol Article | Noun - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 31:19
Aligned rows 15
Books represented 7
Genesis 3 Judges 5 1 Samuel 3 2 Kings 1 Ezekiel 1 Hosea 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
הַתְּרָפִ֖ים 5x hat·tə·rā·p̄îm Genesis 31:19, Judges 18:17, Judges 18:18, Judges 18:20
הַתְּרָפִ֗ים 2x hat·tə·rā·p̄îm Genesis 31:34, 1 Samuel 19:13
וּתְרָפִ֔ים 2x ū·ṯə·rā·p̄îm Judges 17:5, Judges 18:14
בַּתְּרָפִ֔ים 1x bat·tə·rā·p̄îm Ezekiel 21:21
הַתְּרָפִ֨ים 1x hat·tə·rā·p̄îm 2 Kings 23:24
הַתְּרָפִ֣ים 1x hat·tə·rā·p̄îm Zechariah 10:2
הַתְּרָפִֽים׃ 1x hat·tə·rā·p̄îm Genesis 31:35
וּתְרָפִ֖ים 1x ū·ṯə·rā·p̄îm 1 Samuel 15:23
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine plural 10x Genesis 31:19, Genesis 31:34, Genesis 31:35, Judges 18:17
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural 4x Judges 17:5, Judges 18:14, 1 Samuel 15:23, Hosea 3:4
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural 1x Ezekiel 21:21
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Household idols kept for divination and protection; strictly forbidden in Israel's covenant with YHWH
Source Gloss
Teraphim (singular or plural) a family idol
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Household idols kept for divination and protection; strictly forbidden in Israel's covenant with YHWH
Teraphim (singular or plural) a family idol Usage: idols(-atry), images, teraphim.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Rachel steals her father's household idols, indicating their value as family possessions
Laban searches for stolen teraphim among Jacob's belongings, treating them as significant family objects
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 15 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
תְּרָפִים is built from this root:
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain