THERAPHIM. — Latin transcription (Vulgate) of the Heb. téráphim in Judg. 17:5; 18:14,17; Hos. 3:4, which occurs, variously translated, in ten other passages. It probably did not always denote the same thing; ancient versions employ various terms and even today opinions differ. The etymology of the name is unknown (grammatically it may be a simple noun following téréph, or a formation with the prefix ta-: réphá-im, Vulg. Gigantes, e.g., Is. 14:9, has been compared). The names T., ’Urím and Tumím, Sanuérím seem not to be plurals but singulars with mimation: the presence of this phenomenon in the Northwest Semitic languages around 2100–1800 B.C. is also attested by proper names in which the oldest form ends in -m (in the Bible itself: Lésem of Josh. 19:47 and Lajis).
In Gen. 31:19,34,35 the t. are secretly taken away by Rachel at the moment of her departure with Jacob from Laban’s house: they must have been small objects, easily concealed. They are commonly understood as “idols” (Vulg. idola); the Terahites (v. THARE), Chaldeans, were indeed in some way idolatrous (Josh. 24:2; Judg. 5:5 ff.), though no true cult paid to the t. is ever recorded.
In Judg. 17:5; 18:14,17,18,20 the t., ephod (v.) and a “molten image,” are “made” by a certain Micah, who founds a “sanctuary” among the Ephraimites: the “image” was probably meant to represent Jahweh. The association of t. with ephod suggests that it was more an object for divination than an idol (the Vulgate three times transliterates the Hebrew, twice renders it idola).