The Genesis Project
Genesis 30

Teraphim

140 words · September 14, 2025

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ לָבָ֔ן אִם־נָ֛א מָצָ֥אתִי חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ נִחַ֕שְׁתִּי וַיְבָרְכֵ֥נִי יְהֹוָ֖ה בִּגְלָלֶֽךָ׃

But Laban said to him, “If you will indulge me, I have learned by divination that יהוה has blessed me on your account.”
Genesis 30:27 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)

There are many supernatural things in Genesis. There's the flaming cherubim, angels and nephilim, among other things.

In Genesis 30, we're introduced to "divination." In Hebrew, the root word is נָחַשׁ (nachash). It's the same root as the word "serpent" in Genesis 3: נָחָשׁ.

The concept involves hidden knowledge, or to know something supernaturally. The Hebrew scholars link Laban's divination with his household idols.

In Hebrew, the household idols are "teraphim," and they are specifically used for divining.

Also, Laben's statement seems to harken back to Genesis 12:3, where God tells Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you…"

angels cherubim divination Laban idols nephilim teraphim

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