Genesis 31:19
Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Rachel stole her father's household gods not just to prevent him from tracking them, but also because she likely still harbored a superstitious belief in their protective power for her new journey. This reveals how deeply ingrained these idols were in her family's life, even for someone supposedly learning to follow the true God.
Jacob's ten-year struggle with Laban reaches its breaking point as Laban's sons grumble about Jacob's accumulating wealth, fueling their father's resentment. Seizing an opportune moment when Laban is away shearing sheep, Jacob orchestrates a secret escape for himself and his family, taking all his possessions. In a surprising act, Rachel steals her father's household gods, known as teraphim, perhaps out of a lingering superstition, to prevent him from tracking them, or to subtly protest his idolatry.
Jacob needs to escape, and Laban is busy. What makes sheep-shearing such a crucial moment for a strategic departure?
The annual sheep-shearing was more than just practical work; it was a time of feasting and celebration.
Why would Rachel steal these 'teraphim,' and what do they reveal about her faith and her father's practices?
Rachel's theft of the 'teraphim' is a complex act with multiple layers of meaning, reflecting her inner state and her family's spiritual environment.
Understand the original words
teraphim · Hebrew Noun
Literally 'teraphim', these were small idols or cultic images used in the Ancient Near East. They were believed to provide guidance, protection, or convey inheritance rights, and their theft represents a significant act of rebellion against the head of the household and against the God of Israel.
c. 1800-1500 BC
Patriarchal Period
Jacob's family likely originates from this general era in Mesopotamian history, a time when tribal migrations and established agricultural communities coexisted.
c. 1750 BC
Law Code of Hammurabi
This Babylonian legal code, promulgated in Mesopotamia, offers insights into the legal and social customs of the region where Jacob sojourned.
c. 1700-1600 BC— this verse
Jacob's 20 Years in Haran
Jacob works for Laban for twenty years, enduring his deception and eventually amassing significant wealth. This period culminates in Jacob's decision to flee.
During Jacob's flight
Rachel Steals Household Gods
While Laban is away shearing sheep, Rachel secretly takes her father's household gods (teraphim), an act with implications for tribal identity and inheritance.
Three days after Jacob fled
Laban Pursues Jacob
This passage describes Michal using teraphim, similar to Rachel's, to deceive Saul's men, showing how these household gods were sometimes used for trickery or as representations.
Judges 17:5This verse highlights the presence of teraphim alongside other religious objects, illustrating that such 'household gods' were a common, though often illicit, part of Israelite religious practice.
Hosea 3:4This prophecy speaks of Israel being without a king, altar, or sacred pillar, and without ephod or teraphim, indicating the eventual removal and condemnation of these objects from true worship.
Ezekiel 21:21This verse mentions the king of Babylon consulting teraphim for divination before attacking Jerusalem, demonstrating their use for seeking guidance or knowledge, a practice forbidden to God's people.
Genesis 35:2Jacob's command for his household to put away foreign gods and make themselves clean, followed by burying them, shows the later rejection and removal of such objects, contrasting with Rachel's earlier action.
cambridgeGenesis 31:19: "And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's."
19 . gone to shear his sheep ] Jacob selected, as an opportune moment for flight, Laban’s absence from home and attendance at the important festival of sheep-shearing. Among shepherds this was an occasion of feasting, which lasted several days. Cf. 1 Samuel 25:2 ; 1 Samuel 25:7 ; 1 Samuel 25:11 ; 2 Samuel 13:23 . Jacob, by seizing this opportunity, is able to get clear away, cross the Eu…
clarkeGenesis 31:19: "And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's."
Laban went to shear his sheep - Laban had gone; and this was a favorable time not only to take his images, but to return to Canaan without being perceived. Rachel had stolen the images - תרפים teraphim. What the teraphim were is utterly unknown. In Genesis 31:30 they are termed אלהי elohai, gods; and to some it appears very likely that they were a sort of images devoted to superstitiou…
Rachel stole her father's household gods not just to prevent him from tracking them, but also because she likely still harbored a superstitious belief in their protective power for her new journey. This reveals how deeply ingrained these idols were in her family's life, even for someone supposedly learning to follow the true God.
Jacob's ten-year struggle with Laban reaches its breaking point as Laban's sons grumble about Jacob's accumulating wealth, fueling their father's resentment. Seizing an opportune moment when Laban is away shearing sheep, Jacob orchestrates a secret escape for himself and his family, taking all his possessions. In a surprising act, Rachel steals her father's household gods, known as teraphim, perhaps out of a lingering superstition, to prevent him from tracking them, or to subtly protest his idolatry.
Jacob's ten-year struggle with Laban reaches its breaking point as Laban's sons grumble about Jacob's accumulating wealth, fueling their father's resentment. Seizing an opportune moment when Laban is away shearing sheep, Jacob orchestrates a secret escape for himself and his family, taking all his possessions. In a surprising act, Rachel steals her father's household gods, known as teraphim, perhaps out of a lingering superstition, to prevent him from tracking them, or to subtly protest his idolatry.
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Laban learns of Jacob's departure and pursues him with his kinsmen, eventually catching up with him in the hills of Gilead.
On Mount Gilead
Covenant and Reconciliation
After a divine warning to Laban, the two men make a covenant of peace on Mount Gilead, establishing boundaries and parting amicably.
"Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods." — Rachel stole her father's household gods not just to prevent him from tracking them, but also because she likely still harbored a superstitious belief in their protective power for her new journey. T…
