וַיֹּ֛אמֶר נִרְפִּ֥ים אַתֶּ֖ם נִרְפִּ֑ים עַל־כֵּן֙ אַתֶּ֣ם אֹֽמְרִ֔ים נֵלְכָ֖ה נִזְבְּחָ֥ה לַֽיהוָֽה׃
Но он сказал: 'Вы праздны, вы праздны; поэтому вы говорите: пойдем и принесем жертву Господу.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ותגנב רחל את התרפים “Rachel stole the Teraphim.” Nachmanides speculates that these Teraphim were some kinds of hour-glasses or similar instruments with which to measure time. These vessels were employed to glean knowledge about future events. The word itself is derived from נרפים, (Compare Exodus 5,17, where Pharaoh accused the Israelites of pretending to be too weak to work hard) they called these vessels תרפים to hint that the power of foretelling events associated with these instruments was rather on the weak side. Predictions based on these instruments, while proving accurate in the majority of cases, were frequently wide off the mark. Zechariah 10,2 refers to these instruments when he says that they disappointed those who relied on their predictions. The question which concerns us is why Rachel bothered to steal them if they were so unreliable? Apparently Rachel stole the Teraphim so that they could not reveal Yaakov’s whereabouts to her father seeing that Yaakov and family had fled from Padan Aram. The Teraphim were Lavan’s deities; he put a great deal of faith in their ability to reveal to him what he wanted to know.
Ramban
AND RACHEL STOLE THE TERAPHIM. Her intention was to wean her father from idol-worship. This is the language of Rashi.
Now it is possible that Laban used the teraphim for idol worship, as he himself said, Why hast thou stolen my gods?193Further, Verse 30. But not all teraphim were for the purpose of worship, for how could one find idolatry in the house of our lord David.194See I Samuel 19:13, where it states that there were teraphim in David’s house. That which the commentators195R’dak, in his Commentary on the verse here. say seems reasonable, namely, that these are vessels to receive196“Receive.” According to the Tur, “determine.” a knowledge of the hours, and they divine with them in order to gain knowledge of future events. The word teraphim is derived from the expressions: ‘rephai’ (weak) handed;197II Samuel 17:2. ‘nirpim’ (idle) ye are, idle.198Exodus 5:17. They are called “teraphim” in order to hint by their name that their words are like a weak prophecy, usually occurring as a prophecy for many days hence199Ezekiel 12:27. and turning out to be false, just as the prophets have said, For the teraphim have spoken vanity.200Zechariah 10:2. People of little faith set them up for themselves as gods. They do not seek to know by the glorious name of the Eternal, nor do they offer their prayers to Him. Rather, their deeds are guided by divination revealed to them by the teraphim. Thus it is written, And the man Micah had a house of G-d, and he made an ephod, and teraphim,201Judges 17:5. and it is further written there, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of G-d that we may know whether our way which we are going shall be prosperous,202Ibid., 18:5. for they used to ask of the teraphim. Such also was the case in Israel with the ephod, for, having been accustomed to the sacred ephod203See Exodus 25:6-12. they made something similar in form, and they would seek guidance of it, believe in its words, and blunder after it. Even in sickness they sought not G-d but only them.204See II Chronicles 16:12. This is the meaning of the verse, And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah; and all Israel went astray after it there; and it became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house,205Judges 8:27. for they turned aside from following the Eternal. Now Laban was a diviner and an enchanter, just as he said, I have divined.206Above, 30:27. His country, too, was ever a land of diviners, as it is written, For they are replenished from the east, and with soothsayers like the Philistines,207Isaiah 2:6. Laban’s city Haran was in the land of the children of the east (above, 29:1). and Balaam the son of Beor the diviner was from his city.208See Numbers 23:7. And this is the meaning of, Why hast thou stolen my gods?193Further, Verse 30.
Now it is possible that Laban used the teraphim for idol worship, as he himself said, Why hast thou stolen my gods?193Further, Verse 30. But not all teraphim were for the purpose of worship, for how could one find idolatry in the house of our lord David.194See I Samuel 19:13, where it states that there were teraphim in David’s house. That which the commentators195R’dak, in his Commentary on the verse here. say seems reasonable, namely, that these are vessels to receive196“Receive.” According to the Tur, “determine.” a knowledge of the hours, and they divine with them in order to gain knowledge of future events. The word teraphim is derived from the expressions: ‘rephai’ (weak) handed;197II Samuel 17:2. ‘nirpim’ (idle) ye are, idle.198Exodus 5:17. They are called “teraphim” in order to hint by their name that their words are like a weak prophecy, usually occurring as a prophecy for many days hence199Ezekiel 12:27. and turning out to be false, just as the prophets have said, For the teraphim have spoken vanity.200Zechariah 10:2. People of little faith set them up for themselves as gods. They do not seek to know by the glorious name of the Eternal, nor do they offer their prayers to Him. Rather, their deeds are guided by divination revealed to them by the teraphim. Thus it is written, And the man Micah had a house of G-d, and he made an ephod, and teraphim,201Judges 17:5. and it is further written there, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of G-d that we may know whether our way which we are going shall be prosperous,202Ibid., 18:5. for they used to ask of the teraphim. Such also was the case in Israel with the ephod, for, having been accustomed to the sacred ephod203See Exodus 25:6-12. they made something similar in form, and they would seek guidance of it, believe in its words, and blunder after it. Even in sickness they sought not G-d but only them.204See II Chronicles 16:12. This is the meaning of the verse, And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah; and all Israel went astray after it there; and it became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house,205Judges 8:27. for they turned aside from following the Eternal. Now Laban was a diviner and an enchanter, just as he said, I have divined.206Above, 30:27. His country, too, was ever a land of diviners, as it is written, For they are replenished from the east, and with soothsayers like the Philistines,207Isaiah 2:6. Laban’s city Haran was in the land of the children of the east (above, 29:1). and Balaam the son of Beor the diviner was from his city.208See Numbers 23:7. And this is the meaning of, Why hast thou stolen my gods?193Further, Verse 30.