Arcana Coelestia #4111
4111. And Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s. That this signifies a change of the state signified by “Laban” in respect to truth, is evident from the signification here of “stealing” as being to take away what is dear and holy, thus to change the state; from the signification of the “teraphim,” as being truths (concerning which below); and from the signification of “father,” here Laban, as being the good signified by him (concerning which above); “father” also signifies good (n. 3703). From all this it is evident that by “Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s,” is signified a change of the state signified by “Laban” in respect to truth.
[2] What these things involve may also be seen from the state of spirits when they are being separated. The states of spirits in respect to good and truth are in accordance with the societies in which they are; for as before shown all thought inflows through others, and proximately through those with whom the subjects of the thought are in society; and therefore when these are removed from one society and are sent into another, the states of their thoughts and affections are changed, and consequently their state as to truth and good. But if they are sent into unaccordant societies, they have a sense of discomfort, and consequently a sense of restraint, and therefore they are separated from those societies and are carried away into accordant ones. It is for this reason that the evil cannot be present or stay in societies of the good, nor the good in societies of the evil; and that all spirits and angels have been distinguished into societies in accordance with the affections which are of love. But every affection of love contains within it manifold and various things (n. 3078, 3189, 4005); and yet one thing is regnant, so that each spirit can be in a number of societies, but still strives continually toward that one which is of his reigning affection, and is at last brought into it.
[3] As regards the good signified by “Laban,” and its change of state, so long as it was with the good represented by Jacob, it was nearer the Divine, for “Jacob” is that good in the natural; and as it was nearer the Divine, it was also then in a more perfect state of truth and good; but when it was separated from this good, it came into another state both as to truth and as to good. For speaking generally, the changes of state in the other life are nothing else than approaches to the Divine and removals from the Divine. From this it is now manifest what is meant by the change of state when the good signified by “Laban” was being separated.
[4] That “Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s,” signifies a change of state as to truths, is because by the “teraphim” are meant his gods, as is evident from what follows, for Laban says to Jacob:
Wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? And Jacob answered, With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall not live before our brethren (Genesis 31:30, 32);
and in the internal sense “gods” signify truths, for which reason in the Word “God” is named when the subject is truth (see n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822).
[5] The teraphim were idols that were used when they consulted or inquired of God, and because the answers which they received were to them truths Divine, truths were therefore signified by “teraphim,” as in Hosea:
The sons of Israel sat many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without ephod and teraphim (Hos. 3:4);
“ephod and teraphim” denote the truths Divine they received by the answers, for when they inquired of God, they put on the ephod (1 Samuel 23:9-12).
In Zechariah:
The teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see a lie, and the dreams speak vanity (Zech. 10:2); where also the “teraphim” denote answers, but in that state iniquitous ones.
[6] And because such things were signified by “teraphim,” they were found with some, although they were forbidden; as with Micah, in the book of Judges:
Micah had a house of God, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and filled the hand of one of his sons, that he might become his priest. And some of the Danites said to their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod and teraphim, and a graven image and a molten image? And when these went into the house of Micah, they took the graven image, the ephod and the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest’s heart was good, and he took the ephod and the teraphim and the graven image. And Micah followed the sons of Dan, and said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and are gone away, and what have I more? (Judg. 17:5; 18:14, 18, 20, 24).
Michal also, David’s wife, had them, as related in the first book of Samuel:
And Michal took the teraphim, and laid them in the bed, and covered them with a garment. And Saul’s messengers came, and behold, the teraphim were in the bed (1 Samuel 19:13, 16).
That nevertheless they were idols, which were forbidden, is manifest from what is said of them elsewhere (1 Samuel 15:23; 2 Kings 23:24; Ezekiel 21:26).
1 Samuel 19
1
Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David.
2
Jonathan told David, saying, "Saul my father seeks to kill you. Now therefore, please take care of yourself in the morning, and live in a secret place, and hide yourself.
3
I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will talk with my father about you; and if I see anything, I will tell you."
4
Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, "Don't let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you;
5
for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?"
6
Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan: and Saul swore, "As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death."
7
Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as before.
8
There was war again. David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him.
9
An evil spirit from Yahweh was on Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.
10
Saul sought to pin David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he stuck the spear into the wall. David fled, and escaped that night.
11
Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, "If you don't save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."
12
So Michal let David down through the window. He went, fled, and escaped.
13
Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' [hair] at its head, and covered it with the clothes.
14
When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."
15
Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him."
16
When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.
17
Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me thus, and let my enemy go, so that he is escaped?" Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?'"
18
Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went and lived in Naioth.
19
It was told Saul, saying, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah."
20
Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came on the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
21
When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
22
Then went he also to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu: and he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" One said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah."
23
He went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God came on him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24
He also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
