Word Studies¶
Hebrew Vocabulary — The Commandment Verb and Related Terms¶
ganab (H1589) — גָּנַב — "to steal"¶
Original: גָּנַב Transliteration: gânab Part of Speech: Verb Definition: A primitive root; to thieve (literally or figuratively); by implication, to deceive; carry away, indeed, secretly bring, steal (away), get by stealth. Occurrences: 39 (BLB); 50 in translation database
Semantic range: The core verb of the eighth commandment. Ganab implies stealth and secrecy. The semantic range includes: steal, stolen, stole away, by stealth, secretly brought, carry away, get by stealth. The figurative use (2 Sam 15:6 — Absalom "stole the hearts" of Israel) shows the concept extends beyond physical theft.
Key verses: - Exo 20:15 — "Thou shalt not steal" (lo tignob) - Exo 21:16 — "he that stealeth a man" (man-stealing) - Lev 19:11 — "Ye shall not steal" (communal prohibition) - Deu 5:19 — "Neither shalt thou steal" (Deuteronomic restatement) - Deu 24:7 — "found stealing any of his brethren" - Jer 7:9 — "Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery..." - Hos 4:2 — "swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing" - Zec 5:3 — "every one that stealeth shall be cut off"
Distinction from gazal (H1497): Ganab = stealth/secret theft. Gazal = open robbery by force. The commandment uses ganab, the broader term that covers all forms of taking by stealth, but the OT also condemns gazal (open robbery) as a related violation.
gannab (H1590) — גַּנָּב — "thief"¶
Original: גַּנָּב Transliteration: gannâb Part of Speech: Masculine noun Definition: From H1589; a stealer; thief. Occurrences: 17
Key verses: - Exo 22:1,6,7 — "If a thief be found..." - Deu 24:7 — "then that thief shall die" - Psa 50:18 — "When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst" - Pro 6:30 — "Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul" - Jer 2:26 — "As the thief is ashamed when he is found" - Zec 5:4 — "into the house of the thief"
genebah (H1591) — גְּנֵבָה — "theft"¶
Original: גְּנֵבָה Transliteration: gᵉnêbâh Part of Speech: Feminine noun Definition: From H1589; stealing, i.e. (concretely) something stolen; theft. Occurrences: 2 (Exo 22:2,3)
Hebrew Vocabulary — Robbery/Plunder¶
gazal (H1497) — גָּזַל — "to rob, plunder"¶
Original: גָּזַל Transliteration: gâzal Part of Speech: Verb Definition: A primitive root; to pluck off; specifically to flay, strip or rob; catch, consume, exercise (robbery), pluck (off), rob, spoil, take away (by force, violence), tear. Occurrences: 30
Semantic range: Open, forcible taking — distinct from ganab (stealth). Translations: spoiled, rob, plucked, violently taken away, take by force.
Key verses: - Lev 19:13 — "neither rob him" (lo tigzol) - Deu 28:29 — "thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled" - Pro 22:22 — "Rob not the poor" - Pro 28:24 — "Whoso robbeth his father or his mother" - Ezk 18:7,12,16,18 — robbery as disqualifying for life - Ezk 22:29 — "exercised robbery" - Mic 2:2 — "they covet fields, and take them by violence"
gazel (H1498) — גָּזֵל — "robbery, plunder"¶
Original: גָּזֵל Transliteration: gâzêl Part of Speech: Masculine noun Definition: From H1497; robbery, or (concretely) plunder. Occurrences: 4 (Psa 62:11; Isa 10:2; 61:8; Ezk 22:29)
qaba (H6906) — קָבַע — "to rob, defraud"¶
Original: קָבַע Transliteration: qâbaʻ Part of Speech: Verb Definition: A primitive root; to cover, i.e. (figuratively) defraud; rob, spoil. Occurrences: 6
Key verses: - Mal 3:8 — "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me" (hă-yiqba' adam 'elohim) - Pro 22:23 — "he will spoil the soul of those that spoiled them"
Significance: This is the specific verb used in Malachi's charge of robbing God. It carries the sense of defrauding/covering — withholding what is owed.
Hebrew Vocabulary — Oppression/Fraud¶
ashaq (H6231) — עָשַׁק — "to oppress, defraud"¶
Original: עָשַׁק Transliteration: ʻâshaq Part of Speech: Verb Definition: A primitive root; to press upon, i.e. oppress, defraud, violate, overflow. Occurrences: 37
Semantic range: Translations span: oppress, defraud, deceive, do violence, get deceitfully, do wrong. The breadth shows oppression and fraud overlap — economic exploitation is a form of violence.
Key verses: - Lev 19:13 — "Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour" (lo ta'ashoq) - Deu 24:14 — "Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant" - Mal 3:5 — "those that oppress the hireling in his wages" - Hos 12:8 — "he loveth to oppress" - Amo 4:1 — "which oppress the poor"
osheq (H6233) — עֹשֶׁק — "oppression, extortion"¶
Original: עֹשֶׁק Transliteration: ʻôsheq Part of Speech: Masculine noun Definition: From H6231; injury, fraud, distress, unjust gain. Occurrences: 15
tok (H8496) — תֹּךְ — "fraud, deceit"¶
Original: תֹּךְ Transliteration: tôk Part of Speech: Masculine noun Definition: Oppression; deceit, fraud. Occurrences: 3 (Psa 10:7; 55:12; 72:14)
Greek Vocabulary — Theft/Stealing¶
klepto (G2813) — κλέπτω — "to steal"¶
Original: κλέπτω Transliteration: kléptō Part of Speech: Verb Definition: A primary verb; to filch; steal. Occurrences: 13
Key verses: - Mat 6:19 — "where thieves break through and steal" - Mat 19:18 — "Thou shalt not steal" (Jesus quoting the commandment) - Mrk 10:19 — "Do not steal" (Jesus to the rich man) - Rom 2:21 — "thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?" - Rom 13:9 — "Thou shalt not steal" - Eph 4:28 — "Let him that stole steal no more" (ho klepton meketi klepteto) - Jhn 10:10 — "The thief cometh not, but for to steal"
LXX connection: Used in the LXX to translate ganab (H1589), providing direct continuity between OT and NT commands.
kleptes (G2812) — κλέπτης — "thief"¶
Original: κλέπτης Transliteration: kléptēs Part of Speech: Masculine noun Definition: From G2813; a stealer (literally or figuratively); thief. Occurrences: 16
Key verses: - Jhn 10:1 — "the same is a thief and a robber" - Jhn 12:6 — "because he was a thief" (Judas) - 1 Cor 6:10 — "Nor thieves...shall inherit the kingdom of God" - 1 Th 5:2 — "the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief" - 1 Pet 4:15 — "let none of you suffer...as a thief" - Rev 3:3 — "I will come on thee as a thief"
Figurative usage: Used for Christ's unexpected return (1 Th 5:2; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15).
klope (G2829) — κλοπή — "theft"¶
Original: κλοπή Transliteration: klopḗ Part of Speech: Feminine noun Definition: From G2813; stealing; theft. Occurrences: 2 (Mat 15:19; Mrk 7:22)
klemma (G2809) — κλέμμα — "theft (the act/thing stolen)"¶
Original: κλέμμα Transliteration: klémma Part of Speech: Neuter noun Definition: From G2813; stealing (properly the thing stolen, but used of the act). Occurrences: 1 (Rev 9:21)
Greek Vocabulary — Man-Stealing¶
andrapodistes (G405) — ἀνδραποδιστής — "man-stealer, enslaver"¶
Original: ἀνδραποδιστής Transliteration: andrapodistḗs Part of Speech: Masculine noun Definition: From a compound of andr- (man) + pod- (foot); an enslaver (as bringing men to their feet for sale). Occurrences: 1 (NT hapax legomenon — 1 Tim 1:10)
Significance: Paul lists andrapodistai among the lawless in 1 Tim 1:9-10, a passage that follows the Decalogue order. This word directly connects to the OT capital crime of Exo 21:16 and Deu 24:7. The compound formation (man + foot) reflects the ancient slave trade practice of selling persons on the auction block. KJV translates as "menstealers."
Greek Vocabulary — Defrauding¶
apostereo (G650) — ἀποστερέω — "to defraud, despoil"¶
Original: ἀποστερέω Transliteration: aposteréō Part of Speech: Verb Definition: From apo and stereo (to deprive); to despoil; defraud, destitute. Occurrences: 6
Key verses: - Mrk 10:19 — "Defraud not" (Jesus adds this to the commandment list — unique to Mark) - 1 Cor 6:7 — "why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?" - 1 Cor 6:8 — "Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud" - Jas 5:4 — "the hire of the labourers...which is of you kept back by fraud"
LXX connection: Found in LXX for Deu 24:14 (oppress hired servant); Mal 3:5 (oppress hireling in wages).
Significance: Jesus's addition of "Defraud not" in Mrk 10:19 (not found in Mat 19:18 or Luk 18:20) expands the eighth commandment to explicitly include economic exploitation, not just outright theft.
harpax (G727) — ἅρπαξ — "rapacious, extortioner"¶
Original: ἅρπαξ Transliteration: hárpax Part of Speech: Adjective Definition: From harpazo; rapacious; extortion, ravening. Occurrences: 5
Key verses: - Mat 7:15 — "ravening wolves" (figurative) - Luk 18:11 — "extortioners, unjust, adulterers" - 1 Cor 5:10-11 — "with the covetous, or extortioners" - 1 Cor 6:10 — "nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God"
Significance: Listed in 1 Cor 6:10 alongside kleptai (thieves) — Paul distinguishes between secret theft and open extortion, both excluded from the kingdom.
Word Family Summary¶
| Category | Hebrew | Greek | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core verb "steal" | ganab (H1589) | klepto (G2813) | Direct LXX translation |
| Noun "thief" | gannab (H1590) | kleptes (G2812) | Direct correspondence |
| Noun "theft" | genebah (H1591) | klope (G2829) / klemma (G2809) | Same semantic field |
| "Rob" (by force) | gazal (H1497) | -- | No exact Greek equivalent in NT |
| "Defraud/oppress" | ashaq (H6231) | apostereo (G650) | LXX connection verified |
| "Rob God" | qaba (H6906) | -- | Unique to Malachi context |
| "Man-steal" | ganab + ish (compound concept) | andrapodistes (G405) | OT concept, Greek technical term |
| "Extortion" | osheq (H6233) | harpax (G727) | Related semantic field |