8th Commandment — Do Not Steal (Exo 20:15)¶

Question¶

What does the Bible say about the eighth commandment? Trace it beyond physical theft to man-stealing/kidnapping (Exo 21:16; Deu 24:7; 1 Tim 1:10), defrauding workers (Lev 19:13; Jas 5:1-6), just weights and measures (Lev 19:35-36; Deu 25:13-15; Amo 8:5), and robbing God (Mal 3:8-10). What does the NT say — Paul (Eph 4:28), the rich young ruler (Mat 19:18), Zacchaeus's restitution (Luk 19:8), and the kingdom exclusion (1 Cor 6:10)?

Summary Answer¶

The eighth commandment, "Thou shalt not steal" (Exo 20:15), uses the Hebrew verb ganab (H1589, to take by stealth) in an unqualified form that extends to all taking of what belongs to another. The OT case law expands the prohibition to cover man-stealing/kidnapping (a capital offense, Exo 21:16; Deu 24:7), property theft (requiring 2x-5x restitution, Exo 22:1-9), defrauding workers of wages (Lev 19:13; Deu 24:14-15), dishonest weights and measures (Lev 19:35-36; Deu 25:13-16), open robbery (Lev 19:13, using gazal H1497), and robbing God of tithes and offerings (Mal 3:8, using qaba H6906). The prophets denounce theft alongside murder and adultery as covenant violations (Jer 7:9; Hos 4:2). Jesus traces theft to the heart (Mat 15:19), quotes the commandment to the rich young ruler (Mat 19:18), adds "Defraud not" in Mark 10:19, and declares the temple a "den of thieves" (Mat 21:13). Paul presents the fullest NT transformation: stop stealing, labor, and give to the needy (Eph 4:28), and excludes thieves, covetous persons, and extortioners from the kingdom (1 Cor 6:10). Zacchaeus's fourfold restitution (Luk 19:8) demonstrates that genuine repentance produces restoration of what was stolen.

Key Verses¶

Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.

Exodus 21:16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

Leviticus 19:11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

Leviticus 19:13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

Leviticus 19:35-36 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 25:15-16 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have...For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Matthew 19:18 Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness.

Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

1 Corinthians 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Evidence Classification¶

1. Explicit Statements¶

#	Explicit Statement	Reference	Category
E461	"Thou shalt not steal" — the eighth commandment. Hebrew: lo tignob. Ganab (H1589) = to take by stealth. Qal Imperfect 2ms, apodictic prohibition.	Exo 20:15	Commandment Scope
E462	"Neither shalt thou steal" — Deuteronomic restatement of the eighth commandment.	Deu 5:19	Commandment Scope
E463	"He that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death" — man-stealing (kidnapping) is a capital offense. The verb is ganab.	Exo 21:16	Biblical Application
E464	"If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you"	Deu 24:7	Biblical Application
E465	"If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep" — graded restitution for property theft.	Exo 22:1	Biblical Application
E466	"If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive...he shall restore double" — 2x restitution for stolen property recovered alive.	Exo 22:4	Biblical Application
E467	"If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him" — no bloodguilt for killing a nighttime thief. "If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him" — daytime killing of a thief incurs bloodguilt.	Exo 22:2-3	Biblical Application
E468	"If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep...he shall restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto" — fraud against a neighbor is a trespass against the LORD; restitution is principal plus 20%.	Lev 6:2-5	Biblical Application
E469	"They shall confess their sin...and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof" — confession and restitution (principal + 20%) for trespass.	Num 5:7	Biblical Application
E470	"Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another" — three prohibitions linked: ganab (steal), kachash (deal falsely), shaqar (lie). The communal plural (2mp) extends the individual commandment to the community.	Lev 19:11	Commandment Scope
E471	"Thou shalt not defraud (ashaq, H6231) thy neighbour, neither rob (gazal, H1497) him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning"	Lev 19:13	Commandment Scope
E472	"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt"	Lev 19:35-36	Commandment Scope
E473	"Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small...all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God"	Deu 25:13-16	Commandment Scope
E474	"A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight"	Pro 11:1	Biblical Application
E475	"A just weight and balance are the LORD'S: all the weights of the bag are his work"	Pro 16:11	Biblical Application
E476	"Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD"	Pro 20:10	Biblical Application
E477	"Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy...At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee"	Deu 24:14-15	Biblical Application
E478	"Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness...that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work"	Jer 22:13	Biblical Application
E479	"I will be a swift witness against...those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right"	Mal 3:5	Biblical Application
E480	"Will a man rob (qaba, H6906) God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation"	Mal 3:8-9	Biblical Application
E481	"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing"	Mal 3:10	Biblical Application
E482	"He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress (ashaq). And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich...in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin"	Hos 12:7-8	Biblical Application
E483	"When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? That we may buy the poor for silver...The LORD hath sworn...Surely I will never forget any of their works"	Amo 8:5-7	Biblical Application
E484	"Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?"	Mic 6:10-11	Biblical Application
E485	"Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal...and come and stand before me in this house...Is this house...become a den of robbers in your eyes?"	Jer 7:9-11	Biblical Application
E486	"Every one that stealeth shall be cut off...I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief...and shall consume it"	Zec 5:3-4	Biblical Application
E487	"For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering"	Isa 61:8	Theological Significance
E488	"If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood...hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge...he shall surely die"	Ezk 18:10-13	Biblical Application
E489	"If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die"	Ezk 33:15	Biblical Application
E490	"Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them"	Psa 62:10	Biblical Application
E491	"When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him" — consenting with a thief is itself condemned.	Psa 50:18	Biblical Application
E492	"The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment"	Pro 21:7	Biblical Application
E493	"Whoso robbeth (gazal) his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer"	Pro 28:24	Biblical Application
E494	"Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house"	Pro 6:30-31	Biblical Application
E495	"Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man" — Jesus locates theft's origin in the heart.	Mat 15:19-20	NT Treatment
E496	"Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness" — Jesus quotes the eighth commandment to the rich young ruler as part of the commandments for eternal life.	Mat 19:18	NT Treatment
E497	"Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not (apostereo, G650), Honour thy father and mother" — Mark's account uniquely adds "Defraud not" to Jesus's commandment list.	Mrk 10:19	NT Treatment
E498	"My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves" — Jesus quotes Isa 56:7 and Jer 7:11 at the temple cleansing.	Mat 21:13	NT Treatment
E499	"He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber...The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly"	Jhn 10:1,10	NT Treatment
E500	"Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house"	Luk 19:8-9	NT Treatment
E501	Judas "was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein"	Jhn 12:6	Biblical Application
E502	"Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?" — Paul indicts hypocrisy regarding the eighth commandment.	Rom 2:21	NT Treatment
E503	"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth" — three-stage transformation: (1) stop stealing, (2) labor, (3) give to those in need.	Eph 4:28	NT Treatment
E504	"Nor thieves (kleptai), nor covetous (pleonektai)...nor extortioners (harpages), shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified"	1 Cor 6:10-11	NT Treatment
E505	"Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud (apostereo, G650), and that your brethren" — Paul condemns Christians who defraud fellow believers.	1 Cor 6:8	NT Treatment
E506	"For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers (andrapodistai, G405), for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine" — Paul lists man-stealers/slave-traders in a Decalogue-ordered sin list.	1 Tim 1:10	NT Treatment
E507	"That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such"	1 Th 4:6	NT Treatment
E508	"Not purloining (nosphizomai, G3557), but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things"	Tit 2:10	NT Treatment
E509	"Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud (apostereo, G650), crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth"	Jas 5:4	NT Treatment
E510	"Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters"	1 Pet 4:15	NT Treatment
E511	"Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts (klemmata, G2809)" — humanity refuses to repent of thefts even after divine plagues.	Rev 9:21	NT Treatment
E512	Israel hath sinned...they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen (ganab), and dissembled (kachash) also — Achan's theft described with the same verbs as Lev 19:11: stolen and dealt falsely.	Jos 7:11	Biblical Application
E513	Achan confesses: "When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold...then I coveted them, and took them" — the sequence is saw-coveted-took: coveting precedes and motivates theft.	Jos 7:20-21	Biblical Application
E514	"They know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces"	Amo 3:10	Biblical Application
E515	"Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not"	Nah 3:1	Biblical Application
E516	"The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully"	Ezk 22:29	Biblical Application
E517	"Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven"	Col 4:1	NT Treatment
E518	"When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel" — permitted use of neighbor's produce for immediate need, but carrying away is prohibited.	Deu 23:24-25	Biblical Application
E519	Rachel had stolen the images (teraphim) that were her father's — she then concealed them and deceived Laban during his search.	Gen 31:19,34-35	Biblical Application
E520	"Lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain" — Agur connects theft to profaning God's name (linking the 8th and 3rd commandments).	Pro 30:9	Cross-Commandment

2. Necessary Implications¶

#	Necessary Implication	Based on	Why it is unavoidable
N069	The eighth commandment's scope extends beyond stealth theft to include man-stealing (capital offense), open robbery (gazal), defrauding (ashaq), and withholding what is owed (qaba), because the case law and prophets treat all these as violations of the same principle.	E461, E463, E464, E470, E471, E480	The commandment uses ganab (stealth), but the same legislative context uses gazal (Lev 19:13), ashaq (Lev 19:13; Deu 24:14), and qaba (Mal 3:8) as related violations. The case law applies the commandment verb ganab itself to man-stealing (Exo 21:16). The text treats these as expansions of the same prohibition.
N070	Stealing persons (kidnapping) is treated as more serious than stealing property, because the Bible assigns the death penalty for man-stealing (Exo 21:16; Deu 24:7) but requires restitution for property theft (Exo 22:1-4).	E463, E464, E465, E466	The text prescribes death for man-stealing and restitution (2x-5x) for property theft. Two different penalties are stated in the text. The death penalty is the more severe penalty.
N071	Theft inherently involves deception and falsehood, because Lev 19:11 links three prohibitions in a single command (steal, deal falsely, lie) and Achan's theft includes both ganab and kachash.	E470, E512	Lev 19:11 joins steal-falsely deal-lie as a trio in a single verse. Jos 7:11 describes Achan's sin with both "stolen" and "dissembled." The textual pairing is stated in the text.
N072	Dishonest commercial practices (false weights and measures) constitute theft, because the same legislative context (Lev 19) that prohibits stealing (v.11) and defrauding (v.13) also prohibits dishonest measures (v.35-36), and Deu 25:16 calls dishonest weights an "abomination."	E470, E471, E472, E473	Leviticus 19 places these prohibitions in the same chapter as expansions of the Decalogue. The text classifies dishonest measures as "unrighteousness" (E472) and "abomination" (E473). The legislative context treats them as related violations.
N073	Withholding wages from a hired worker is classified as a sin by the text, because Deu 24:15 states "lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee" and Lev 19:13 places wage-withholding in the same verse as defrauding and robbing.	E471, E477	The text explicitly calls withholding wages "sin" (Deu 24:15) and places it alongside defrauding and robbing (Lev 19:13). The classification is stated in the text.
N074	The NT treats the eighth commandment as continuing in force, because Jesus quotes it as binding (Mat 19:18), Paul quotes it as love's content (Rom 13:9), Paul commands cessation of stealing (Eph 4:28), and Paul excludes thieves from the kingdom (1 Cor 6:10).	E496, E503, E504; also E390 (prior)	Multiple NT authors in multiple contexts treat the commandment as currently binding. Jesus, Paul, and Peter (1 Pet 4:15) all presuppose its authority. The NT texts themselves treat it as continuing.
N075	Paul's teaching in Eph 4:28 presents the opposite of stealing as not merely "not stealing" but active labor and generosity, because the text commands three steps: (1) stop stealing, (2) labor, (3) give to those in need.	E503	The verse explicitly states three commands in sequence: stop stealing → labor with one's hands → have something to give. The three-step structure is in the text.
N076	Paul's sin-list in 1 Tim 1:9-10 follows the Decalogue order, placing andrapodistai (man-stealers) in the eighth commandment position, because "murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, manslayers" correspond to the 5th-6th commandments, "whoremongers, them that defile themselves with mankind" to the 7th, "menstealers" to the 8th, and "liars, perjured persons" to the 9th.	E506	The sequence in 1 Tim 1:9-10 matches the Decalogue order. The structural parallel is observable from the text.
N077	Restitution — restoring stolen property plus a penalty — is the Bible's prescribed remedy for theft, because the text consistently requires it: 2x-5x in Exo 22:1-4, principal + 20% in Lev 6:5 and Num 5:7, and it appears as evidence of genuine repentance in Ezk 33:15 and Luk 19:8.	E465, E466, E468, E469, E489, E500	The texts prescribe specific restitution amounts (2x, 4x, 5x, principal + 1/5). Ezekiel states restoring the pledge is a condition for life. Zacchaeus offers fourfold. The texts all state restitution as the required response.

3. Inferences¶

#	Claim	Type	What the Bible actually says	Why this is an inference	Criteria
I042	The eighth commandment establishes a comprehensive ethic of property and personhood: a hierarchy from absolute prohibition (taking persons = death) through graduated restitution (taking property = 2x-5x), economic integrity (just weights), labor justice (fair wages), and religious obligation (tithes to God).	I-A	E461 (commandment), E463-E464 (man-stealing = death), E465-E466 (restitution), E472-E473 (just weights), E477 (fair wages), E480 (robbing God), N069 (extended scope), N070 (persons > property), N072 (commercial fraud = theft), N073 (wages = sin).	Each component is found in the E/N tables. The claim systematizes these individual provisions into a "comprehensive ethic" with a hierarchical structure. The systematization is the inference; the components are all textual.	#5 (systematizing)
I043	The eighth commandment connects to multiple other commandments: the 3rd (stealing profanes God's name, Pro 30:9), the 4th (Sabbath-breakers cheat in commerce, Amo 8:5), the 5th (robbing parents = companion of a destroyer, Pro 28:24), the 7th (theft vs. adultery, Pro 6:30-35), the 9th (stealing linked to lying, Lev 19:11), and the 10th (coveting precedes stealing, Jos 7:21).	I-A	E520 (3rd commandment), E483 (4th commandment — Sabbath and commerce), E493 (5th commandment), E494 (7th commandment — theft vs. adultery), E470 (9th commandment — steal/lie trio), E513 (10th commandment — coveted then took).	Each individual cross-commandment connection cites a specific verse. The claim that these form a pattern of interconnection across the Decalogue systematizes the individual observations. All vocabulary comes from E/N items.	#5 (systematizing)
I044	The prophetic denunciations of theft (Jer 7:9; Hos 4:2; Amo 8:4-7; Mic 6:10-11; Zec 5:3-4; Mal 3:8) presuppose the continuing authority of the eighth commandment throughout Israel's history, because each prophet treats theft as a current covenant violation requiring judgment.	I-A	E485 (Jer 7:9), E379 (Hos 4:2, prior), E483 (Amo 8:5-7), E484 (Mic 6:10-11), E486 (Zec 5:3-4), E480 (Mal 3:8).	Each prophetic text references theft as a sin. The claim that these "presuppose the continuing authority of the eighth commandment" draws a systematic conclusion from the pattern of prophetic usage. All components are from E/N tables.	#5 (systematizing)
I045	The NT presents a transformation pattern for the eighth commandment: from prohibition (do not steal) to positive ethic (labor and share), paralleling the pattern of the 6th commandment (do not murder → love) and 7th commandment (do not commit adultery → marital purity).	I-A	E503 (Eph 4:28: stop stealing → labor → give), E504 (1 Cor 6:10-11: "such were some of you, but ye are washed"), N075 (three-step transformation). Prior series data from cmd-07 (murder → love) and cmd-08 (adultery → purity).	The individual elements are from E/N tables. The identification of a "transformation pattern" paralleling other commandments synthesizes this commandment's data with prior series findings. All concepts are textual.	#5 (systematizing)

Verification Phase¶

Step A: Verify Explicit Statements¶

E461-E520: Each statement directly quotes or closely paraphrases the actual verse text. Each represents the plain lexical meaning of the words in the verse.
E461: "Thou shalt not steal" (Exo 20:15) — direct quotation. The lexical note on ganab is the plain meaning of the word.
E463: "He that stealeth a man...shall surely be put to death" (Exo 21:16) — direct quotation.
E470: "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie" (Lev 19:11) — direct quotation.
E503: "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour" (Eph 4:28) — direct quotation.
E504: "Nor thieves...shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:10) — direct quotation.
Verified: All E items are genuine explicit statements.

Step B: Verify Necessary Implications¶

N069 (extended scope): The case law uses ganab for man-stealing (E463), gazal alongside ganab-context (E471), ashaq in commandment context (E471, E477), and qaba for robbing God (E480). The text treats all as related violations. Pass all three N-tier tests.
N070 (persons > property): Death for man-stealing (E463, E464) vs. restitution for property theft (E465, E466). Two different penalties are stated. Pass.
N071 (theft + deception): Lev 19:11 links them in one verse (E470). Jos 7:11 uses both verbs (E512). Pass.
N072 (dishonest commerce = theft): Same chapter, same legislative context (Lev 19:11,13,35-36). Pass.
N073 (wages = sin): Deu 24:15 uses the word "sin." Pass.
N074 (NT continuity): Jesus quotes it (E496), Paul quotes it (E390/E503/E504), Peter references it (E510). Pass.
N075 (three-step transformation): The three commands are in the verse (E503). Pass.
N076 (Decalogue order in 1 Tim 1): The sequence is observable. Pass.
N077 (restitution as remedy): Multiple texts prescribe specific amounts. Pass.

Step C: Verify Inference Classifications (Source Test)¶

I042-I045: Strip away systematization. All remaining components are found in the E/N tables. Text-derived (I-A or I-B).

Step D: Verify Inference Classifications (Direction Test)¶

I042: Does not require any E/N statement to mean something other than its plain lexical value. Only systematizes. I-A confirmed.
I043: Does not redefine any E/N statement. Only maps cross-commandment connections. I-A confirmed.
I044: Does not override any E/N statement. Draws a pattern from prophetic usage. I-A confirmed.
I045: Does not redefine. Identifies a transformation pattern. I-A confirmed.

Step E: Consistency Checks¶

Every I-A (I042-I045): Each requires only criterion #5 (systematizing). None require #1, #2, or #3. Pass.
No I-B items present. No I-D items present.

Tally Summary¶

Explicit statements: 60 (E461-E520)
Necessary implications: 9 (N069-N077)
Inferences: 4
I-A (Evidence-Extending): 4 (I042-I045)
I-B (Competing-Evidence): 0
I-C (Compatible External): 0
I-D (Counter-Evidence External): 0

Plus cross-referenced items from prior studies: - E222 (Jer 7:9, first: cmd-04) — also-in cmd-09 - E236 (Pro 30:9, first: cmd-04) — also-in cmd-09 - E379 (Hos 4:2, first: cmd-07) — also-in cmd-09 - E380 (Jer 7:9-10, first: cmd-07) — also-in cmd-09 - E385 (Mat 15:19, first: cmd-07) — also-in cmd-09 - E386 (Mrk 7:21, first: cmd-07) — also-in cmd-09 - E387 (Mat 19:18 — murder quote, first: cmd-07) — also-in cmd-09 - E388 (Mrk 10:19 — murder quote, first: cmd-07) — also-in cmd-09 - E390 (Rom 13:9-10, first: cmd-07) — also-in cmd-09 - E401 (Rev 9:21, first: cmd-07) — also-in cmd-09 - E430 (Mat 15:19; Mrk 7:21 — adultery, first: cmd-08) — also-in cmd-09 - E434 (Rom 13:9 — adultery first, first: cmd-08) — also-in cmd-09 - E035 (Mat 19:17-19; Mrk 10:19; Luk 18:20, first: cmd-01) — also-in cmd-09

What CAN Be Said (Scripture explicitly states or necessarily implies)¶

The eighth commandment prohibits stealing (ganab, H1589), stated in two words: lo tignob (Exo 20:15).
The commandment is unqualified — no object is specified, making the prohibition maximally broad (E461).
Man-stealing (kidnapping) is a capital offense — the death penalty is prescribed for stealing a person (Exo 21:16; Deu 24:7) (E463, E464, N070).
Property theft requires restitution above the principal: 5x for an ox, 4x for a sheep, 2x for recovered stolen goods, principal + 20% for voluntary confession (E465, E466, E468, E469).
The case law extends the prohibition to open robbery (gazal, Lev 19:13), defrauding/oppression (ashaq, Lev 19:13; Deu 24:14), and withholding what is owed (qaba, Mal 3:8) (N069).
Theft is inherently linked to deception and falsehood — Lev 19:11 treats them as a unit (E470, N071).
Dishonest weights and measures are classified as "abomination" to the LORD (Deu 25:16; Pro 11:1; 20:10) and constitute theft (E472-E476, N072).
Withholding a worker's wages is sin (Deu 24:15) and is condemned by the prophets and the NT (Mal 3:5; Jas 5:4) (E477, E479, E509, N073).
Withholding tithes and offerings is described as "robbing God" (Mal 3:8-9) (E480).
The prophets denounce theft alongside murder and adultery as covenant violations (Jer 7:9; Hos 4:2) (E485, E379).
Jesus traces theft to the heart (Mat 15:19), quotes the eighth commandment as binding (Mat 19:18), and adds "Defraud not" in Mark 10:19 (E495, E496, E497).
Paul commands the three-step transformation: stop stealing → labor → give to the needy (Eph 4:28) (E503, N075).
Thieves, covetous persons, and extortioners will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:10) (E504).
Man-stealers (andrapodistai, G405) are listed among the lawless in a Decalogue-ordered list (1 Tim 1:10) (E506, N076).
Restitution — restoring stolen property plus a penalty — is the prescribed remedy for theft (E465, E466, E468, N077).
Zacchaeus's fourfold restitution is met with Jesus's declaration of salvation (Luk 19:8-9) (E500).
The eighth commandment continues in force in the NT — Jesus, Paul, James, and Peter all treat it as authoritative (N074).
Coveting precedes and motivates stealing (Jos 7:21: "I coveted them, and took them") (E513).

What CANNOT Be Said (not explicitly stated or necessarily implied by Scripture)¶

The text does not state that poverty justifies theft — Pro 6:30-31 acknowledges the motive of hunger but still requires full restitution.
The text does not state that the eighth commandment applies only to physical objects — it is applied to persons (Exo 21:16), wages (Lev 19:13), measures (Lev 19:35), and God's portion (Mal 3:8).
The text does not state the specific relationship between the Mosaic tithe system and NT giving — Mal 3:8-10 addresses Israel under the Mosaic covenant.
The text does not state that Zacchaeus's restitution earned his salvation — Jesus declares salvation has come in response to the repentance that restitution demonstrates.
The text does not state that the "sevenfold" restoration in Pro 6:31 is a legal requirement — it appears in wisdom literature, not legislation, and may be hyperbolic for "full" restoration.
The text does not state what precisely "Defraud not" (Mrk 10:19) adds to the Decalogue list — whether it is an expansion of the eighth commandment or a summary of multiple principles. It does use apostereo (G650), the same verb found in Jas 5:4 and 1 Cor 6:8.
The text does not state whether Pro 30:9's connection between theft and profaning God's name represents a causal link or a parallel risk — it states both as potential consequences of poverty.

Word Studies¶

Hebrew¶

ganab (H1589): "To steal, take by stealth." Core verb of the eighth commandment (Exo 20:15). Qal Imperfect 2ms (lo tignob). 39-50 occurrences. Semantic range includes steal, carry away, get by stealth, secretly bring. Applied to both property theft and man-stealing (Exo 21:16). Figurative use: Absalom "stole the hearts" of Israel (2 Sam 15:6). Distinct from gazal (open robbery by force).
gannab (H1590): "Thief." Noun from ganab. 17 occurrences. Used in Exo 22:1,7; Deu 24:7; Psa 50:18; Pro 6:30; Jer 2:26; Zec 5:4.
genebah (H1591): "Theft" (abstract/concrete). Only 2 occurrences (Exo 22:2-3).
gazal (H1497): "To rob, plunder, take by force." 30 occurrences. Open, forcible taking — distinct from ganab (stealth). Used in Lev 19:13 ("neither rob him"), Pro 28:24 ("robbeth his father"). Ezekiel treats robbery as disqualifying for life (18:10-13).
qaba (H6906): "To rob, defraud, cover." 6 occurrences. The specific verb in Mal 3:8 ("Will a man rob God?"). Carries the sense of withholding what is owed — a distinct form of taking.
ashaq (H6231): "To oppress, defraud." 37 occurrences. Bridges theft and oppression. Used in Lev 19:13, Deu 24:14, Mal 3:5. The LXX renders it with apostereo (G650) in some contexts.

Greek¶

klepto (G2813): "To steal." 13 occurrences. Direct Greek equivalent of ganab. Used throughout the NT (Mat 19:18; Rom 13:9; Eph 4:28; Jhn 10:10). The LXX uses klepto to translate ganab.
kleptes (G2812): "Thief." 16 occurrences. Corresponds to gannab. Used literally (Jhn 12:6; 1 Cor 6:10) and figuratively for Christ's unexpected return (1 Th 5:2; Rev 3:3).
klope (G2829): "Theft." 2 occurrences (Mat 15:19; Mrk 7:22). In Jesus's list of heart-evils.
klemma (G2809): "Theft (thing stolen/act of stealing)." 1 occurrence (Rev 9:21).
andrapodistes (G405): "Man-stealer, slave-trader, enslaver." NT hapax legomenon (1 Tim 1:10). Compound: andr- (man) + pod- (foot). KJV: "menstealers."
apostereo (G650): "To defraud, despoil, deprive." 6 occurrences. Jesus uses it in Mrk 10:19 ("Defraud not"). Used for wage fraud (Jas 5:4), defrauding brethren (1 Cor 6:7-8). LXX connection to ashaq (H6231).
harpax (G727): "Rapacious, extortioner." 5 occurrences. Listed alongside kleptes in 1 Cor 6:10 — Paul distinguishes secret theft and open extortion.

Final Synthesis¶

The eighth commandment, "Thou shalt not steal" (Exo 20:15), is expressed in two Hebrew words — lo tignob — using the verb ganab (H1589), which denotes taking by stealth. The commandment specifies no object, leaving the prohibition maximally broad.

Case Law Expansion. The legislative material following the Decalogue develops the commandment across multiple dimensions. Man-stealing (kidnapping) carries the death penalty (Exo 21:16; Deu 24:7), establishing that persons are of higher value than property. Property theft requires graduated restitution: fivefold for an ox, fourfold for a sheep (Exo 22:1), double for recovered stolen goods (Exo 22:4), and principal plus one-fifth for voluntary confession of fraud (Lev 6:5; Num 5:7). The night-time self-defense provision (Exo 22:2-3) permits lethal force against a breaking-in thief only under cover of darkness — daytime killing incurs bloodguilt. These case laws do not create new principles but apply the commandment to specific situations.

Leviticus 19 — The Expanded Prohibition. Leviticus 19 systematically applies the Decalogue to community life. Three clusters expand the eighth commandment. First, Lev 19:11 links three prohibitions: "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another" — connecting theft to falsehood (the 9th commandment). Second, Lev 19:13 introduces two additional verbs: ashaq (oppress/defraud) and gazal (rob by force), and specifies that wages must not be withheld overnight. Third, Lev 19:35-36 extends the principle to commercial transactions: just balances, just weights, just measures. The chapter grounds these commands in the Exodus deliverance: "I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt."

Just Weights and Measures. Dishonest commerce receives sustained attention in the Law, Prophets, and Wisdom literature. Deuteronomy 25:13-16 calls false weights "an abomination to the LORD" — the same term used for idolatry. Proverbs repeatedly addresses the theme: "A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight" (11:1); "A just weight and balance are the LORD'S" (16:11); "Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD" (20:10). Hosea denounces Ephraim's "balances of deceit" (12:7). Amos 8:5 describes merchants who "make the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsify the balances by deceit" — ultimately "buying the poor for silver." Micah asks whether God can count the wicked pure "with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights" (6:11).

Defrauding Workers. Withholding wages is explicitly classified as sin (Deu 24:15). Jeremiah pronounces woe on Jehoiakim for using unpaid labor (22:13). Malachi lists oppressing the hireling alongside sorcery and adultery as sins against which God will be "a swift witness" (3:5). James describes the withheld wages as themselves crying out to "the Lord of sabaoth" (5:4), echoing both Abel's blood (Gen 4:10) and Israel's cry in Egypt (Exo 2:23). Paul instructs masters to give what is "just and equal" (Col 4:1).

Robbing God. Malachi extends the concept of theft to the divine-human relationship: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me...in tithes and offerings" (3:8). The verb qaba (H6906) means to defraud or withhold. The result is a national curse; the remedy is bringing "all the tithes into the storehouse" (3:10). Nehemiah records the practical consequence: when tithes were withheld, the Levites abandoned temple service (Neh 13:10-12).

Prophetic Denunciation. The prophets consistently treat theft as covenant violation. Jeremiah's temple sermon asks, "Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely...and come and stand before me in this house?" and calls the temple a "den of robbers" (7:9-11). Hosea lists "stealing" among the sins breaking covenant (4:2). Zechariah's flying scroll carries a curse against every thief (5:3-4). Amos and Micah denounce commercial fraud as oppression of the poor. In each case, the prophets presuppose the eighth commandment and indict Israel for violating it.

Jesus and the Eighth Commandment. Jesus locates the origin of theft in the heart: "Out of the heart proceed...thefts" (Mat 15:19; Mrk 7:22). He quotes "Thou shalt not steal" to the rich young ruler as part of the commandments for eternal life (Mat 19:18). Mark's account uniquely adds "Defraud not" (apostereo, G650) to the list (Mrk 10:19), expanding the commandment to cover economic exploitation. Jesus cleanses the temple, quoting Jer 7:11: "ye have made it a den of thieves" (Mat 21:13). In John 10, He contrasts the thief who comes "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" with Himself who came to give "life more abundantly" (10:10). Zacchaeus's encounter demonstrates restitution as evidence of genuine repentance: his fourfold restoration is met with Jesus's declaration, "This day is salvation come to this house" (Luk 19:8-9). Judas is identified as "a thief" who pilfered from the common fund (Jhn 12:6).

Paul's Systematic Treatment. Paul addresses the eighth commandment from multiple angles. He indicts hypocrisy: "thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?" (Rom 2:21). He lists it as love's content: "Thou shalt not steal" is among the commandments "comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Rom 13:9). He excludes thieves (kleptai), covetous persons (pleonektai), and extortioners (harpages) from inheriting the kingdom of God, while affirming that former thieves can be "washed, sanctified, justified" (1 Cor 6:10-11). He condemns Christians who defraud their brethren (1 Cor 6:8). He lists man-stealers (andrapodistai, G405) in a Decalogue-ordered sin list (1 Tim 1:10). He warns that "the Lord is the avenger" of those who defraud (1 Th 4:6). Most comprehensively, in Ephesians 4:28, he presents the fullest NT transformation: "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." This three-step movement — from prohibition to labor to generosity — reveals that the opposite of stealing is not merely abstaining from theft but actively sharing with those in need.

Cross-Commandment Connections. The gathered evidence shows the eighth commandment intersecting with multiple other commandments. Proverbs 30:9 links stealing to profaning God's name (3rd commandment). Amos 8:5 shows merchants who resent the Sabbath because it interrupts fraudulent commerce (4th commandment). Proverbs 28:24 condemns robbing parents (5th commandment). Proverbs 6:30-35 compares theft (which can be compensated through restitution) with adultery (which cannot) (7th commandment). Leviticus 19:11 links stealing to lying and dealing falsely (9th commandment). Joshua 7:21 shows Achan's sequence: "I coveted them, and took them" — coveting as the precursor to theft (10th commandment). The commandments function as an integrated whole.

The Restitution Arc. From the legal requirement of Exodus 22:1-4 through Leviticus 6:1-7 (voluntary confession), through Ezekiel 33:15 (restoring the pledge as a condition for life), to Zacchaeus's fourfold restoration (Luk 19:8), the Bible develops restitution from legal penalty to evidence of repentance. The Mosaic law prescribes specific amounts. Ezekiel makes restoration a moral marker. Zacchaeus voluntarily applies the penalty rate. The repentant thief on the cross (Luk 23:41-43), unable to make physical restitution, demonstrates the moral acknowledgment that restitution would express — and receives grace.

The gathered evidence, spanning 60 explicit statements, 9 necessary implications, and 4 inferences (all I-A), traces the eighth commandment from its two-word formulation at Sinai through detailed case law, prophetic denunciation, wisdom reflection, and NT treatment. The commandment's scope extends from stealth theft to kidnapping, from false weights to withheld wages, from robbing neighbors to robbing God. Its NT transformation moves from prohibition to positive ethic: the former thief becomes a generous laborer. Throughout, the text treats theft as sin against both neighbor and God, requiring restitution as the evidence of genuine repentance.

Evidence items registered in D:/bible/bible-studies/cmd-evidence.db

Study completed: 2026-02-27 Series: Ten Commandments Deep Dive (cmd-09) Files: 01-topics.md, 02-verses.md, 03-analysis.md, 04-word-studies.md, CONCLUSION.md

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