“You shall not steal.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This command isn't just about clandestine acts like shoplifting or burglary; it fundamentally protects the integrity of property rights themselves. It calls us to recognize that stealing includes any form of overreaching, unjust withholding, or taking advantage of another's ignorance in dealings, demonstrating that true honesty respects the inherent value and ownership of what belongs to our neighbor.
“You shall not steal.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This command, "You shall not steal," comes right after the prohibitions against adultery and murder, highlighting the importance of respecting others' boundaries. It directly follows the call to honor parents and precedes the command against bearing false witness, placing the protection of property alongside the protection of life, family, and truth. This eighth commandment establishes the sanctity of private property, setting a clear boundary against taking what belongs to another, whether by force or deception.
We usually think of stealing as lifting something from a store or a neighbor's yard. But what if the command against stealing has a much broader meaning?
The Eighth Commandment isn't just about physical theft. It touches on a wide range of dishonest practices that violate the rights of others and undermine trust.
Respecting Property and Rights
This command fundamentally upholds the right to private property. It acknowledges that when someone invests labor, care, or resources into something, it rightfully belongs to them. This principle extends beyond mere objects to include other tangible and intangible rights.
Forms of Dishonesty
Scholars point out that 'stealing' can encompass:
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Why did God lay down this rule? It's more than just a rule to keep order; it speaks to the very foundation of society and our relationship with each other.
The prohibition against stealing isn't arbitrary. It's a divine recognition of natural human instincts and a necessary safeguard for any functioning society.
Social Order and Human Instinct
From the earliest times, humans have instinctively understood that things created through effort or passed down rightfully belong to someone. Even a primitive person crafting a tool feels a sense of ownership. This 'natural instinct' is what God's law affirms and formalizes.
God's Authority and Societal Structure
By commanding us not to steal, God establishes His authority over all aspects of life, including economic and social interactions. He sets the standard for how people should treat one another within the structures He has ordained:
When we violate the Eighth Commandment, we don't just harm an individual; we challenge the integrity of these God-ordained structures and the collective well-being they aim to foster.
Understand the original words
ganab · Hebrew Verb
The act of taking another person's property without permission or legal right; it violates the principle of stewardship and respect for one's neighbor's livelihood.
This passage directly follows the Ten Commandments and reiterates the prohibition against stealing, but also broadens it to include lying and cheating, emphasizing the integrity of our dealings with others.
Luke 3:14During John the Baptist's ministry, soldiers ask him what they should do, and he instructs them not to practice extortion or falsely accuse anyone, showing how the principle of not stealing applies even to those in positions of power.
Ephesians 4:28Paul explicitly calls thieves to stop stealing and instead to work diligently with their hands, highlighting the positive action required: honest labor to provide for oneself and to share with others, moving beyond mere abstinence from theft.
Proverbs 16:8This proverb states that 'Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice,' underscoring that even a small amount gained honestly is far more valuable in God's eyes than ill-gotten gains.
1 Timothy 6:10This verse warns that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and suggests that the desire for wealth can lead people astray from the faith and into many sorrows, including theft and dishonesty.
bensonExodus 20:15: "Thou shalt not steal."
Exodus 20:15 . Thou shalt not steal — This command forbids us to rob ourselves of what we have, by sinful spending, or of the use and comfort of it, by sinful sparing; and to rob others by invading our neighbour’s rights, taking his goods, or house, or field, forcibly or clandestinely, overreaching in bargains, not restoring what is borrowed or found, withholding just debts, rents, or wages; and, which is worst of all, to rob the public in the coin or reven…
gillExodus 20:15: "Thou shalt not steal."
Thou shall not steal. Which is to take away another man's property by force or fraud, without the knowledge, and against the will of the owner thereof. Thefts are of various kinds; there is private theft, picking of pockets, shoplifting, burglary, or breaking into houses in the night, and carrying off goods; public theft, or robbing upon the highways; domestic theft, as when wives take away their husbands' money or goods, and conceal them, or dispose of the…
This command isn't just about clandestine acts like shoplifting or burglary; it fundamentally protects the integrity of property rights themselves. It calls us to recognize that stealing includes any form of overreaching, unjust withholding, or taking advantage of another's ignorance in dealings, demonstrating that true honesty respects the inherent value and ownership of what belongs to our neighbor.
This command, "You shall not steal," comes right after the prohibitions against adultery and murder, highlighting the importance of respecting others' boundaries. It directly follows the call to honor parents and precedes the command against bearing false witness, placing the protection of property alongside the protection of life, family, and truth. This eighth commandment establishes the sanctity of private property, setting a clear boundary against taking what belongs to another, whether by force or deception.
This command, "You shall not steal," comes right after the prohibitions against adultery and murder, highlighting the importance of respecting others' boundaries. It directly follows the call to honor parents and precedes the command against bearing false witness, placing the protection of property alongside the protection of life, family, and truth. This eighth commandment establishes the sanctity of private property, setting a clear boundary against taking what belongs to another, whether by force or deception.
"“You shall not steal." — This command isn't just about clandestine acts like shoplifting or burglary; it fundamentally protects the integrity of property rights themselves. It calls us to recognize that stealing includes any…
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Last reviewed October 2026