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Bible Verses About Stealing

Stealing is a topic that resonates deeply within the human experience, touching on themes of personal property, justice, and the moral fabric of society. From the earliest covenants established by God with His people to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, the prohibition against stealing is consistently reinforced. This article explores what the Bible says about stealing, examining its various forms and the spiritual implications it carries. We will see how scripture frames this act not merely as a breach of law, but as a transgression against God's order and a detriment to our relationships with one another.

By Mohau Tshabangu · Founding editor & lead writer · How we review

"You shall not steal."

"“You shall not steal."

"Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."

"Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods that you have not known,"

"Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land; for everyone who steals will be cut off according to it on the one side; and everyone who swears falsely will be cut off according to it on the other side. I will cause it to go out,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and it will enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who swears falsely by my name; and it will remain in his house, and will destroy it with its timber and its stones.”"

Zech-ariah 5:3-4

"He said to him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not offer false testimony."

"you therefore who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn’t steal, do you steal?"

"And if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”"

"Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need."

"Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters in all things, to be well-pleasing, not contradicting, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things."

Frequently asked questions

  • The Bible addresses stealing in numerous passages, laying a clear foundation for its condemnation from the Old Testament through the New.