Greek word · G2813

κλέπτω

kleptō

to steal

To take another's property secretly or by stealth. Its range covers burglary, pilfering, petty theft by slaves and workers, and embezzlement. It differs from ἁρπάζω (harpazō, seizing by force, robbery) and λῃστής (lēstēs, bandit).

Appears 13 times in 11 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

κλέπτω

[in LXX for גָּנַב ;]

to steal: absol., Matthew 6:19-20 19:18, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20, John 10:10, Romans 2:21 13:9, Ephesians 4:28; with accusative, Matthew 27:64 28:13.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Ephesians 4:28

Range of meaning

To take another's property secretly or by stealth. Its range covers burglary, pilfering, petty theft by slaves and workers, and embezzlement. It differs from ἁρπάζω (harpazō, seizing by force, robbery) and λῃστής (lēstēs, bandit). Here it appears first as a present participle with the article (ὁ κλέπτων, 'the one stealing') and then as a present command with μηκέτι ('let him no longer steal').

Against the English

BSB 'he who has been stealing' and YLT 'whoso is stealing' keep the present, ongoing sense. KJV 'him that stole' moves it into the past and can sound as if it describes a converted ex-thief's history. Many scholars think the participle simply works as a noun, 'the thief', without stressing time.

How it drifted

The KJV's past tense goes back through Tyndale to the Latin Vulgate's 'qui furabatur' ('who was stealing'). It softens the plain implication that some members of the congregation were still stealing.

Used elsewhere in the period

The eighth commandment in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint): οὐ κλέψεις, 'you shall not steal' (Exod 20:15; Deut 5:19). Lev 19:11 in the Septuagint pairs 'you shall not steal' with 'you shall not lie', and Eph 4:25–28 follows the same sequence: lying, anger, stealing. Paul cites the commandment again in Rom 2:21 and 13:9. Titus 2:10 warns slaves against 'pilfering' (νοσφίζομαι), which shows petty theft was a recognised problem in households.

From the study of Matthew 19:18

Range of meaning

To steal, to take another's property secretly (BDAG). It translates Hebrew ganav, which can mean stealing property or stealing a person (kidnapping, Exod 21:16; Deut 24:7).

Against the English

Every version says "steal", which is accurate in Greek.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exod 20:15 LXX. Ancient rabbinic interpretation (Mekhilta on Exod 20:15; b. Sanhedrin 86a) reasoned that the commandment stands among capital crimes and so means kidnapping. Lev 19:11 was taken to cover property theft. Some modern scholars (e.g. A. Alt) argued the same. Others hold the commandment was general from the start.

From the study of Romans 2:21

Range of meaning

To steal: to take another's property secretly or by fraud. In Jewish ethics, theft was read as covering more than burglary. It included cheating in trade, false weights, withholding a worker's wages (Lev 19:11–13) and defrauding the poor.

Against the English

"Steal" is accurate. The point is that the verb echoes the exact wording of the eighth commandment in the LXX (ou klepseis, "you shall not steal"), so a Jewish or synagogue-trained hearer would recognize the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments) at once. The next verse adds the seventh commandment (adultery) and a charge connected to idolatry.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exod 20:15 and Deut 5:19 LXX: ou klepseis. Lev 19:11–13 puts stealing, dealing falsely and withholding wages together. Jewish self-criticism from Paul's era brings similar charges against the leaders of Israel. Psalms of Solomon 8:8–13 (1st century BC) accuses Jerusalem's leaders of secret sins, adultery, and plundering the sanctuary. The Damascus Document from Qumran (CD 6:15–17) warns against wicked wealth and "robbing the poor of his people." Josephus (Antiquities 18.81–84) tells of a Jewish man in Rome who presented himself as an interpreter of the Law and, with accomplices, embezzled gifts a convert had given for the Jerusalem Temple.

Where it appears

Matthew · 5

  1. Matthew 6:19 κλέπτουσιν· steal;

    Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

    Here: 'And steal.' Like the thief's title, it repeats the root klept-: the thieves thieve. The present tense describes what always happens in this world.

  2. Matthew 6:20 κλέπτουσιν· steal;

    But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

    Here: The verb that matches 'thieves': no one can carry this treasure off.

  3. Matthew 19:18 κλέψεις, will you steal,

    “Which ones?” the man asked. Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,

    Here: "You shall not steal": the eighth commandment. Taking what belongs to someone else by stealth. Some Jewish readers took the original commandment to mean stealing a person (kidnapping).

  4. Matthew 27:64 κλέψωσιν may steal away

    So give the order that the tomb be secured until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people He has risen from the dead. And this last deception would be worse than the first.”

  5. Matthew 28:13 ἔκλεψαν they stole

    and instructed them: “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

    Here: The ordinary word for stealing, especially by stealth. These are the exact words of the priests' prediction in 27:64 ('lest his disciples come and steal him'). The plotters turn their stated fear into the official explanation.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 10:19 κλέψῃς, shall you steal,

    You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’”

    Here: To take what belongs to someone else, usually in secret (compare kleptēs, 'thief'). The eighth commandment.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 18:20 κλέψῃς, shall you steal,

    You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’”

    Here: To take what belongs to someone else in secret. This lands hard on a very rich man (v. 23), whose wealth Jesus will tell him to give away.

John · 1

  1. John 10:10 κλέψῃ he shall steal

    The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.

    Here: Take the sheep secretly as his own. It is a play on 'thief' (kleptēs): the thief does what his name says. The sheep are someone else's property, so taking them is theft.

Romans · 3

  1. Romans 2:21 κλέπτειν κλέπτεις; to steal, do you steal?

    you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?

    Here: The content of the announcement. It echoes the eighth commandment, which in the Greek Old Testament reads "you shall not steal" (Exod 20:15; Deut 5:19).

  2. Romans 13:9 κλέψεις you will steal

    The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

    Here: “You shall not steal”: taking what belongs to another, usually by stealth. Like the others, it protects the neighbor's life, household and livelihood.

Ephesians · 2

  1. Ephesians 4:28 κλέπτων κλεπτέτω, is stealing, he should steal,

    He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

    Here: A present participle used as a noun: 'the one stealing', which in effect means 'the thief'. It names a person by what he does, and it assumes such people can be found among the believers being addressed.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.