Greek word · G2829

κλοπή

klopē

theft

Theft, stealing: taking what belongs to someone else, usually in secret (compare kleptēs, 'thief'). In Jewish moral teaching the word stands for the eighth commandment and everything around it, including underhanded ways of taking another person's property.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

κλοπή, -ῆν, ἡ

(κλέπτω), [in LXX for גָּנַב ;]

theft: pl., Matthew 15:19, Mark 7:22.†

(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 Didache 3:5

Range of meaning

Theft, stealing: taking what belongs to someone else, usually in secret (compare kleptēs, 'thief'). In Jewish moral teaching the word stands for the eighth commandment and everything around it, including underhanded ways of taking another person's property.

Against the English

'Theft' is accurate. The plural klopai, 'thefts,' at the end of the verse means repeated acts, which Lake keeps.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exodus 20:15 and Deuteronomy 5:19 in the Septuagint: 'you shall not steal.' Didache 2:2 quotes the commandment, 'you shall not steal' (ou klepseis). The plural klopai appears in Matthew 15:19 and Mark 7:22, in lists of evils that come out of the heart.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 15:19 κλοπαί, thefts,

    For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

    Here: Acts of stealing. It answers the eighth commandment.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 7:21 κλοπαί, thefts

    For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

    Here: Plural: acts of stealing. It echoes the commandment 'You shall not steal'.

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