Stealing is a sin that God clearly condemns throughout the Bible. It goes against His command to love our neighbors and honor one another. Stealing isn’t just about taking material things; it reflects a heart that lacks trust in God’s provision and disregards the well-being of others.
The Bible calls believers to a life of integrity and honesty, reminding us that everything we have belongs to God. As Christians, we are called to walk in righteousness, seeking to help others rather than take from them.
The Bible verses provide wisdom and guidance about the sin of stealing and God’s will for how we should live.
Preachers Quotes
“God’s command not to steal teaches us to be content with what we have and trust Him as our provider.” – John MacArthur
“A heart set on God has no desire for dishonest gain; it seeks treasures in heaven.” – Charles Spurgeon
“You cannot glorify God and steal at the same time. They are opposing actions from opposing hearts.” – R.C. Sproul
“When we steal, we not only take from others, but we rob ourselves of God’s blessings.” – Billy Graham
“Honesty and integrity are marks of true Christian character. A thief shows no trust in God’s provision.” – Adrian Rogers
“The commandment ‘You shall not steal’ is not just about possession; it’s about the condition of your heart.” – Tony Evans
“Stealing is a failure to believe that God’s grace is sufficient.” – Tim Keller
You might also be interested in: Bible verses about Lying and Deceit
Bible Verses About Stealing
Exodus 20:15 – The eighth commandment.
“You shall not steal.” – Exodus 20:15
Leviticus 19:11 – A call to honesty.
“You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.” – Leviticus 19:11
Proverbs 10:2 – The worthlessness of ill-gotten gains.
“Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death.” – Proverbs 10:2
Proverbs 12:22 – God delights in honesty.
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.” – Proverbs 12:22
Proverbs 21:6 – Dishonest gain leads to ruin.
“Getting treasures by a lying tongue Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.” – Proverbs 21:6
Zechariah 5:3-4 – God’s curse on theft.
“Then he said to me, ‘This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: ‘Every thief shall be expelled,’ according to what is on this side of the scroll.’” – Zechariah 5:3-4
Ephesians 4:28 – Work instead of stealing.
“Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” – Ephesians 4:28
Psalm 37:21 – The wicked borrow without repaying.
“The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives.” – Psalm 37:21
Matthew 6:19-20 – Treasures in heaven.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:19-20
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – Thieves will not inherit the kingdom of God.
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Luke 19:8-9 – Zacchaeus’ repentance.
“Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house.’” – Luke 19:8-9
Proverbs 6:30-31 – Restitution for theft.
“People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house.” – Proverbs 6:30-31
Exodus 22:1 – Restitution for stolen property.
“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.” – Exodus 22:1
Proverbs 28:24 – Dishonoring parents through theft.
“Whoever robs his father or his mother, And says, ‘It is no transgression,’ The same is companion to a destroyer.” – Proverbs 28:24
Mark 10:19 – The commandment against stealing.
“You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother.’” – Mark 10:19
Romans 13:9 – Love fulfills the law.
“For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Romans 13:9
John 10:10 – The thief’s purpose versus Christ’s purpose.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10
Proverbs 29:24 – Partnering with thieves.
“Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing.” – Proverbs 29:24
Psalm 62:10 – Do not set your heart on theft or riches.
“Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them.” – Psalm 62:10
1 Peter 4:15 – Christians must avoid theft and wrongdoing.
“But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.” – 1 Peter 4:15
Proverbs 20:17 – Deceitful gain is temporary.
“Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.” – Proverbs 20:17
Job 24:14 – The deeds of a thief.
“The murderer rises with the light; He kills the poor and needy; And in the night he is like a thief.” – Job 24:14
Matthew 19:18 – Jesus reiterates the commandment.
“He said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness.’” – Matthew 19:18
Jeremiah 7:9 – God condemns theft among other sins.
“Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know?” – Jeremiah 7:9
Micah 2:2 – Stealing through covetousness.
“They covet fields and take them by violence, Also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house, A man and his inheritance.” – Micah 2:2
Hosea 4:2 – A land full of stealing and sins.
“By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed.” – Hosea 4:2
James 5:4 – Withholding wages is a form of theft.
“Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.” – James 5:4
Zechariah 8:17 – God hates dishonesty and evil schemes.
“Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the Lord.” – Zechariah 8:17
Ecclesiastes 5:10 – Greed leads to dissatisfaction.
“He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.” – Ecclesiastes 5:10
Isaiah 61:8 – God loves justice and hates robbery.
“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant.” – Isaiah 61:8
Proverbs 22:22-23 – Do not rob the poor.
“Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; For the Lord will plead their cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.” – Proverbs 22:22-23
Jeremiah 22:13 – Woe to those who steal wages.
“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness And his chambers by injustice, Who uses his neighbor’s service without wages And gives him nothing for his work.” – Jeremiah 22:13
Matthew 27:38 – Thieves crucified with Jesus.
“Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.” – Matthew 27:38
Luke 23:41 – The repentant thief on the cross.
“And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” – Luke 23:41
Deuteronomy 5:19 – God’s command not to steal.
“You shall not steal.” – Deuteronomy 5:19
Proverbs 3:29 – Avoid deceit and harm.
“Do not devise evil against your neighbor, For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.” – Proverbs 3:29
Habakkuk 2:6 – Woe to the thief.
“Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases What is not his—how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges?’” – Habakkuk 2:6
Psalm 119:36 – A prayer to avoid greed.
“Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness.” – Psalm 119:36
Exodus 22:7 – Stealing entrusted items.
“If a man delivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief is found, he shall pay double.” – Exodus 22:7
If you’re interested, here’s another article on: Bible verses about Cheating
What does the Bible say about Stealing
The Bible speaks clearly about stealing and emphasizes that it is wrong. In the Ten Commandments, which are important rules given by God, one of the commandments says, “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). This is a direct instruction that stealing is not allowed. The Bible teaches that stealing harms others, and it goes against God’s will for people to live in peace and respect one another. Stealing can happen in many ways, such as taking money, goods, or even someone’s time or trust.
In the New Testament, Jesus also teaches about being honest. He says in Matthew 7:12, “Do to others what you would have them do to you,” meaning we should treat others the way we want to be treated. If we don’t want people to steal from us, then we should not steal from them. This teaching encourages us to live with integrity and fairness, avoiding any action that would harm others.
In the book of Ephesians 4:28, Paul also writes about stealing. He says, “Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.” This verse shows that instead of stealing, people should work hard and earn what they need. By doing this, not only can they provide for themselves, but they can also help others in need.
The Bible also talks about the heart behind stealing. In James 4:2, it says, “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.” This verse explains that stealing often comes from a feeling of wanting something that we do not have. Instead of stealing, God wants us to be content and trust in His provision. God provides for our needs, and we should trust that He will give us what we need in His own time.
Stealing is not just about taking physical things. It can also be about stealing someone’s reputation, peace, or joy. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches.” We should not steal someone’s good name by lying or spreading false rumors.
In conclusion, the Bible makes it clear that stealing is wrong. It harms others and goes against God’s will. Instead of stealing, we are encouraged to work hard, be honest, and trust God to provide for us.