God’s Image • Commandment 8: Do Not Steal
Our Babylon Study brought us to questions of possession, authority, and belonging. Revelation describes commerce that includes human lives, while God calls His people to come out of her. Those she holds are not therefore hers to claim. Read Revelation 18:4, 11–13.
We now return to Exodus:
“You shall not steal.”
— Exodus 20:15, LSB
Begin with the Wording
The Hebrew reads לֹא תִּגְנֹב — lōʾ tignōv: “You shall not steal.” The verb comes from גָּנַב — gānav (H1589), meaning to steal. The command itself does not name a particular object being stolen. Read Exodus 20:15 in Hebrew and English.
To examine its reach, we will follow how Scripture uses this language: what is taken, whose it is, and what the taking does to another.
Scripture Also Speaks of Stolen Words
Jeremiah provides an explicit example beyond material possessions:
“Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that steal my words every one from his neighbor.”
— Jeremiah 23:30, ASV
Notice the ownership: My words.
The surrounding passage distinguishes speaking God’s word faithfully from claiming a message He did not send. These prophets use their tongues to claim divine speech, while their lies lead the people astray. Read Jeremiah 23:28–32.
This brings our examination back to YHWH (יהוה) as the Source. Having access to words about God does not itself establish that God commissioned the speaker.
The question therefore includes what we do with what we have heard: Are we faithfully conveying it, or using it to establish a claim of our own?
Who Receives the Credit?
Genesis 14 adds a different situation for comparison. The king of Sodom offers Abram the goods, but Abram refuses what belongs to him so that the king cannot claim to have made Abram rich. Abram identifies Jehovah, God Most High, as possessor of heaven and earth. Read Genesis 14:18–24.
An offered possession and a stolen possession are different circumstances. Yet Abram’s explanation introduces another question we will follow: Who will be acknowledged as the source of what is received?
This will matter as we revisit authority, entrusted care, and Glory.
From Taking to Sharing
Paul tells the one who steals to stop, work at what is good, and have something to share with someone in need. The change reaches both conduct and purpose: the hands once used to take can now provide. Read Ephesians 4:28.
As we begin, let us examine ourselves:
Am I treating access as permission?
Am I claiming ownership of something entrusted to my care?
Does my use of God’s word direct attention to Him or establish my own importance?
Do I acknowledge the source of what I receive?
Am I looking for what I can take—or what I can faithfully share?
Threads to Follow
Stolen words: Examine Jeremiah 23 alongside the competing voices in John 10.
Entrusted care: Compare the stewards in Luke 12 and Luke 16.
Glory and rightful ownership: Follow Abram’s refusal alongside our distinction between possessing a vessel and possessing its Source.
The books were opened…
🌿 By Maria Emilia
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