God’s Image • Commandment 8: Do Not Steal
A person can speak about God while claiming an authority God has not given. Jeremiah brings this concern directly into our examination of stealing.
“Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that steal my words every one from his neighbor.”
— Jeremiah 23:30, ASV
Whose Words? From Whom?
Two details belong together: God calls them “my words,” while the prophets steal them “every one from his neighbor.”
The Hebrew verb translated steal comes from גָּנַב — gānav (H1589), the same root used in Exodus 20:15. Here, words are explicitly named as what is stolen. Read Jeremiah 23:30 in Hebrew and English.
We must examine the surrounding conduct to understand the charge.
Speaking Faithfully or Claiming to Be Sent
Earlier, YHWH (יהוה) says:
“I sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I spake not unto them, yet they prophesied.”
— Jeremiah 23:21, ASV
Verse 28 instructs the one who has His word to speak it faithfully. Verses 31–32 then expose speakers who claim divine speech and lead people astray through lies and boasting.
The passage gives us both faithful communication and false claims. Repeating words is not, by itself, the distinction. Their source, the speaker’s commission, and faithfulness to what God says matter. Read Jeremiah 23:28–32.
The Voice and the Way of Entry
John 10 provides a comparison. Jesus describes someone entering the sheepfold by another way as a thief and robber. The shepherd enters through the door, calls his sheep, and leads them. The sheep recognize his voice and follow him. Read John 10:1–5.
When verse 8 says the sheep did not hear the thieves and robbers, we should keep that statement beside their refusal to follow a stranger. The contrast concerns whose voice they heed; it does not require that no sound ever reached their ears.
Jesus then contrasts the thief’s destructive purpose with his own giving of life. He identifies himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. Read John 10:7–11.
A Claim Must Be Examined
Placed alongside one another, these passages direct our attention to words, authority, conduct, and the effect upon those listening.
Jeremiah’s prophets claim to speak for God while leading people astray. Jesus describes a shepherd whose care gives life. Familiar religious language alone cannot settle which kind of guidance we are receiving.
These questions belong before us as listeners—and as people who share Scripture:
Have I examined what was said, or accepted it because I trust the speaker?
Am I presenting my own conclusion as though God explicitly stated it?
Do I preserve the context when sharing another person’s scriptural observation?
Does the teaching encourage faithfulness to God, or dependence upon the speaker?
Will I welcome correction when Scripture challenges words I have repeated?
Our responsibility remains to discern what is practiced while remaining careful about whom we condemn. Examination must include our own speech.
Threads to Follow
Seeking counsel: Compare Isaiah 30:1–2 with making claims without consulting God.
Entrusted authority: Follow the distinction between serving another’s interests and using a position for oneself.
Source and credit: Return to Abram’s refusal in Genesis 14:21–24.
The books were opened…
🌿 By Maria Emilia
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