Lexical Summary
ganab: To steal
Original Word:גָּנַב
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:ganab
Pronunciation:gah-NAHV
Phonetic Spelling:(gaw-nab')
KJV: carry away, X indeed, secretly bring, steal (away), get by stealth
NASB:steal, stolen, steals, stole, actually stolen, brought to me stealthily, carries away
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (literally or figuratively) to thieve
2. (by implication) to deceive
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
carry away, indeed, secretly bring, steal away, get by stealth
A primitive root; to thieve (literally or figuratively); by implication, to deceive -- carry away, X indeed, secretly bring, steal (away), get by stealth.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto steal
NASB Translationactually stolen (1), brought to me stealthily (1), carries away (1), deceive (1), deceived (1), deceiving (1), fact kidnapped (1), kidnapping (1), kidnaps (1), steal (9), steal away (1), stealing (1), steals (3), steals him away (1), stealth (1), stole (3), stole away (1), stolen (8), stolen you away (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (Late Hebrew
id., Aramaic ,
; Arabic
is
hurt the side, or
put aside, denominative from
side) —
Perfect3feminine singular suffixJob 21:18;Job 27:20,Genesis 31:22; 2masculine singularGenesis 31:30; 1singular consecutiveProverbs 30:9;Joshua 7:11;2 Samuel 21:12; suffix2 Samuel 19:42;ImperfectExodus 21:37,Proverbs 6:30,Genesis 31:20; 3feminine singularGenesis 31:19 2t.; 2 masculine singularExodus 20:15;Deuteronomy 5:17,Genesis 31:26,27, Obadiah 5,Leviticus 19:11,Genesis 44:8;Infinitive absoluteExodus 22:11 2t.;ParticipleExodus 21:16 2t.,Genesis 30:33; feminine constructGenesis 31:39 (twice in verse); pluralProverbs 9:17; in Hexateuch always J E D, exceptLeviticus 19:11 (H); —steal with accusative of thingGenesis 31:19,30,32;Genesis 44:8;Exodus 21:37;2 Samuel 21:12 compare passiveGenesis 30:33;Genesis 31:39;Proverbs 9:17; with object personExodus 21:16;Deuteronomy 24:7;2 Samuel 19:42; =take by stealth (for good purpose)2 Kings 11:2 2Chronicles 22:11; absoluteExodus 20:15 =Deuteronomy 5:17;Leviticus 19:11;Joshua 7:11;Proverbs 6:30;Proverbs 30:9; Obadiah 5;Zechariah 5:3, compareInfinitive absoluteHosea 4:2;Jeremiah 7:9 & (c. Niph`al)Exodus 22:11; =deceiveGenesis 31:20,26 cf Di;Genesis 31:27id.; of sudden sweeping off by storm, in simileJob 21:18 figurative of destruction of wickedJob 27:20.
be stolen, subject of thingExodus 22:11.
steal away (transitive)2 Samuel 15:6;Jeremiah 23:30.
be stolen away subject personGenesis 40:15; subject of thing consecutiveExodus 22:6;be brought by stealthJob 4:12. .
go by stealth, steal away2 Samuel 19:4,2 Samuel 19:4. (Syriac
steal oneselfaway; so
Genesis 31:27.)
Topical Lexicon
Core Ideaגָּנַב (ganab) denotes taking what rightfully belongs to another by stealth, fraud, or force. Scripture treats the act not merely as a social inconvenience but as a breach of covenant fidelity against God himself, the ultimate Owner of all things.
Distribution of Occurrences
Roughly forty verses employ the verb, spanning Pentateuch, Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, and Prophets. The earliest narratives (Genesis 30–44) expose family tensions over stolen goods; the legal corpora (Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy) codify penalties; the prophets use the term to unmask national apostasy; and the sages of Proverbs explore motives and consequences. The reach is comprehensive, embedding the concept in every major section of the Old Testament.
Theft in the Decalogue and Covenant Law
“You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15) stands as the eighth commandment, reiterated inDeuteronomy 5:19. Detailed case law clarifies what that prohibition entails:
• Property: “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he must repay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.” (Exodus 22:1)
• Custody: When entrusted items disappear, courts determine whether “it has been stolen” (Exodus 22:7,12).
• Restitution:Exodus 22:4 and 22:9 both require a thief to pay double when caught, demonstrating that biblical justice seeks restoration, not mere retribution.
Leviticus 19:11 couples the command with honesty and neighbor-love: “You must not steal. You must not lie. You must not deceive one another.”
Kidnapping: Theft of Persons
The law treats abduction as an aggravated form of stealing. “Whoever kidnaps a man must surely be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.” (Exodus 21:16) A similar statute appears inDeuteronomy 24:7. Human life, stamped with the image of God, cannot be reduced to transferable property; to do so warrants capital punishment.
Narrative Illustrations
Genesis supplies vivid episodes:
• Rachel “stole her father’s household idols” (Genesis 31:19), provoking Laban’s pursuit and illustrating how theft fractures relationships.
• Joseph tells Pharaoh’s cupbearer, “I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews.” (Genesis 40:15), a reminder that kidnapping was already abhorrent.
• Achan “has stolen, taken some of what was devoted” (Joshua 7:11), bringing collective judgment on Israel until confession and judgment restore covenant order.
• Absalom “stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (2 Samuel 15:6). Though metaphorical, the verb underlines deceitful manipulation as another form of theft.
• Jehosheba “stole away Joash… from among the king’s sons” (2 Kings 11:2); here the same action preserves the Davidic line, showing that the moral character of ‘stealing’ depends on the context of God’s revealed will.
Prophetic Indictments
The prophets treat theft as symptomatic of deeper covenant infidelity:
• “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery… and then stand before Me in this house?” (Jeremiah 7:9)
• Hosea catalogs national sins: “There is only cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery.” (Hosea 4:2)
• Amos exposes marketplace fraud—another species of theft (Amos 8:4-6).
• Zechariah’s flying scroll goes forth: “Every thief will be banished… it will consume his house, both its timbers and stones.” (Zechariah 5:3-4)
These texts tie social injustice to divine judgment, reinforcing that theft offends not only neighbors but God.
Wisdom Literature and Moral Reflection
Proverbs probes motives and outcomes:
• Necessity: “Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.” (Proverbs 6:30) Compassion acknowledges need, yet verse 31 still demands sevenfold restitution.
• Allure: “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” (Proverbs 9:17) Illicit gain attracts, but leads to Sheol (9:18).
• Self-destruction: “Whoever is a partner to a thief hates his own soul.” (Proverbs 29:24)
• Poverty or blasphemy: “Otherwise, I may steal and profane the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:9) The sage fears dishonoring God more than material lack.
Spiritual and Metaphorical Extensions
Jeremiah 23:30 indicts false prophets who “steal My words from one another.” Appropriating divine revelation without authorization equates to theft, showing that ganab can describe plagiarism of the sacred. Likewise, Absalom’s political subterfuge (2 Samuel 15:6) broadens the term to relational manipulation. These uses underscore that any misappropriation—material, intellectual, or emotional—violates God’s order.
Restitution, Repentance, and Redemption
Old-covenant restitution required making wrongs right plus added compensation. New-covenant transformation follows the same trajectory: “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must labor… that he may have something to share with the one in need.” (Ephesians 4:28) The apostle echoesExodus 22, but grounds the change in union with Christ. Zacchaeus’s fourfold repayment (Luke 19:8) mirrors Mosaic restitution and illustrates gospel-produced repentance.
Ministry Implications Today
1. Integrity: Believers pursue honest labor, reject fraud, piracy, and all modern equivalents of ganab.
2. Restitution: True repentance seeks tangible repair where possible.
3. Compassion:Proverbs 6:30 balances justice with mercy toward the desperate; ministries address poverty to remove temptation.
4. Teaching: Theft is ultimately against God; proclaiming His ownership guards hearts against covetousness.
5. Warning and Hope: The prophetic curses ofZechariah 5 and the grace shown to Zacchaeus together urge sinners to flee judgment by embracing the Redeemer who “came to seek and to save the lost.”
Forms and Transliterations
גְּנָב֨וּךָ גְּנָבַ֥תּוּ גְּנָבָֽתַם׃ גְּנֻֽבְתִ֣י גְּנוּבִ֥ים גָּֽנְבוּ֙ גָּנ֥וּב גָּנְב֨וּ גָּנֹ֥ב גָנַ֖בְתָּ גֹּנֵ֨ב גֻּנַּ֔בְתִּי גֻנֹּ֣ב גנב גנבו גנבוך גנבת גנבתו גנבתי גנבתם׃ גנוב גנובים הֲגָנֹ֤ב ׀ הַגֹּנֵ֗ב הגנב וְגָנַ֑בְתִּי וְגָנֹ֖ב וְגֹנֵ֨ב וְגֻנַּ֖ב וַיְגַנֵּב֙ וַיִּגְנֹ֣ב וַיִּתְגַּנֵּ֥ב וַתִּגְנֹ֖ב וַתִּגְנֹ֣ב וַתִּגְנֹ֤ב וּגְנֻֽבְתִ֖י וגנב וגנבתי ויגנב ויתגנב ותגנב יְגֻנָּ֑ב יִגְנ֑וֹב יִגְנְב֖וּ יִגְנֹֽב־ יִגָּנֵ֖ב יִתְגַּנֵּ֗ב יגנב יגנב־ יגנבו יגנוב יתגנב מְגַנְּבֵ֣י מגנבי נִגְנֹב֙ נגנב תִּֿגְנֹֽ֔ב׃ תִּגְנֹ֑בוּ תגנב׃ תגנבו ḡā·naḇ·tā gā·nə·ḇū gā·nōḇ gā·nūḇ ḡānaḇtā gaNavta gānəḇū ganeVu gaNo gānōḇ gānūḇ gaNuv gə·nā·ḇā·ṯam gə·nā·ḇat·tū gə·nā·ḇū·ḵā gə·nū·ḇîm gə·nuḇ·ṯî gənāḇāṯam gənāḇattū gənāḇūḵā genaVatam genaVattu genaVucha gənūḇîm gənuḇṯî genuVim genuvTi gō·nêḇ gōnêḇ goNev gun·naḇ·tî ḡun·nōḇ gunnaḇtî gunNavti gunNo ḡunnōḇ hă·ḡā·nōḇ hag·gō·nêḇ hagaNo hăḡānōḇ haggōnêḇ haggoNev mə·ḡan·nə·ḇê məḡannəḇê meganneVei niḡ·nōḇ nigNo niḡnōḇ tḡə·nōḇ tgeNo tḡənōḇ tiḡ·nō·ḇū tiḡnōḇū tigNou ū·ḡə·nuḇ·ṯî ūḡənuḇṯî ugenuvTi vaiyigNo vaiyitganNev vattigNo vayganNev vegaNavti vegaNo vegoNev vegunNav wat·tiḡ·nōḇ wattiḡnōḇ way·ḡan·nêḇ way·yiḡ·nōḇ way·yiṯ·gan·nêḇ wayḡannêḇ wayyiḡnōḇ wayyiṯgannêḇ wə·ḡā·naḇ·tî wə·ḡā·nōḇ wə·ḡō·nêḇ wə·ḡun·naḇ wəḡānaḇtî wəḡānōḇ wəḡōnêḇ wəḡunnaḇ yə·ḡun·nāḇ yəḡunnāḇ yegunNav yig·gā·nêḇ yiḡ·nə·ḇū yiḡ·nō·wḇ yiḡ·nōḇ- yiggānêḇ yiggaNev yiḡnəḇū yigneVu yiḡnōḇ- yignov yiḡnōwḇ yiṯ·gan·nêḇ yiṯgannêḇ yitganNev
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