Deuteronomy 5:19 — Word Study
WLCוְלֹ֖֣א תִּֿגְנֹֽ֔ב׃ ס
BSAYou shall notlôʼ [do not, neither] stealgânab▸ [take something secretly, plunder, or deceive]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְלֹ֖֣א | and not | Conjunction, particle |
| תִּֿגְנֹֽ֔ב׃ ס | you must steal | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You shall not steal. |
| KJV | Neither shalt thou steal. |
| ASV | Neither shalt thou steal. |
| YLT | 'Thou dost not steal. |
| WEB | “You shall not steal. |
| BBE | Do not take the property of another. |
Translations agree on the prohibition against stealing, using similar wording across different versions.
The verse is a single command, straightforward and direct.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
verbגָּנַב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Deuteronomy 5:19
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Ten Commandmentsgenerated
Deuteronomy 5:19 is part of the Ten Commandments, which God gave to the Israelites to guide their moral conduct. This specific commandment addresses the act of stealing, underscoring the value of honesty and respect for one another's possessions. It follows other prohibitions against adultery and false witness, forming a foundation for ethical behavior within the community.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 20:15 | You shall not steal. |
| 2 | Romans 13:9 | The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” |
| 3 | Ephesians 4:28 | He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — גָּנַב, tge.Nogenerated
The verb גָּנַב (ganab) means to steal and is used in the Qal stem, indicating a straightforward action. It encompasses various forms of theft, whether through physical taking or deceit. The parsing as an imperfect second person masculine singular verb suggests a command directed at the audience, instructing them not to engage in this act.
This command highlights the moral responsibility individuals have towards one another's property. The act of stealing is not merely a legal issue but a violation of trust and community integrity.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of a main clause with two components: the negation וְלֹ֖֣א (ve.Lo') and the verb תִּגְנֹֽב (tge.No). The structure is straightforward, emphasizing the command's clarity and directness.
The Hebrew word order places the negation first, highlighting the prohibition before stating the action, which reinforces the seriousness of the command.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, גָּנַב is rendered as κλέψεις (klepses), which also means to steal. This choice reflects a direct translation that captures the essence of the Hebrew command against theft.
The Greek word carries a similar weight, maintaining the moral imperative found in the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Deuteronomy 5:19 commands, 'You shall not steal.' This is part of God's instructions to the Israelites, emphasizing the importance of respecting others' belongings and maintaining honesty within the community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To steal means to take something that does not belong to you, whether by deception or without permission.
Stealing is prohibited because it violates trust and respect for others, undermining community relationships.
This command complements others that promote honesty and fidelity, creating a moral framework for the community.
The consequences can include legal penalties, loss of trust, and damage to relationships within the community.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I ensure that I respect the property of others in my daily life?
- How can I promote honesty and integrity within my community?
- What are some examples of stealing that might not be obvious?
- Why do you think God emphasized this command in the context of the Ten Commandments?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 5:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou shalt not kill. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 5 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(17-20) The wording of these four commandments is the same with that of Exodus 20.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 5 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges17–20. The Sixth to the Ninth Commandments, as in Exodus 20:13-16, except that for the simple not used there, we have here and not = neither, to introduce the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Commandments; and that in the Ninth instead of sheḳ ?er = false of Exo 20:16 there is the wider term shav’ = vain, groundless, as in the Third Commandment. For this term see on Exodus 20:7; and cp. Exodus 23:1 (E), where it is applied to a report or rumour.
Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 5 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleOF THE TEN , Deuteronomy 5:6-21.Here, on the plains of Moab, in sight of the Land of Promise, thirty-eight years after the first announcement of the law on Sinai, Moses repeats the code which Jehovah
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Deuteronomy 5 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
You shall not steal.
“You shall not steal.
You shall not steal.
You must not steal.
Tyndale line
Neither shalt thou steal.
Neither shalt thou steal.
Neither shalt thou steal.
Neither shalt thou steal.
Neither shalt thou steale.
Strictly literal
Neither shalt thou steal.
'Thou dost not steal.
You do not steal.
(5:17B) Neither shalt thou steal.
You will not steal.
From the Latin
And thou shalt not steal.
Simplified
You must not steal.
Do not take the property of another.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with the Hebrew. The Dead Sea Scrolls show a variety of readings, with some scrolls supplying words that align closely with the Masoretic Text, while others present slight variations.
וְלֹ֖֣א תִּֿגְנֹֽ֔ב׃ ס
2 of the 2 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
לא תגנב
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
[ולא] [תגנוב]
nothing on the leather here — 2 supplied entire by an editor.
ולוא תגנוב
2 words on the leather.
[ולא] [תגנב]
nothing on the leather here — 2 supplied entire by an editor.
[ולא] [תגנב]
nothing on the leather here — 2 supplied entire by an editor.
לוא תגנוב
2 words on the leather.
לוא תגנב
2 words on the leather.
לא תגנב
2 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Deuteronomy 5:19
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particleHC/Tn
גָּנַב (ganab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to steal. It encompasses various forms, including stealing, being stolen, and going by stealth. The entries indicate its use in different grammatical aspects, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, Pual, and Hithpael, which cover both the act of stealing and the state of being stolen.
[גָּנַב] vb. steal
Qal steal
Niph. be stolen
Pi. steal away (trans.)
Pu. be stolen away
Hithp. go by stealth, syeal away
base
H1589 גָּנַב steal
1589 ganab gaw-nab'
a primitive root; to thieve (literally or figuratively); by
implication, to deceive:--carry away, X indeed, secretly
bring, steal (away), get by stealth.
גָּנַב (ga.nav) — to steal.
1) to steal, steal away, carry away
1a) (Qal) to steal
1b) (Niphal) to be stolen
1c) (Piel) to steal away
1d)(Pual) to be stolen away, be brought by stealth
1e) (Hithpael) to go by stealth, steal away
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms