The Hebrew verb ganab means to steal — taking property, persons, or even hearts by stealth or deceit. It appears approximately 40 times in the Old Testament and is the verb behind the eighth commandment: 'You shall not steal (lo tignov)' (Exodus 20:15).
The Eighth Commandment's prohibition of ganab covers a spectrum from petty theft to kidnapping. Exodus 21:16 mandates the death penalty for stealing a person (kidnapping): 'Anyone who kidnaps another person, whether they have sold the victim or still have them when caught, must be put to death.' Joseph's brothers accused him of stealing Benjamin's cup (Genesis 44:9) — an accusation designed to exploit their own guilt about stealing Joseph's future. The New Testament deepens the theology: Jesus identifies the devil as the thief who 'comes only to steal and kill and destroy' (John 10:10) — in sharp contrast to Himself, who comes to give abundant life. The Gospel reframes the human problem of stealing not merely as criminal behavior but as a symptom of unbelief: the one who truly believes God's provision does not need to take from others. Paul commands: 'Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work... that they may have something to share with those in need' (Ephesians 4:28).