The Eighth Commandment Explained
“You shall not steal.” — Exodus 20:15
The Meaning of the Commandment
The Eighth Commandment speaks with simplicity yet carries vast moral weight: “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). These four words protect justice, honesty, and trust, the foundation of peaceful living. To steal is to take what belongs to another, whether through force, deceit, or neglect of fairness. In forbidding theft, God affirms that human possessions, rights, and labour are not to be violated.
This commandment extends beyond material theft. It encompasses every act of dishonesty, cheating, exploitation, fraud, or withholding what is due. It reminds us that the heart of theft is not always in the hand that takes, but in the desire that covets. It calls for integrity in all dealings and respect for what belongs to others.
In its simplest form, this commandment preserves social order. In its deepest form, it protects the principle of stewardship, recognising that everything ultimately belongs to God, and that we are caretakers, not owners.
The Principle of Stewardship
Scripture teaches that all things belong to God: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1). Humanity is entrusted with resources, not to hoard or misuse, but to manage faithfully. When a person steals, they not only wrong another but reject God’s authority as the ultimate owner of all.
Theft is therefore not merely an offence against property but a violation of divine trust. It distorts community, erodes peace, and reveals unbelief, the refusal to trust that God provides what is needed. By commanding against theft, God calls His people to live with contentment and gratitude rather than greed and envy.
Forms of Stealing
Stealing takes many forms, both visible and hidden. It includes not only taking possessions but also withholding fairness, cheating in trade, or abusing positions of responsibility. Leviticus 19:11 commands, “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.” Theft and deceit are often twins, one acts while the other hides.
Employers steal when they exploit workers or withhold fair wages. Employees steal when they waste time, misuse resources, or take what is not theirs. Proverbs 11:1 warns, “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.” God demands honesty in every transaction because integrity reflects His character.
There is also spiritual theft, taking credit for what belongs to God, withholding generosity when others are in need, or robbing God of worship and obedience. Malachi 3:8–10 presents this challenge directly: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.” Stealing, in whatever form, reveals a heart that has forgotten dependence upon the Giver of all things.
The Root of the Sin: Greed and Distrust
The commandment against stealing confronts the deeper sins of greed and distrust. Greed desires what belongs to another, and distrust doubts that God will provide what is needed. Both reveal discontentment.
Paul addressed this when he wrote, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5). Contentment, not abundance, brings peace. The thief believes there is not enough; the believer trusts that God’s provision is sufficient.
Covetousness was addressed separately in the Tenth Commandment, but it feeds directly into this one. The desire to possess what others have often leads to dishonesty, envy, and harm. To obey the Eighth Commandment, therefore, is to discipline desire, to let gratitude silence greed.
Restitution and Repentance
Scripture teaches that repentance for theft requires restitution, the act of restoring what was taken or making amends where possible. In Exodus 22:1, God commanded, “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.” True repentance acknowledges harm and seeks to repair it.
This principle is echoed in the story of Zacchaeus, a tax collector who had grown wealthy through dishonesty. When he met Jesus, his heart was changed. He said, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” Jesus replied, “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:8–9). His repentance was proven through restoration.
The Eighth Commandment therefore calls for both integrity and accountability. It reminds us that repentance is not only sorrow for wrongdoing but a willingness to make right what has been wronged.
The Generous Alternative
The opposite of stealing is giving. God calls His people to generosity as the antidote to greed. Paul instructed, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” (Ephesians 4:28). Honest work transforms a taker into a giver, turning selfishness into service.
Generosity is not measured by amount but by heart. It reflects trust that God provides and that what we give away is never truly lost. Jesus taught, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.” (Luke 6:38). The one who gives lives in freedom; the one who steals lives in fear.
By practising generosity, the believer not only avoids theft but redeems it, transforming greed into gratitude and scarcity into abundance.
Stealing from Truth and Time
Beyond possessions, people can steal truth and time. To lie or deceive is to rob another of honesty. To waste time, one’s own or another’s, is to steal opportunity. Ephesians 5:15–16 urges believers, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
God’s commandment therefore extends to all areas of life. The principle remains the same: what is entrusted to us, whether time, truth, or treasure, must be handled faithfully. The faithful steward does not only avoid theft but invests what is given for good.
Living the Commandment
To live the Eighth Commandment is to walk in integrity. It means dealing honestly in every relationship, returning what is borrowed, keeping promises, and valuing fairness. It means recognising that nothing truly belongs to us, not possessions, positions, or even abilities, but that all are gifts to be managed wisely.
This commandment also shapes how believers approach work and generosity. Work becomes an act of worship when done honourably; giving becomes an act of gratitude when done freely. In both, the heart moves from taking to trusting, from grasping to giving.
In a world driven by greed, this commandment remains a radical call to contentment and faith. It teaches that abundance is not measured by what we hold, but by what we honour.
Summary
The Eighth Commandment, “You shall not steal,” upholds honesty, justice, and trust. It forbids taking what belongs to others and exposes the roots of greed and discontent that lead to theft. It calls believers to integrity in every area of life, from work to worship, from possessions to promises.
To keep this commandment is to live as a faithful steward of what God has entrusted, to value fairness, and to give generously. It transforms the heart from a taker into a giver, reflecting the character of God who gives freely to all.
Scripture References
Exodus 20:15 – “You shall not steal.”
Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.”
Leviticus 19:11 – “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.”
Proverbs 11:1 – “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.”
Malachi 3:8–10 – “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.”
Hebrews 13:5 – “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
Exodus 22:1 – “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.”
Luke 19:8–9 – “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house.’”
Ephesians 4:28 – “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”
Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.”
Ephesians 5:15–16 – “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
