Original Word: גַּנָּב
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: gannab
Pronunciation: gan-nawb'
Phonetic Spelling: (gaw-nab')
KJV: thief
NASB: thief, thieves
Word Origin: [from H1589 (גָּנַב - steal)]

1. a stealer

thief

From ganab; a stealer -- thief.

see HEBREW ganab

Word Origin
from ganab
Definition
a thief
NASB Translation
thief (13), thieves (4).

גַּנָּב noun masculine Exodus 22:1 thief — גַּנָּב Exodus 22:1 12t.; גַּנָּבִים Isaiah 1:23 3t. — thief that breaks in Exodus 22:1; Exodus 22:6; Exodus 22:7 (JE); by window Joel 2:9 (in simile); thief as one who steals Isaiah 1:23; Psalm 50:18; Proverbs 6:30; Proverbs 29:24; Jeremiah 2:26; Jeremiah 48:27; Hosea 7:1 ("" גְּדוּד) Zechariah 5:4; coming by night Jeremiah 49:9 compare Job 24:14 (in simile), Obadiah 5 ("" שׁוֺדֲדֵי לַיְלָה); Job 30:5; stealer of men (slave-dealer) Deuteronomy 24:7.

Definition and Scope

גַּנָּב (gannāḇ) denotes a thief—one who secretly or by stealth appropriates what belongs to another. The sixteen Old Testament occurrences span legal, poetic, wisdom, and prophetic genres, revealing a consistent divine verdict against theft and against the character traits that foster it.

Legal Context in the Torah

The earliest uses appear in the Covenant Code (Exodus 22). The legislation balances justice and mercy:
• Exodus 22:2–3 distinguishes between a thief killed at night and one killed in daylight, showing God’s regard for both property rights and human life.
• Exodus 22:7–8 requires the suspected thief brought “before the judges, to see whether he has laid his hand on his neighbor’s possession” (22:8), demonstrating due process.
• Deuteronomy 24:7 treats man-stealing as theft of the highest order, punishable by death, underscoring the sanctity of personhood.

These statutes shape a theology of stewardship: all possessions ultimately belong to God; therefore unlawful taking is rebellion against Him (cf. Psalm 24:1).

Moral and Spiritual Dimensions

Psalm 50:18 indicts covenant-breakers who “consent with a thief,” exposing complicity as moral theft. Proverbs intensifies the inner aspect:
• Proverbs 6:30 concedes some pity for the starving thief, yet verses 31–35 warn that need does not cancel accountability.
• Proverbs 29:24 links partnership with thieves to self-destruction, equating silence with perjury before God’s law.

Thus Scripture moves from external act to heart motive, preparing the way for Christ’s deeper exposition of the commandment “You shall not steal.”

Prophetic Indictments and National Decline

Isaiah 1:23 laments rulers who “love bribes and chase after gifts,” classing them with thieves and showing systemic corruption. Jeremiah 2:26 portrays Judah’s shame “as a thief is disgraced when he is caught,” linking idolatry to spiritual theft of God’s glory. Hosea 7:1 and Joel 2:9 depict thieves breaching city walls, literary pictures of judgment. Zechariah 5:4 announces a flying scroll that enters “the house of the thief” to consume it, signaling eschatological cleansing. The prophets view theft not merely as social crime but as covenant violation inviting divine wrath.

Wisdom Literature and the Heart of Theft

Job 24:14 describes the habitual thief who “at night... breaks in,” paralleling adulterers and murderers as creatures of darkness; Job 30:5 shows society casting out such men “like thieves,” illustrating social consequences. The wisdom books diagnose theft as a symptom of deeper alienation from God and community.

Metaphorical and Eschatological Overtones

Obadiah 1:5 and Jeremiah 49:9 compare coming judgment on Edom to marauding thieves who leave only what they cannot carry. The image prepares readers for New Testament language of the Day of the Lord coming “like a thief,” reinforcing continuity in divine revelation.

Ministry Applications

1. Preaching and Teaching: The gannāḇ texts ground sermons on the Eighth Commandment, highlighting restitution, repentance, and Christ’s atonement that pays the sinner’s unpayable debt.
2. Counseling and Discipleship: Addressing covetousness, entitlement, and secrecy—root sins that precede theft—using Proverbs 6 and 29.
3. Social Ethics: Exodus 22 offers precedent for proportional restitution and for protecting both victims and the accused, informing Christian engagement with criminal justice.
4. Evangelism: The prophetic imagery of thieves underscores humanity’s universal guilt and need for the righteous Substitute who on the cross extended grace even to a penitent thief (Luke 23:42–43).

Summary

גַּנָּב encapsulates more than stolen goods; it exposes a heart that disregards God’s ownership and neighbor’s dignity. From Sinai’s statutes to prophetic warnings, Scripture weaves a consistent tapestry: the thief’s path ends in ruin unless intercepted by divine mercy. The church today proclaims that mercy, urging restitution toward humans and reconciliation with the rightful Owner of all things.

גַ֭נָּב גַּ֭נָּב גַּנָּב֙ גַּנָּבִ֔ים גַּנָּבִ֤ים גַּנָּבִ֥ים גנב גנבים הַגַּנָּ֔ב הַגַּנָּ֖ב הַגַּנָּ֣ב הגנב וְגַנָּ֣ב וגנב כַּגַּנָּֽב׃ כַגַּנָּֽב׃ כגנב׃ לַ֭גַּנָּב לגנב chagganNav gan·nā·ḇîm gan·nāḇ ḡan·nāḇ gannāḇ ḡannāḇ gannāḇîm ganNav gannaVim ganno hag·gan·nāḇ haggannāḇ hagganNav kag·gan·nāḇ ḵag·gan·nāḇ kaggannāḇ ḵaggannāḇ kagganNav lag·gan·nāḇ laggannāḇ lagganno veganNav wə·ḡan·nāḇ wəḡannāḇInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts