H1589 H1589
To steal, commit theft, kidnap, or steal away; covers unlawful taking of property or persons, being stolen, the thief as agent, and furtive departure.
The verb ganav is the Hebrew Bible's primary word for theft and appears in the eighth (or seventh) commandment: 'You shall not steal' (Exod 20:15; Deut 5:19). Its semantic range extends well beyond petty property crime. When Rachel 'stole' Laban's household gods (Gen 31:19), when Absalom 'stole the hearts' of the people (2 Sam 15:6), and when Joash was secretly rescued from Athaliah's massacre (2 Kgs 11:2), the same root covers deception, seduction, kidnapping, and covert rescue. The Arabic janaba ('to put aside') preserves a cognate root sense of lateral removal, while the Spanish robar/hurtar and German stehlen map the core theft meaning. The Hitpael reflexive form ('to steal oneself away') in 2 Samuel 19:3 reveals soldiers skulking home in shame — theft turned inward as furtive self-removal. Rabbinical tradition read the Decalogue's prohibition primarily as forbidding kidnapping, showing how seriously the personal-theft dimension was taken.
5. to steal away, sneak — The Hitpael reflexive: to steal oneself away, sneak off furtively. In 2 Samuel 19:3 the soldiers of David's army 'stole away' into the city in shame after the victory that killed Absalom, their clandestine entry contrasting with the triumphant return they deserved. Job 4:12 uses the Pual to describe a word that 'was stolen' to Eliphaz — whispered secretly in a night vision. The Spanish escabullirse ('to sneak away') and the French voler ('to steal') adapted to the reflexive context capture the furtiveness. The theft metaphor turns inward: one steals not goods but one's own presence, slipping away to avoid notice. 3×
AR["تَسَلَّلَتْ","وَ-تَسَلَّلَ","يَتَسَلَّلُ"]·ben["এবং-লুকিয়ে-ঢুকল","চোরাই-করে-আনা-হয়েছিল","লুকিয়ে-ঢোকে"]·DE["[יגנב]","steals-weg","und-stole-weg"]·EN["and-stole-away","steals-away","was-stolen"]·FR["et-stole-au-loin","steals-au-loin","voler"]·heb["ו-יתגנב","יגונב","יתגנב"]·HI["और-चुपके-आए","चुपके-आई","चुपके-आते-हैं"]·ID["dan-menyelinap","disampaikan-diam-diam","menyelinap"]·IT["e-rubò-via","rubare","steals-via"]·jav["Lan-nyolong","dipun-colong","nyolong"]·KO["그리고-들어갔다-몰래","들어가듯하였다-몰래","몰래-들어왔다"]·PT["E-entrou-furtivamente","entra-furtivamente","foi-trazida-furtivamente"]·RU["и-прокрадывался","прокрадывается","прокралось"]·ES["Y-se-escabulló","fue-traída-furtivamente","se-escabulle"]·SW["lililetwa-kwa-siri","na-wakajinyemeleza","wanavyojinyemeleza"]·TR["gizlice-geldi","gizlice-girer","ve-gizlice-girdi"]·urd["اور-چُپکے-سے-آئے","چُپکے-سے-آتے-ہیں","چپکے-سے-آئی"]
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
1. to steal, commit theft — The core Qal active sense: to steal, commit theft, take another's property unlawfully. This dominates the occurrences and spans the entire canon, from the Decalogue's prohibition (Exod 20:15; Lev 19:11) to Jacob's accusation against Laban (Gen 31:26-30) and the violation at Jericho (Josh 7:11). The Spanish robar/hurtar and German stehlen are the consistent renderings. Rachel's theft of Laban's teraphim (Gen 31:19) is the narrative archetype: secretive, self-interested, and relationally explosive. Obadiah 5 uses thieves as a metaphor for total plunder. 19×
amh["ይሰርቃሉ"]·AR["أَتَسْرِقُونَ","تَسْرِقُونَ","تَسْرِقْ","سرقَةً","سَرَقوا","سَرَقَ","سَرَقَ-","سَرَقَتْ-هُمْ","سَرَقُوهُمَا","سَرَقْتَ","نَسْرِقُ","وَ-أَسْرِقَ","وَ-سَرَقَ","وَ-سَرَقَتْ","وَ-سَرَقْتَ","وَسَرِقَةٌ","يسرقون"]·ben["আর-চুরি-করল","আর-চুরি-করলে","এবং-চুরি","এবং-চুরি-করি","কি-চুরি-করতে","চুরি-করত","চুরি-করব-আমরা","চুরি-করবে","চুরি-করবে।","চুরি-করলে","চুরি-করে","চুরি-করে-","চুরি-করেছিল","চুরি-করেছিল-সেগুলো","চুরি-হয়ে","তারা-চুরি-করেছে","তুমি-চুরি-করবে"]·ces["by-kradli"]·dan["de-stjæle"]·DE["[הגנב]","[וגנבתי]","[יגנוב]","du-soll-stehlen","hast-du-gestohlen","sie-gestohlen-hatte","sie-haben-gestohlen","sollten-wir-stehlen","stealing","steals","stehlen","stole","und-Dieb","und-gestohlen","und-gestohlen-hast-du","und-stahl","würden-sie-stehlen"]·ell["θα-έκλεβαν"]·EN["Will-you-steal","and-steal","and-stealing","and-stole","and-you-stole","did-you-steal","he-steals","steal","stealing","steals","stole","stole-them","they-have-stolen","they-steal","would-we-steal","you-shall-steal"]·FR["[הגנב]","aurait-nous-voler","et-tu-vola","et-vola","et-voler","fit-tu-voler","ils-avoir-volé","ils-voleraient","stealing","steals","stole","tu---voler","tu-devra-voler","vola-eux","voler"]·guj["ચોરશે"]·hat["yo-ta-vòlè"]·hau["ba-za-su-sata"]·heb["גנבו","גנבת","גנבתם-ם","גנוב","ה-גנוב","ו-גנב","ו-גנבתי","ו-יגנב","ו-תגנב","יגנבו","יגנוב","יגנוב-","נגנב","תגנבו","תגנוב"]·HI["और-चुरा-लिए","और-चुराऊँ","और-चुराया-है","और-चोरी","और-छल-किया","और-ठगा","क्या-चोरी-करना","चुराए","चुराए-","चुराए-तूने","चुराए-थे-उन्हें","चुराएँ-हम","चुराना","चुराया","चुराया-था","चोरी-करेगा","चोरी-करोगे","वे-चुराते"]·hun["lopnak"]·ID["Apakah-mencuri","Dan-mencurilah","dan-engkau-mencuri","dan-mencuri","dan-mencurilah","dia-mencuri","dicuri","engkau-mencuri","kami-mencuri","kamu-mencuri","mencuri","mencuri-","mencuri-mereka","mereka-akan-mencuri"]·IT["[הגנב]","[וגנב]","e-rubare","e-rubò","e-tu-rubò","essi-avere-stolen","fece-tu-rubare","rubare","ruberebbero","rubò","rubò-loro","stealing","steals","tu-dovra-rubare","tu-shall-rubare","would-noi-rubare"]·jav["Lan-Yakub-nyolong","Punapa-nyolong","badhé-nyolong","colong","kita-badhé-nyolong","lan-Rahel-nyolong","lan-maling","lan-nyolong","lan-panjenengan-nyolong","nyolong","nyolong-piyambakipun","nyolong.","panjenengan-nyolong","tiyang-nyolong"]·JA["彼らは盗む"]·KO["그리고-도둑질하고","그리고-속였다","그리고-속였다-너는","그리고-훔쳤다","그리하면-내가-훔치리라","도둑맞고","도둑질하라","도둑질하지","도둑질한다","도둑질할-것이다-너희는","도적질하며","도적질하였다","훔쳤느냐-너는","훔쳤다","훔쳤다-그것들을","훔치겠느냐","훔치면","훔칠-것인가"]·mar["चोरतील-ते"]·mya["ခိုးမည်"]·nld["zij-stelen"]·nor["de-stjele"]·pnb["چوری-کرن-گے"]·pol["ukradliby"]·PT["E-roubou","Roubar","e-roubar","e-roubaste","e-roube","e-roubou","furta","furtar","furtar-","furtareis","furtarás","roubaram","roubariam","roubaríamos","roubaste","roubou-os"]·ron["ar-fura"]·RU["И-украл","и-воровство","и-украл","и-украла","кради","крадите","крадёт","кражей","разве-красть","украдут","украдём-мы","украдёт-","украл-ты","украла-их","украли"]·ES["Y-robó","hurta","robar","robaron","robarás","robaréis","robaríamos","robarían","robaste","robe","robó-los","y-robar","y-robaste","y-robe","y-robó","¿Robar"]·SW["Na-akaiba","akiiba","aliiba","anaiba","iba","je-kuiba","kuiba","mtaiba","na-akaiba","na-kuiba","na-nikaiba","na-ukaiba","na-ukaniibia","nchi","uliiba","usiibe","waliiba","wameiba"]·swe["skulle-de-stjäla"]·tam["திருடுவார்களா"]·tel["దొంగిలింతురు"]·tgl["magnakaw-sila"]·TH["พวกเขาจะขโมย"]·TR["Ve-çaldı","ve-çalarsam","ve-çaldı","ve-çaldın","ve-çalma","çalacaksın","çalacaksınız","çalardık","çalarlardı","çalarsa-","çaldılar","çaldın","çalmak-mı","çalmakla","çalmıştı-onları","çalıyorsa"]·ukr["крали-б-вони"]·urd["اور-چرائے","اور-چرایا","اور-چوری","اور-چوری-کروں","چرائے-","چرائے-تھے-اُنہیں","چراتے","چرایا","چرایا-تُو-نے","چرایا-تھا","چوری-کر","چوری-کرو","چوری-کرے","چوری-ہونا","چُرائیں-ہم","کیا-چوری"]·VI["chúng-sẽ-lấy"]·yor["wọ́n-ì-bá-jí"]·yue["佢哋偷"]·ZH["他们只偷"]
2. to be stolen, taken by theft — The passive and Pual forms expressing the state or event of being stolen. Joseph tells the chief butler 'I was indeed stolen away from the land of the Hebrews' (Gen 40:15), and Jacob demands of Laban accountability for anything 'stolen' from the flock (Gen 31:39). The Spanish robada/fui robado, French volé, and German gestohlen all render the passive cleanly. Exodus 22:12 uses the Nifal to legislate the case where an entrusted animal 'is stolen' — the legal distinction between active theft and the condition of having been stolen matters for assigning liability. 8×
AR["الْمَسْرُوقَةُ","سُرِقَت","سُرِقْتُ","مَسْروقَةَ","هِيَ","وَ-سُرِقَت","وَ-مَسْروقَةَ"]·ben["আর-চুরি-যাওয়া","এবং-চুরি-হয়","করা-হয়েছিলাম-আমি","চুরি","চুরি-করা","চুরি-যাওয়া","চুরি-হবে"]·DE["Gestohlenes-","[גנובים]","es-ist-gestohlen","gestohlen","und-Gestohlenes","und-ist-gestohlen","wurde-ich-gestohlen"]·EN["I-was-stolen","and-is-stolen","and-stolen-by","it-is-stolen","stolen","stolen-by"]·FR["Je-était-volé","cela-est-volé","et-est-volé","et-volé-par","voler","volé","volé-par"]·heb["גנב","גנבתי","גנוב","גנובים","ו-גונב","ו-גנבתי","ייגנב"]·HI["और-चुराई-हुई","और-चुराया-जाए","चुराई-हुई","चुराए-हुए","चुराया-गया","चुराया-गया-मैं","चुराया-जाए","चोरी-हुआ"]·ID["aku-dicuri","dan-dicuri","dan-yang-dicuri","dicuri","yang-dicuri"]·IT["e-stolen-da","e-è-stolen","esso-è-stolen","io-fu-stolen","rubare","stolen","stolen-da"]·jav["dipuncolong","dipuncuri","ingkang-dicolong","kang-dicolong","kula-dipuncuri","lan-ingkang-dicolong","sarta-dipuncolong"]·KO["그리고-도둑맞으면","그리고-도둑맞은-것을-나의","도둑맞으면","도둑맞은-것을-나의","도둑맞은-것이다","도둑질-당하였다","도둑질하여","도둑질한"]·PT["e-for-furtado","e-roubado-de","for-furtado","fui-roubado","furtadas","roubado","roubado-de","roubando"]·RU["был-украден-я","и-украденное","и-украдено","краденые","украден","украденное","украдено"]·ES["es-robado","fui-robado","robada","robada-mía-de","robadas","robando","y-es-robado","y-robada-mía-de"]·SW["ameibwa","iliyoibwa","itaibwa","na-iliyoibwa","na-kuibwa","nilifuka","nilioibwa","yaliyoibwa"]·TR["ve-çalınmışı","ve-çalınırsa","Çalınmışı","çalınarak","çalındım","çalınmış","çalınırsa"]·urd["اور-چوری-میری","اور-چوری-ہو","چرایا-گیا-میں","چرایا-ہوا","چوری","چوری-میری","چوری-ہو","چُرایا-ہوا"]
3. to kidnap, steal a person — To steal a person, i.e. to kidnap or abduct. Exodus 21:16 prescribes death for anyone who 'steals a man,' and Deuteronomy 24:7 specifies the same penalty for kidnapping a fellow Israelite. The Spanish secuestrar ('to kidnap') appears alongside robar in translations, marking the semantic shift from property to persons. Absalom 'stole the hearts' of the men of Israel (2 Sam 15:6) — a metaphorical kidnapping of loyalty. In 2 Kings 11:2 and 2 Chronicles 22:11, Jehosheba 'stole' the infant Joash from among the royal children being slaughtered, a life-saving theft. 7×
AR["سَرَقَتهُ","سَرَقَتْهَا","سَرَقُوكَ","فَسَرَقَ","فَسَرَقَتْهُ","وَ-سارِقُ","وَسَرَقَتْهُ"]·ben["আর-চুরি-করলেন","এবং-চুরি-করল","এবং-চুরি-করলেন","এবং-যে-চুরি-করে","চুরি-করেছে-আপনাকে","তাকে-চুরি-করেছে","যাকে-চুরি-করেছে"]·DE["[גנבתו]","[ותגנב]","stole-du","und-er-stole","und-sie-stole","und-stealer-von"]·EN["and-he-stole","and-she-stole","and-stealer-of","and-stole","steals-away","steals-him","stole-you"]·FR["[ותגנב]","et-elle-stole","et-il-stole","et-stealer-de","stole-tu","voler-lui"]·heb["גנבו-ך","גנבתו","ו-גונב","ו-יגנוב","ו-תגנב","ו-תגנוב"]·HI["और-चुराने-वाला","और-चुराया","चुरा-लिया-तुझे","चुराता-है","चुराती-है"]·ID["Dan-yang menculik","dan-dia-mencuri","dan-mencuri","dan-mencurinya","diterpa","mencurimu","mencurinya"]·IT["[ותגנב]","e-egli-rubò","e-ella-rubò","e-stealer-di","rubare-suo","rubò-tu"]·jav["Lan-tiyang-ingkang-nyolong","dipuncolong","lan-nyolong","lan-piyambakipun-nyolong","nyolong-panjenengan","nyolong-piyambak-ipun"]·KO["그리고-그녀가-훔쳤다","그리고-도둑질하는-자는","그리고-훔쳤다","훔쳐가나니","훔쳐가니","훔쳤나이다-당신을"]·PT["E-o-que-furta","e-roubou","que-roubou","roubaram-te","roubou-o"]·RU["И-похищающий","и-крал","и-похитила","и-украла","похитили-тебя","уносит-его","уносит-её"]·ES["Y-el-que-secuestra","lo-arrebata","que-roba","te-robaron","y-lo-robó","y-robaba"]·SW["itamwiba","na-aibaye","na-akaiba","na-akamwiba","wamekuiba","yaliyoibwa-na"]·TR["Ve-çalan","ve-çaldı","çalar-onu","çaldı-onu","çaldılar-seni"]·urd["اور-چرا-لیا","اور-چراتا","اور-چرایا","اور-چوری-کرنے-والا","تجھے-چُرا-لیا","چرا لے جائے-اُسے","چراتا ہے-جسے"]
4. thief, one who steals — The substantive participial use: the thief, the one who steals, as a social or legal category. In Deuteronomy 24:7 and Zechariah 5:3 the participle identifies the agent who commits theft. Jeremiah 23:30 accuses false prophets who 'steal' God's words from one another — the participial form brands them as habitual thieves of divine speech. The Spanish el que roba, French le voleur, and German der Dieb all render the agent noun. This is not a separate lexical item but a productive participial use that became a standard way to designate the criminal. 3×
AR["السَّارِقِينَ","سَارِقٌ","سَارِقٍ"]·ben["চুরি-করা","যারা-চুরি-করছে","যে-চুরি-করে"]·DE["[מגנבי]","der-Dieb","stealing"]·EN["stealing","the-one-stealing"]·FR["[מגנבי]","le-voleur","stealing"]·heb["גונב","ה-גונב","מגנבי"]·HI["चुराने-वाला","चुरानेवालों-के","जो-चोरी-करता-है"]·ID["mencuri","pencuri","yang-mencuri"]·IT["[הגנב]","[מגנבי]","stealing"]·jav["ingkang-nyolong","maling","nyolong"]·KO["그-도둑은","훔치는","훔치는-자들이"]·PT["o-que-furta","que-roubam","sequestrando"]·RU["-ворующий","крадущий","крадущих"]·ES["el-que-roba","que-hurtan","robando"]·SW["anaiba","mwizi","wanaoiba"]·TR["çalan","çalan-","çalanlar"]·urd["چرانے-والے","چور","چوری-کرتے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [גָּנַב] vb. steal (NH id., Aramaic גְּנַב, ܓܢܰܒ; Arabic جَنَب is hurt the side, or put aside, den. from جَنْبٌ side)— Qal Pf. 3 fs. sf. גְּנָבַתּוּ Jb 21:18; 27:20, גְּנָבָ֫תַם Gn 31:32; 2 ms. גָּנַבְתָּ Gn 31:30; 1 s. וְגָנַ֑בְתִּי consec. Pr 30:9; גָּֽנְבוּ Jos 7:11 2 S 21:12; sf. גְּנַבוּךָ 2 S 19:42; Impf. יִגְּנֹֽב־ Ex 21:37, יִגְנוֹב Pr 6:30, וַיִּגְנֹב Gn 31:20; 3 fs. וַתִּגְנֹב Gn…