Stealing means taking something that belongs to another person from him or her against that person's will. Theft violates property as adultery violates marriage and the family.
Frequently what one steals is some material possession such as a vehicle, household goods, or cash. Pilfering is stealing small amounts of something. Swindling involves deceiving someone by leading him to believe that his money is going one place while really all or part of it is going somewhere else. Usually it is going into the pocket of the swindler. A person can be guilty of theft by falsifying accounts (e.g., paper theft as on one's income tax forms; cf. Amos 8:4-6; Rom. 13:7). He can do so by misusing personal discount privileges or stealing from an employer by not working all the hours his employer has contracted for. He may also do so by not paying debts (e.g., alimony, child support, bankruptcy) and by not returning items that he has borrowed. A person can also steal the spouse of another, as King David did.
Stealing can involve intangibles such as robbing a person of his personal freedom by kidnapping, taking hostages, hijacking an airliner, or enslaving someone in debt (cf. Gen. 37:22-28). We can rob a person of his reputation by withholding or distorting the truth and thereby steal his promotion or job (cf. the third commandment). We can steal other people's legitimate personal rights such as their joy, time, or even their life.
It is possible to steal from God what we owe Him (e.g., money, praise, ourselves).
The Israelite was to return what he had stolen if possible, to make restitution, and to add 20 percent of the value as a penalty for his theft (Lev. 5:16; 6:5; Num. 5:7; cf. Luke 19:8). God has not commanded Christians to pay the 20 percent penalty, but we should make restitution as well as confessing this sin to God (John 13:34-35; Eph. 4:28; 1 John 1:9).
