Anyone who steals from his father and mother and says, “What’s wrong with that?” is no better than a murderer.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, “It’s not wrong.” He is a partner with a destroyer.
- KJV Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.
- BSB He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,” is a companion to the man who destroys.
- NKJV Whoever robs his father or his mother, And says, “It is no transgression,” The same is companion to a destroyer.
- NASB He who robs his father or his mother And says, “There is no wrong done,” Is the companion of a person who destroys.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Robbing one's parents while denying any wrong makes one a partner with destroyers. It exposes the wickedness of exploiting family and rationalizing sin.
Overview
The proverb condemns those who plunder their father or mother yet excuse it as no sin, equating them with violent destroyers. It confronts both the act and the self-justifying conscience behind it. Scripture upholds honoring parents, and the gospel awakens consciences dulled by rationalization, granting honest repentance through Christ (Mark 7:10-13).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Prov 19:26He who robs his father and drives away his mother, is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.
- Prov 18:9One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.
- Matt 15:4–6For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’
- Judg 17:2He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me. I took it.” His mother said, “May Yahweh bless my son!”
- Prov 28:7Whoever keeps the law is a wise son; but he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.
- Prov 13:20One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 28:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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