Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.
Parallel translations
- WEB Men don’t despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:
- KJV Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
- NKJV People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.
- NASB People do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry;
- NLT Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving.
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
People may not scorn a thief who steals merely to satisfy his hunger. Even understandable theft is still a serious wrong.
Overview
The father notes that a hungry thief, though guilty, may draw some measure of sympathy or understanding. This sets up a contrast with the adulterer, whose sin is far less excusable. The comparison heightens the gravity of adultery by measuring it against even a desperate crime.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Job 38:39Can you hunt the prey for a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions
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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 6:30 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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