Proverbs 6 · Verse 30

Proverbs 6:30

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
Proverbs 6:30, King James Version

Proverbs 6:30 in other translations

BSBMen do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.
WEBMen don’t despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,
ASVMen do not despise a thief, if he steal To satisfy himself when he is hungry:
YLTThey do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,
DARBYThey do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry:
BBEMen do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:
WebsterMen do not despise a thief, if he stealeth to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

What does Proverbs 6:30 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 6:30-31
30-31. Such a thief is pitied, though heavily punished.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 30 Men do not despise a thief if he steal - Every man pities the poor culprit who was perishing for lack of food, and stole to satisfy his hunger; yet no law clears him: he is bound to make restitution; in some cases double, in others quadruple and quintuple; and if he have not property enough to make restitution, to be sold for a bondsman; Exo 22:1-4; Lev 25:39.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Proverbs 6:20-35

The word of God has something to say to us upon all occasions. Let not faithful reproofs ever make us uneasy. When we consider how much this sin abounds, how heinous adultery is in its own nature, of what evil consequence it is, and how certainly it destroys the spiritual life in the soul, we shall not wonder that the cautions against it are so often repeated. Let us notice the subjects of this chapter. Let us…

Read the full comment on Proverbs 6:20-35 →

Proverbs 6:30 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
יָב֣וּזוּya.Vu.zupeople despiseH936
לַ֭גַּנָּבla.ga.no<to> the thiefH1590
כִּ֣יkiifH3588
יִגְנ֑וֹבyig.Novhe will stealH1589
לְמַלֵּ֥אle.ma.Le'to fillH4390
נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹnaf.Shoappetite hisH5315
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
יִרְעָֽב\׃yir.'Avhe will be hungryH7456

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Context

  • Proverbs 6:29

    So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

  • Proverbs 6:30

    Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

  • Proverbs 6:31

    But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

Read all of Proverbs 6

Proverbs 6:30 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		No tienen en poco al ladrón, cuando hurtare para saciar su alma teniendo hambre:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		On ne méprise pas un voleur s’il vole pour satisfaire son âme quand il a faim;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Man verachtet den Dieb nicht, wenn er stiehlt, um seine Gier zu stillen, weil ihn hungert;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Non grandis est culpa cum quis furatus fuerit: furatur enim ut esurientem impleat animam;