You Shall Not Steal

In Exodus 20:15, it is written: “You shall not steal”. This is an offense to the world of one’s neighbour because it includes any act that is unjust and unrightfully deprives or takes away what belongs to his or her personal world.

Some people think that following the 8th commandment is as simple “not stealing”. However, stealing can be manifested in many different ways. As Luther puts it:

“A person steals not only when he robs a man’s safe or his pocket, but also when he takes advantage of his neighbours at the market, in a grocery shop, butcher stall, wine-and-beer cellar, work-shop, and, in short, wherever business is transacted and money is exchanged for goods or labour.”

The 8th commandment is multidimensional. It is important to dissect it in order to identity what exactly God is forbidding in the commandment. This book will tackle the different ways in which one might violate the 8th commandment.