Robbery

Robbery — the violent seizure of another's property — is consistently condemned in Scripture as a violation of both God's law and human dignity. The eighth commandment ("Thou shalt not steal," Exodus 20:15) extends to violent seizure as well as theft; the Levitical code explicitly prohibits robbery (Leviticus 19:13). The prophets repeatedly cite robbery as evidence of Israel's covenant unfaithfulness: Amos condemns those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds (Amos 3:10), and Ezekiel lists robbery as among the sins of the violent man who sheds blood (Ezekiel 22:29). The prevalence of robbery in the wilderness reflects the context of the Ishmaelite traders who carried Joseph to Egypt (Genesis 37:25) and the Sabean and Chaldean raiders who plundered Job (Job 1:15–17).

Isaiah 61:8 grounds God's opposition to robbery in his character: "For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering" — divine love of justice excludes accepting worship built on exploitation. Proverbs 21:7 declares that the violence of the wicked will destroy them, since they refuse to do justice.