Proverbs 6:30

Easy-to-Read Version

A hungry man might steal to fill his stomach. If he is caught, he must pay seven times more than he stole. It might cost him everything he owns, but other people understand. They don't lose all their respect for him.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
People don’t despise the thief if he stealsto satisfy himself when he is hungry.

Hebrew Names Version
Men don't despise a thief, If he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:

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

English Standard Version
People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,

New Century Version
People don't hate a thief when he steals because he is hungry.

New English Translation
People do not despise a thief when he steals to fulfill his need when he is hungry.

Amplified Bible
People do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

New American Standard Bible
People do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

World English Bible
Men don't despise a thief, If he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:

Geneva Bible (1587)
Men do not despise a thiefe, when he stealeth, to satisfie his soule, because he is hungrie.

Legacy Standard Bible
Men do not despise a thief if he stealsTo fill himself when he is hungry;

Berean Standard Bible
Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.

Contemporary English Version
We don't put up with thieves, not even with one who steals for something to eat.

Complete Jewish Bible
A thief is not despised if he steals only to satisfy his appetite when hungry;

Darby Translation
They do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry:

George Lamsa Translation
No one wonders at a thief when he is caught stealing, for he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry;

Good News Translation

Lexham English Bible
People do not despise a thief when he steals to fill himself when he is hungry.

Literal Translation
They do not despise a thief, if he steals to fill his appetite when he is hungry.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Men do not vtterly despyse a thefe, that stealeth to satisfie his soule, when he is hongerie:

American Standard Version
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal To satisfy himself when he is hungry:

Bible in Basic English
Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

King James Version (1611)
Men doe not despise a thiefe, if he steale to satisfie his soule, when hee is hungry:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Men do not vtterly despise a thiefe that stealeth to satisfie his soule, when he is hungrie:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:

English Revised Version
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
It is not greet synne, whanne a man stelith; for he stelith to fille an hungri soule.

Update Bible Version
Men do not despise a thief, if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry:

Webster's Bible Translation
[Men] do not despise a thief, if he stealeth to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

New King James Version
People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.

New Living Translation
Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving.

New Life Bible
Men do not hate a robber who steals food for himself when he is hungry.

New Revised Standard
Thieves are not despised who steal only to satisfy their appetite when they are hungry.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Men despise not a thief, when he stealeth, to satisfy his appetite, because he is famished;

Douay-Rheims Bible
The fault is not so great when a man hath stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:

Revised Standard Version
Do not men despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry?

Young's Literal Translation
They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

Contextual Overview

²⁰ My son, remember your father's command, and don't forget your mother's teaching. ²¹ Remember their words always. Tie them around your neck and keep them over your heart. ²² Let this teaching lead you wherever you go. It will watch over you while you sleep. And when you wake up, it will give you good advice. ²³ Your parents give you commands and teachings that are like lights to show you the right way. This teaching corrects you and trains you to follow the path to life. ²⁴ It stops you from going to an evil woman, and it protects you from the smooth talk of another man's wife. ²⁵ Such a woman might be beautiful, but don't let that beauty tempt you. Don't let her eyes capture you. ²⁶ A prostitute might cost a loaf of bread, but the wife of another man could cost you your life. ²⁷ If you drop a hot coal in your lap, your clothes will be burned. ²⁸ If you step on one, your feet will be burned. ²⁹ If you sleep with another man's wife, you will be punished.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Exodus 22:7 - if the thief be found Leviticus 6:5 - restore Proverbs 30:9 - or Jeremiah 2:26 - the thief

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[Men] do not despise a thief, if he steal,.... They do not discommend or reproach him for it, or fix a mark of infamy upon him, or expose him to public shame by whipping him; but rather excuse him and pity him when it appears what his case is, what put him upon it, and that he had no other intention in it than to do as follows;

to satisfy his soul; his craving appetite for food, having nothing to eat, nor no other way of getting any: the words should be supplied thus, "for he does this to satisfy his soul"; or, as the Syriac version, "for he steals to satisfy his soul": and so they are a reason why men do not despise him, nor use him ill, because it is done with no other view; not with a wicked design to hurt his neighbour, nor with a covetous intent to increase his own substance in an unlawful way, but only to satisfy nature in distress; and another reason follows, or the former confirmed;

when he is hungry; or for "he is hungry" s; pressed with famine; the temptation is great, nature urges him to it; and though it is criminal, men in such cases wilt not bear hard upon him for it. The Targum is,

"it is not to be wondered at in a thief that he should steal to satisfy his soul when it is hungry.''

The Vulgate Latin version is,

"it is not a great fault when anyone steals, for he steals to fill a hungry soul;''

it is a fault, but it is not a very heinous one, at least it is not so heinous as adultery, for the sake of which it is mentioned, and with which it is compared: the design of the instance is to show the adultery is far greater than that; and yet in our age we see that the one is severely punished even with death for trifling things, when the other goes unpunished.

s כי רעב "quia esurit", Cocceius, Michaelis.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 6:30. 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; Exodus 22:1-4; Leviticus 25:39.