Ephesians 4:28

Ephesians 4:28 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
• New International Version (NIV)Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

Context of Ephesians 4:28

26When you are angry, do not do anything bad as a result. Once the day comes to an end, do not continue to be angry. 27Do not give the Devil a chance to hurt you like that. Any of you who robbed people before must now stop taking things. Instead, you should work hard with your own hands. Then you will be able to share what you have with people who are poor. 29Do not say bad things that hurt or insult people. Instead, say only good things that will help people. Your words should help people to become strong when they hear them. 30Do not do anything that will make God's Holy Spirit sad. God gave his Holy Spirit to you to show that you belong to him. As a result you know that God will make you completely free one day.

Ephesians 4:28 word by word

ὁ κλέπτων μηκέτι κλεπτέτω, μᾶλλον δὲ κοπιάτω ἐργαζόμενος ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶν τὸ ἀγαθόν, ἵνα ἔχῃ μεταδιδόναι τῷ χρείαν ἔχοντι.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Let himκλέπτωkleptō · to stealG2813
• thatὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• no moreμηκέτιmēketi · never againG3371
• butδέde · thenG1161
• ratherμᾶλλονmallon · more: ratherG3123
• let himκοπιάωkopiaō · to laborG2872
• workingἐργάζομαιergazomai · to workG2038
• withχείρcheir · handG5495
• goodἀγαθόςagathos · goodG18
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• he may haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• to giveμεταδίδωμιmetadidōmi · to shareG3330
• needethχρείαchreia · needG5532

Cross-references for Ephesians 4:28

• Exodus 20:15You must not take another person's things for yourself.
• Exodus 21:16If someone catches another person to sell him, you must punish him with death. Kill him even if you find him when he has not yet sold the man that he caught.
• Proverbs 30:9If I have more than enough, I might say that I do not know you. I might say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ But if I am poor, I might rob people. That would insult my God's good name.
• Jeremiah 7:9You rob people. You murder people. You have sex with someone else's wife or husband. You tell lies in court when you have promised to tell the truth. You offer sacrifices to the false god, Baal. You serve other gods that you never knew before.
• Hosea 4:2They curse people, they tell lies, they murder people, they rob people. They are guilty of adultery. They continue to kill more and more people.
• Zechariah 5:3Then the angel said to me, ‘The words on the paper tell about bad events for the whole earth. This will be in future years. On one side of the paper, it says that a man must not rob anyone. If he does, people will send him away from his own country. On the other side of the paper, it says that a man must not speak false words. If he does, people will send him away from his own country.
• John 12:6He did not say this because he really wanted to help the poor people. No, he said it because he wanted the money himself. He kept the bag of money and sometimes he took money from it for himself.
• 1 Corinthians 6:10People who rob other people. People who want many things for themselves. Drunks. People who insult other people. People who deceive other people to take things from them. None of these people will receive the good things of God's kingdom.
• Job 34:32Show me the sins that I have done when I did not know about them. If I have done wrong things, I will not do them again.”
• Proverbs 28:13Anyone who hides his sins will never do well. But God will forgive somebody, if he agrees that he has done wrong things, and if he turns away from his sins.
• Luke 3:8You have to show that you are sorry. Change how you live. Stop doing things that God does not like. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We are in the family of Abraham. God will surely not punish us.” Listen! God can take these stones and make children for Abraham out of them!
• Luke 19:8Later, Zacchaeus stood up in front of everyone. He said to the Lord Jesus, ‘Listen, Master! I will give half of all the things that I have to poor people. I may have taken too much money from some people. I will give back to them four times as much as I took from them wrongly.’
• Proverbs 13:11If you try to get money quickly, you will not stay rich for long. But if you are patient, you will become rich little by little.
• Proverbs 14:23If you work hard, something good will come. But if you only talk about it, you will become poor.
• Acts 20:34You yourselves know that I worked with my hands. I did that to get money. Then my friends and I could have the things that we needed.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:11Try very much to live at peace with other people. Work hard at your own job. We have already told you that you must do these things.

Commentaries on Ephesians 4:28

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28Let him that stole steal no more - It is supposed that, among the rabbins, stealing was not entirely discountenanced, provided a portion was given to the poor. The apostle here teaches them a different doctrine: as they should speak truth every man with his neighbor, so they should in every respect act honestly, for nothing contrary to truth and righteousness could be tolerated under the Christian system. Let no man, under pretense of helping the poor…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28Let him that stole steal no more - Theft, like lying, was, and is, almost a universal vice among the pagan. The practice of pilfering prevails in, probably, every pagan community, and no property is safe which is not guarded, or so locked up as to be inaccessible. Hence, as the Christian converts at Ephesus had been long addicted to it, there was danger that they would fall into it again; and hence the necessity of special cautions on that head. We are…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 25-28Verses 25-28 Notice the particulars wherewith we should adorn our Christian profession. Take heed of every thing contrary to truth. No longer flatter or deceive others. God's people are children who will not lie, who dare not lie, who hate and abhor lying. Take heed of anger and ungoverned passions. If there is just occasion to express displeasure at what is wrong, and to reprove, see that it be without sin. We give place to the devil, when the first…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28Christians should work hard, be honest, and care for others (see 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:6–12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2828. Greek, "Let him that stealeth." The imperfect or past tense is, however, mainly meant, though not to the exclusion of the present. "Let the stealing person steal no more." Bandits frequented the mountains near Ephesus. Such are meant by those called "thieves" in the New Testament. but rather--For it is not enough to cease from a sin, but the sinner must also enter on the path that is its very opposite [Chrysostom]. The thief, when repentant, should…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 4:28

• Commandments
• Frugality
• Industry
• Labor
• Liberality
• Poor
• Righteous
• Theft and Thieves

In the dictionaries

• Bitterness
• Compact
• Dark
• Forbear
• Grieve
• Lasciviousness
• Lowliness
• Poor
• Renew
• Steal

Commentaries on Ephesians 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings