Bible Strands
Proverbs 28:24
He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,” is a companion to the man who destroys.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The text is a wisdom saying in Proverbs 28, positioned between verses on the value of direct rebuke and the consequences of greed. It addresses a general audience with a warning about the normalization of familial theft.
The words — גּוֹזֵל (gozel) denotes one who robs or seizes by force, while חָבֵר (chaver) literally means companion or associate. The phrase אֵין פָּשַׁע (ein pesha) translates directly to "there is no transgression."
The thread — Proverbs 18:9 parallels the "companion to the man who destroys" language but applies it to slothfulness in work. The violation of parental rights appears in Proverbs 19:26 as physical assault and eviction, and in Matthew 15:4 as a violation of the command to honor parents.
Why it lands — The text states that justifying theft against one's parents makes a person an associate of ruin. It requires the reader to reject self-justification and recognize that minimizing harm to family aligns one with destructive behavior.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 18:9 Whoever is slothful in his work is brother to him who destroys.
- Proverbs 19:26 He who assaults his father or evicts his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace.
- Matthew 15:4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
- Judges 17:2 said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”
- Proverbs 28:7 A discerning son keeps the law, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
- Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.