Bible Strands
Proverbs 6:31
Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The passage delivers a legal warning about a caught thief, positioned between observations about a starving thief in Proverbs 6:30 and an adulterer in Proverbs 6:32. The speaker addresses a student audience with the financial consequences of theft.
The words — The term שִבְעָתָיִם (shiv'atayim) translates literally to "sevenfold," indicating a multiplied restitution amount. The verb יְשַׁלֵּם (yeshalleem) means "he will make restitution," establishing the mandatory nature of the payment.
The thread — The concept of multiplied restitution for theft appears in Exodus 22:1 with fourfold or fivefold repayment and 2 Samuel 12:6 with fourfold repayment. The New Testament echoes this principle of restored wealth in Luke 19:8.
Why it lands — The text states that a caught thief must surrender seven times the stolen value and all household wealth. It demands recognition that theft carries a total financial penalty that exceeds the original gain.
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
But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
Cross-references
- Luke 19:8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.”
- Exodus 22:1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he must repay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.
- 2 Samuel 12:6 Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.”
- Job 20:18 He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.
- Matthew 18:25 Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.