Item 6 in Seven Noahide Laws

Do Not Steal

Do not take another person's property or value without legitimate right.

Position
6
Form
Prohibition
Obligation
Mandatory
Wording status
Editorial paraphrase
Intended audience
All humanity according to the rabbinic Noahide framework
Last reviewed
28 June 2026

Names and terminology

Canonical name: Do Not Steal

Source wording

Editorial paraphrase: Do not take another person's property or value without legitimate right.

Editorial paraphrase

Literal meaning

Do not take another person's property or value without legitimate right.

Broader interpretation

This item should be interpreted within the historical purpose, intended audience and wider structure of its parent ethical framework.

Historical context

This item belongs to Seven Noahide Laws. Rabbinic antiquity, drawing on interpretations of the Hebrew Bible; Ancient Jewish and rabbinic communities.

Practical meaning

Practical application requires attention to intention, consent, evidence, rights, foreseeable effects and the needs of all persons or beings affected.

Ethical purpose

To shape conduct, judgment or character in a way consistent with the wider framework.

Exceptions and disputes

Application includes questions about fraud, exploitation, wages, intellectual property and unjust ownership systems.

Variations across schools or traditions

Wording and interpretation may vary between translations, denominations, schools and historical periods.

Modern application

Modern application should distinguish the historical formulation from present legal, social and ethical conditions.

Criticism and difficult cases

Application includes questions about fraud, exploitation, wages, intellectual property and unjust ownership systems.

Truth By Reason analysis

Truth By Reason assesses this principle through evidence, intentions, rights, foreseeable consequences, consistency and the treatment of all affected beings.

Ethical themes

  • Property
  • Justice
  • Non-stealing

Sources