What does גָּנַב · נֶפֶשׁ mean in the Bible?
גָּנַב · נֶפֶשׁ is a Hebrew phrase meaning "to thieve (literally or figuratively); by implication, to deceive".
Hebrew · H1589, H5315
גֹּנֵב נֶפֶשׁ
To thieve (literally or figuratively); by implication, to deceive · properly, a breathing creature , i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality ; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
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What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
גָּנַב H1589 to thieve (literally or figuratively); by implication, to deceive
Pronunciation gānab
Theft that conceals and removes—whether property or truth—carrying away what belongs to another through stealth.
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נֶפֶשׁ H5315 properly, a breathing creature , i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality ; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
Pronunciation nafsho
Vitality or lifeforce of a creature; ranges from physical breath to desire, appetite, and personal identity or selfhood.
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What does גֹּנֵב נֶפֶשׁ (gonev nephesh) mean in the Bible?
גָּנַב · נֶפֶשׁ is a Hebrew phrase meaning "to thieve (literally or figuratively); by implication, to deceive".
Full entry for גֹּנֵב נֶפֶשׁ (H1589, H5315) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H1589, H5315?
H1589, H5315 is connected to 797 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. to thieve (literally or figuratively); by implication, to deceive
Source Gloss
to thieve (literally or figuratively); by implication, to deceive
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 21
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 15×
Imperfect Deut 5:19 · Exod 20:15 · Exod 21:37 · Prov 6:30 · Gen 44:8 · Lev 19:11 · Obad 1:5 7×
Participle passive Gen 30:33 · Gen 31:39 · Prov 9:17 3×
Perfect 2Sam 21:12 · Josh 7:11 · Gen 31:30 3×
Participle active Deut 24:7 1×
Infinitive absolute Exod 22:11 1×
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 1×
Imperfect 2Sam 19:4 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 1×
Imperfect Exod 22:11 1×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 3×
Infinitive absolute Gen 40:15 1×
Perfect Gen 40:15 1×
Imperfect Job 4:12 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Participle active Jer 23:30 1×
Word Origins
גֹּנֵב נֶפֶשׁ is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Cross-Language Connections
Greek words that correspond to or develop the meaning of this Hebrew word in the New Testament.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain