2812. kleptés
Lexical Summary
kleptés: Thief

Original Word: κλέπτης
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: kleptés
Pronunciation: klep-tace'
Phonetic Spelling: (klep'-tace)
KJV: thief
NASB: thief, thieves
Word Origin: [from G2813 (κλέπτω - steal)]

1. a stealer, a thief
{literally or figuratively}

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
thief.

From klepto; a stealer (literally or figuratively) -- thief. Compare leistes.

see GREEK klepto

see GREEK leistes

HELPS Word-studies

2812 kléptēs – a thief who steals by stealth (in secret), rather than in the open with violence (WS, 591).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from kleptó
Definition
a thief
NASB Translation
thief (12), thieves (4).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2812: κλέπτης

κλέπτης, κλέπτου, (κλέπτω) (from Homer down), the Sept. for גַּנָּב, a thief: Matthew 6:19; Matthew 24:43; Luke 12:33, 39; John 10:1, 10; 1 Corinthians 6:10; 1 Peter 4:15; an embezzler, pilferer, John 12:6; ἔρχεσθαι or ἥκειν ... ὡς κλέπτης ἐν νυκτί, equivalent to to come unexpectedly, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 4; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 3:3; Revelation 16:15; the name is transferred to false teachers, who do not care to instruct men, but abuse their confidence for their own gain, John 10:8. (Synonym: see λῃστής, at the end.)

Topical Lexicon
Overview

κλέπτης appears sixteen times in the Greek New Testament and consistently denotes one who illegitimately takes what is not his, whether material goods, spiritual prerogatives, or unsuspecting lives. Scripture employs the word both literally and metaphorically, setting it against God’s righteous character and calling believers to vigilance, repentance, and transformed living.

Old Testament Foundations

The command, “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15), stands as a timeless moral absolute. Prophets repeatedly linked theft with covenant infidelity, social injustice, and idolatry (Jeremiah 7:9; Hosea 4:2). This background shapes every New Testament use of κλέπτης; the sin is never treated in isolation but as a violation of love for God and neighbor.

Occurrences in the Gospels

1. Treasure and Security – In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus warns, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20). The presence of κλέπται highlights the insecurity of earthly wealth and urges heavenly investment.

2. Watchfulness – Two parables employ the house-breaker image (Matthew 24:43; Luke 12:39). The master’s unexpected return illustrates the Messiah’s coming; disciples must live in a perpetual state of readiness so the “thief” motif will never catch them unprepared.

3. Generosity over Greed – Luke 12:33 encourages selling possessions and giving to the poor, contrasting kingdom stewardship with the corrosive work of the thief.

4. True versus False Shepherds – John 10 sets κλέπτης in stark relief. Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life” (John 10:10). Earlier He branded all prior illegitimate leaders “thieves and robbers” (John 10:8). Judas Iscariot is later called “a thief” who pilfered the moneybag (John 12:6), proving that proximity to Christ does not immunize against covetousness.

Apostolic Warnings and Ethical Calls

1 Corinthians 6:10 lists “thieves” among those who “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Paul’s vice list carries a missional edge: the Corinthian believers once lived this way but were “washed… sanctified… justified” (1 Corinthians 6:11). Conversion thus includes a radical ethical reversal.

Peter exhorts, “Let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief” (1 Peter 4:15). The church must ensure that its persecution is for righteousness, not wrongdoing.

Eschatological ‘Thief in the Night’ Motif

Three key passages employ κλέπτης to describe the Day of the Lord:

• “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2).
• “The day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Peter 3:10).
• Christ warns the complacent assembly, “If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief” (Revelation 3:3; see also 16:15).

In each text suddenness not stealth is primary; the Lord’s arrival is inevitable and inescapable. Believers are “sons of light” (1 Thessalonians 5:4) and therefore should not be overtaken.

Historical and Social Context

First-century Palestine and the wider Roman Empire experienced pervasive property crime, aggravated by economic disparity and political unrest. Nighttime burglary of unguarded homes, roadside banditry, and embezzlement of communal funds (as with Judas) were common. Jesus’ imagery resonated immediately with hearers who often built mud-brick homes vulnerable to break-ins.

Theological Significance

1. Sin against God and Neighbor – Theft is anti-covenantal, rejecting God’s provision and despising the image of God in others.

2. Spiritual Usurpation – False teachers “steal” authority and lead sheep astray (John 10). Satan himself embodies ultimate thievery, robbing glory due to God and lives meant for abundant life.

3. Sudden Judgment – The repeated “thief” metaphor for Christ’s return underscores accountability. No external sign eliminates the element of surprise; preparedness is spiritual, not merely intellectual.

Ministry Implications

• Discipleship – New believers must learn honest labor and generous giving (cf. Ephesians 4:28), severing all forms of theft, including deceptive business practices and digital piracy.
• Preaching – The “thief in the night” texts call for sermons on vigilance, holiness, and hope.
• Pastoral Care – Those ensnared in stealing need gospel-rooted repentance, restitution where possible, and integration into accountable community.
• Apologetics – John 10 offers a Christological defense against pluralism: only the Good Shepherd grants life; all rivals are thieves.

Suggested Areas for Further Study

• Distinction between κλέπτης (thief) and ληστής (robber/bandit) in the Gospels.
• Old Testament antecedents: the Eighth Commandment, prophetic denunciations, and case laws in Exodus 22.
• The transformation of former thieves in early church history (e.g., Onesimus in Philemon).
• Comparative study of eschatological vigilance motifs in intertestamental literature.

κλέπτης thus serves as a vivid scriptural marker of sin’s nature, Christ’s shepherding care, and the sudden consummation of God’s redemptive plan.

Forms and Transliterations
κλεπται κλέπται κλέπτη κλέπτην κλεπτης κλέπτης κλέπτου κλεπτών kleptai kléptai kleptes kleptēs kléptes kléptēs
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 6:19 N-NMP
GRK: καὶ ὅπου κλέπται διορύσσουσιν καὶ
NAS: and where thieves break
KJV: and where thieves break through and
INT: and where thieves break in and

Matthew 6:20 N-NMP
GRK: καὶ ὅπου κλέπται οὐ διορύσσουσιν
NAS: and where thieves do not break
KJV: and where thieves do not
INT: and where theives not do break in

Matthew 24:43 N-NMS
GRK: φυλακῇ ὁ κλέπτης ἔρχεται ἐγρηγόρησεν
NAS: time of the night the thief was coming,
KJV: watch the thief would come,
INT: time of night the thief comes he would have watched

Luke 12:33 N-NMS
GRK: οὐρανοῖς ὅπου κλέπτης οὐκ ἐγγίζει
NAS: where no thief comes near nor
KJV: where no thief approacheth, neither
INT: heavens where thief not does draw near

Luke 12:39 N-NMS
GRK: ὥρᾳ ὁ κλέπτης ἔρχεται ἐγρηγόρησεν
NAS: hour the thief was coming,
KJV: what hour the thief would come,
INT: hour the thief is coming he would have watched

John 10:1 N-NMS
GRK: ἀλλαχόθεν ἐκεῖνος κλέπτης ἐστὶν καὶ
NAS: up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
KJV: the same is a thief and a robber.
INT: another way he a thief is and

John 10:8 N-NMP
GRK: πρὸ ἐμοῦ κλέπται εἰσὶν καὶ
NAS: before Me are thieves and robbers,
KJV: me are thieves and robbers:
INT: before me thieves are and

John 10:10 N-NMS
GRK: κλέπτης οὐκ ἔρχεται
NAS: The thief comes only
KJV: The thief cometh not,
INT: The thief not comes

John 12:6 N-NMS
GRK: ἀλλ' ὅτι κλέπτης ἦν καὶ
NAS: but because he was a thief, and as he had
KJV: because he was a thief, and had
INT: but because a thief he was and

1 Corinthians 6:10 N-NMP
GRK: οὔτε κλέπται οὔτε πλεονέκται
NAS: nor thieves, nor [the] covetous,
KJV: Nor thieves, nor covetous,
INT: nor thieves nor covetous

1 Thessalonians 5:2 N-NMS
GRK: Κυρίου ὡς κλέπτης ἐν νυκτὶ
NAS: just like a thief in the night.
KJV: cometh as a thief in the night.
INT: of [the] Lord as a thief by night

1 Thessalonians 5:4 N-AMP
GRK: ὑμᾶς ὡς κλέπτης καταλάβῃ
NAS: would overtake you like a thief;
KJV: you as a thief.
INT: you as a thief should overtake

1 Peter 4:15 N-NMS
GRK: φονεὺς ἢ κλέπτης ἢ κακοποιὸς
NAS: as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer,
KJV: or [as] a thief, or
INT: a murderer or thief or evildoer

2 Peter 3:10 N-NMS
GRK: Κυρίου ὡς κλέπτης ἐν ᾗ
NAS: like a thief, in which
KJV: will come as a thief in the night;
INT: of [the] Lord as a thief in which

Revelation 3:3 N-NMS
GRK: ἥξω ὡς κλέπτης καὶ οὐ
NAS: like a thief, and you will not know
KJV: thee as a thief, and thou shalt
INT: I will come as a thief and no

Revelation 16:15 N-NMS
GRK: ἔρχομαι ὡς κλέπτης μακάριος ὁ
NAS: like a thief. Blessed
KJV: as a thief. Blessed
INT: I come as a thief Blessed [is] he that

Strong's Greek 2812
16 Occurrences


κλέπται — 4 Occ.
κλέπτης — 12 Occ.

2811
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