Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
People don't look down on a thief if he steals food because he's starving and needs to survive.
This verse is saying that people understand and show some compassion toward someone who steals out of desperate hunger, even though stealing is wrong.
📚 Historical Context
Proverbs is part of the Old Testament wisdom literature, attributed mainly to King Solomon in ancient Israel, where it was written to offer practical advice for everyday living and moral decision-making. This specific verse appears in a passage warning against various sins, such as adultery and laziness, and uses the example of a thief stealing out of hunger to show that while theft is still wrong, people might understand it better if it's driven by extreme need. In the cultural context of ancient Near Eastern societies, including Israel, there was an emphasis on justice balanced with compassion, as seen in biblical laws that provided for the poor, like gleaning fields.
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