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גָּנַב gânab — to thieve (literally or figuratively)

pronounced gaw-nab' · Strong's H1589 · 40 occurrences in the Hebrew Bible · 5 stems: Qal (Pa'al), Pu'al, Pi'el, Hitpa'el, Niph'al

Translated in the KJV as carry away, × indeed, secretly bring, steal, get by stealth.

a primitive root; to thieve (literally or figuratively); by implication, to deceive.

gânab in each stem

Qal (Pa'al) 31×

Simple · active — the plain action; the subject does it

Perfect (qatal) 7Imperfect (yiqtol) 7Wayyiqtol 6Participle (passive) 4Participle (active) 3Infinitive absolute 3Sequential perfect (weqatal) 1

גָּנ֥וּב Gen 30:33 Participle (passive), masculine singular

So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. (KJV)

וַתִּגְנֹ֣ב Gen 31:19 Wayyiqtol, 3rd person feminine singular

And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s. (KJV)

וַיִּגְנֹ֣ב Gen 31:20 Wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine singular

And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. (KJV)

Pu'al

Intensive · passive — the action intensified, repeated or brought about; the subject has it done to them

Infinitive absolute 1Perfect (qatal) 1Sequential perfect (weqatal) 1Imperfect (yiqtol) 1

גֻנֹּ֣ב Gen 40:15 Infinitive absolute

For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. (KJV)

וְגֻנַּ֖ב Exod 22:6 Sequential perfect (weqatal), 3rd person masculine singular

If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. (KJV)

יְגֻנָּ֑ב Job 4:12 Imperfect (yiqtol), 3rd person masculine singular

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. (KJV)

Pi'el

Intensive · active — the action intensified, repeated or brought about; the subject does it

Wayyiqtol 1Participle (active) 1

וַיְגַנֵּב֙ 2Sam 15:6 Wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine singular

And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. (KJV)

מְגַנְּבֵ֣י Jer 23:30 Participle (active), masculine plural

Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. (KJV)

Hitpa'el

Intensive · reflexive — the action intensified, repeated or brought about; the subject does it to or for themselves

Wayyiqtol 1Imperfect (yiqtol) 1

וַיִּתְגַּנֵּ֥ב 2Sam 19:4 Wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine singular

But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! (KJV)

Niph'al

Simple · passive — the plain action; the subject has it done to them

Imperfect (yiqtol) 1

יִגָּנֵ֖ב Exod 22:11 Imperfect (yiqtol), 3rd person masculine singular

Then shall an oath of the Lord be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. (KJV)

What the stems mean

A Hebrew verb is its root letters set into a pattern. The pattern — the binyan — is the grammar's way of saying three things at once: whether the action is simple, intensive or causative, and whether its subject is active, passive or reflexive. That is why one Hebrew word can need six English ones. All seven binyanim, explained ›

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Morphology from OpenScriptures MorphHB (CC BY 4.0); definitions from Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (public domain); text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex.

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