Ephesians 4:28

“Let him that stole steal no more, &c.] Stealing, or theft, is a fraudulent taking away of another man's goods, without the knowledge and will of the owner, for the sake of gain; to which evil may be reduced, not making good, or not performing payments, all unjust contracts, detention of wages, unlawful usury, unfaithfulness in anything committed to trust, advising, encouraging, and receiving from thieves: theft is a very great evil; it is a breach of the common law of nature, to do to others, as we would be done by; it is contrary to particular laws of God, and is against common justice, and ought not to be continued in, and is punishable by God and man; it springs from a corrupt heart, and…”

“Greek, "Let him that stealeth." The imperfect or past tense is, however, mainly meant, though not to the exclusion of the present. "Let the stealing person steal no more." Bandits frequented the mountains near Ephesus. Such are meant by those called "thieves" in the New Testament. but rather--For it is not enough to cease from a sin, but the sinner must also enter on the path that is its very opposite [CHRYSOSTOM]. The thief, when repentant, should labor more than he would be called on to do, if he had never stolen. let him labour--Theft and idleness go together. the thing which is good--in contrast with theft, the thing which was evil in his past character. with his hands--in contrast with…”

“Let him that stole steal no more - Theft, like lying, was, and is, almost a universal vice among the pagan. The practice of pilfering prevails in, probably, every pagan community, and no property is safe which is not guarded, or so locked up as to be inaccessible. Hence, as the Christian converts at Ephesus had been long addicted to it, there was danger that they would fall into it again; and hence the necessity of special cautions on that head. We are not to suppose that “pilfering” was a common vice in the church, but the cautions on this point proceed on the principle that, where a man has been long in the habit of a particular sin, he is in great danger of falling into it again. Hence,…”

“But rather let him labour - Lest idleness lead him to steal again. And whoever has sinned in any kind ought the more zealously to practise the opposite virtue. That he may have to give - And so be no longer a burden and nuisance, but a blessing, to his neighbours. Ephesians 4:29”

“4:28 Christians are to be hard-working people who have integrity and care for others (cp. 1 Thes 4:11; 2 Thes 3:6-12).”

“him that: Exo 20:15, Exo 20:17, Exo 21:16; Pro 30:9; Jer 7:9; Hos 4:2; Zac 5:3; Joh 12:6; Co1 6:10, Co1 6:11 steal no more: Job 34:32; Pro 28:13; Luk 3:8, Luk 3:10-14, Luk 19:8 labour: Pro 13:11, Pro 14:23; Act 20:34, Act 20:35; Th1 4:11, Th1 4:12; Th2 3:6-8, Th2 3:11, Th2 3:12 that he: Luk 3:11, Luk 21:1-4; Joh 13:29; Co2 8:2, Co2 8:12 give: or, distribute, Rom 12:13; Co2 9:12-15; Ti1 6:18 Ephesians 4:29”