Theft

Theft was strictly forbidden in the Bible; in fact, it is one of the Ten Commandments. There were a number of different punishments for stealing, the type depending on what it was that was stolen.

Someone who had stolen an ox, had to repay the value of the animal fivefold. A sheep or a goat had to be reimbursed fourfold.

If a burglar was caught in the act, he ran the risk of being killed by the owner of the house. If this happened at night, the home owner was not charged with manslaughter, but if it was in the daytime, it was considered murder.
If the burglar was not killed, he had to reimburse the home owner for everything he had taken. If the thief was unable to comply, he was sold as a slave.

Kidnapping carried the death penalty. It did not matter whether the victim was sold or was treated as a slave by the kidnapper.

The thief occurs as an image in various texts. The unexpected nature of an event is compared to an unexpected visit from a thief (2 Peter 3:10). The Son of Man, just like a thief, will come at a time when no one is expecting him (Luke 12:39-40).