Thief, Thieves
THIEF, THIEVES (Heb. gannāv, steal, Gr. kleptēs, lestēs, thief). The word is used for anyone who appropriates someone else’s property, including petty thieves and highwaymen (Luke.10.30; John.12.6). Under the law of Moses, thieves who were caught were expected to restore twice the amount stolen. The thieves crucified with Jesus must have been robbers or brigands, judging by the severity of the punishment and the fact that one of them acknowledged that the death penalty imposed on them was just (Luke.23.41).