κλέμμα (klemma)
klemma
theft
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun klemma refers to something that has been stolen or the act of theft itself. Derived from the verb kleptō, it appears only once in the New Testament, in Revelation 9:21. In this context, it describes the persistent sinful behaviors of those who refuse to repent, listing "theft" among their unrepentant actions alongside murder and sorcery.
While the word can denote the stolen object, its usage here aligns with the broader concept of the crime. The sources note its presence in the Greek Old Testament (LXX), where it translates Hebrew terms for stealing, establishing a consistent meaning across both testaments. This singular occurrence highlights theft not merely as a property crime, but as a serious moral failure within the community of faith.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word klemma appears only once in the New Testament, found in Revelation 9:21. It describes the act of taking what does not belong to you as part of a broader pattern of unrepentant behavior. In this vision, theft is listed alongside murder and sorcery, showing that stealing is not just a minor social error but a serious violation of God’s moral order.
For your daily life, this reminder calls us to examine our own hearts regarding honesty and integrity. It invites you to consider how you treat the property and boundaries of others. True repentance involves turning away from these wrongs and seeking to make things right with those we have wronged.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- thefts1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κλεμμάτων1×
Key Verses
-
Revelation of John 9:21
They didn’t repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.
This verse uniquely places theft alongside murder and sorcery as a persistent sin from which people refuse to repent.