Text: Jeremiah 7:5-6
OT Text Referred to: Exodus 20:15
Subject: theft prohibition and just dealings
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): Longitudinal Theme
Anchor Text: Exod 20 — The Decalogue
Significance: Exodus 20:15 prohibits theft, and Jeremiah 7:5-6 expands this principle into a positive demand: "truly practice justice between one another" and "do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow." Theft in the prophetic understanding includes not only overt taking but also systematic exploitation of the powerless—withholding what is owed, manipulating the vulnerable, and profiting from others' weakness. Jeremiah's temple sermon demonstrates that the Decalogue's prohibitions imply affirmative obligations: the eighth commandment demands not just abstaining from theft but actively ensuring economic justice within the covenant community.