Many academic theologians ( such as German Old Testament scholar A. Alt : Das Verbot des Diebstahls im Dekalog ( 1953 ) ) suggest that commandment `` you shall not steal '' was originally intended against stealing people â '' against abductions and slavery . This would be the same as the Jewish interpretation of the statement as `` you shall not kidnap '' ( e.g. as stated by Rashi ) . Significant voices of academic theologians ( such as German Old Testament scholar Albrecht Alt : Das Verbot des Diebstahls im Dekalog ( 1953 ) ) suggest that commandment `` you shall not steal '' was originally intended against stealing peopleâ '' against abductions and slavery , in agreement with the Talmudic interpretation of the statement as `` you shall not kidnap '' ( Sanhedrin 86a ) .