A violent criminal often operates with a dual pattern of behavior, shifting his methods depending on the time of day. In the light of day, his actions are marked by open aggression, while the cover of darkness brings out a more calculated, secretive approach. The primary approach among commentators is that his daytime activities occur in broad daylight [אבן עזרא], though he may begin his hunt just before the sun fully rises [מצודת דוד]. During these daylight hours, he lies in wait for travelers along the roads and in the open fields [רש״י, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם].
His chosen victims during the day are the poor and destitute. This is because the working poor must rise early to travel and seek their livelihood [מצודת דוד, תקות אנוש], whereas the wealthy generally avoid wandering through these dangerous, desolate areas [מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, these impoverished travelers are entirely defenseless, lacking the weapons necessary to fight off an attacker. Despite their poverty, they must be carrying some minimal amount of goods, as the attacker would otherwise have no motive to strike [תקות אנוש].
Operating in the daylight reveals the sheer, shameless wickedness of a person who has completely cast off the authority of God and fears absolutely nothing [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Because the sunlight prevents him from acting in the shadows, he is forced into direct confrontation with his victims, violently robbing them and resorting to murder when they resist [רמב״ן]. In this state, he functions as a brutal robber who possesses no fear of God or his fellow man [אלשיך].
As night falls, the criminal completely alters his tactics, transforming into an actual, stealthy thief [מצודת ציון]. Abandoning the open roads, he infiltrates the city and breaks into the homes of the wealthy to steal under the cover of darkness [רש״י, מלבי״ם, תקות אנוש]. The night allows him to carry out his schemes successfully and secretly, avoiding the need for physical struggle or murder [רמב״ן], much like an adulterer who hides his face and operates only in the shadows [אבן עזרא].
This transition from a daytime murderer to a nighttime thief highlights a deep psychological and spiritual contradiction. While he acts openly during the day, seemingly unafraid of anyone, his nighttime creeping proves that he does, in fact, fear other people and feels the need to hide from them. Another perspective suggests that when night arrives, the murderer is overcome with shame and regret for shedding the blood of the poor during the day without gaining any significant profit, leaving him to bear the quiet disgrace of a common thief [אלשיך].