Lexical Summary
maskoreth: Wages, reward, payment
Original Word:מַשְׂכֹּרֶת
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:maskoreth
Pronunciation:mas-ko'-reth
Phonetic Spelling:(mas-koh'-reth)
KJV: reward, wages
NASB:wages
Word Origin:[fromH7936 (שָׂכַר סָכַר - hired)]
1. wages or a reward
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
reward, wages
Fromsakar; wages or a reward -- reward, wages.
see HEBREWsakar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
sakarDefinitionwages
NASB Translationwages (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] ; — suffix:
wages of servant,
Genesis 31:7,41,
Genesis 29:15; =
reward of faithfulness, -
Ruth 2:12.
Topical Lexicon
OccurrencesGenesis 29:15;Genesis 31:7;Genesis 31:41;Ruth 2:12.
Historical and Cultural Context
In the patriarchal period, family members often served one another in shepherding or household management. Payment, however, was not presumed; clear terms had to be negotiated. מַשְׂכֹּרֶת thus underscores the emergence of contractual labor within kinship structures. Jacob’s service to Laban illustrates how an agreed wage could be manipulated, exposing the potential for injustice even within familial bonds. By contrast, Ruth, a foreign widow gleaning in Bethlehem, is assured by Boaz that the LORD Himself will see to her “full reward,” reflecting Israel’s covenant ethic of protecting the vulnerable worker.
Theological Themes
1. Divine Oversight of Human Labor
InGenesis 31:7 Jacob testifies, “God has not allowed him to harm me”. The text presents the LORD as guarantor of fair remuneration, holding employers accountable and shielding laborers from exploitation.
2. Reward as Both Temporal and Eschatological
While Jacob’s wages pertain to livestock and household prosperity,Ruth 2:12 extends the idea to spiritual security: “may you be richly rewarded by the LORD.” Scripture therefore unites material payment with covenant blessing, anticipating later revelation where ultimate recompense is eternal (compareMatthew 5:12;Revelation 22:12).
3. Faithfulness and Integrity
Jacob’s perseverance despite altered wages and Ruth’s diligence in the fields highlight steadfast work as an expression of faith. מַשְׂכֹּרֶת functions as the tangible acknowledgment of that fidelity, encouraging God’s people to labor “not with eye-service… but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord” (Colossians 3:22–24).
Intertextual Reflection
The principle of just wages reappears inLeviticus 19:13,Deuteronomy 24:14–15, andJames 5:4, forming an unbroken scriptural witness: withholding payment is sin against both neighbor and God.Ruth 2:12, by linking reward directly to divine character, supplies the bridge to New Testament teaching where Christ promises, “The laborer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7).
Practical Ministry Implications
• Employers within the covenant community are bound to transparency and promptness in compensation.
• Workers may appeal to God’s justice when earthly systems fail, trusting His sovereign oversight.
• Pastoral instruction can draw on מַשְׂכֹּרֶת to affirm that service rendered to God’s people—even when unnoticed—is never forgotten by the Lord (Hebrews 6:10).
• Encouraging benevolence toward refugees and the marginalized, as modeled by Boaz toward Ruth, remains a tangible outworking of gospel ethics.
Summary
מַשְׂכֹּרֶת, though appearing only four times, offers a vivid portrait of God’s concern for economic fairness, His promise of both present and future reward, and the calling of His people to reflect His justice and generosity in every sphere of labor.
Forms and Transliterations
מַּשְׂכֻּרְתֶּֽךָ׃ מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י מַשְׂכֻּרְתֵּ֜ךְ משכרתי משכרתך משכרתך׃ maś·kur·te·ḵā maś·kur·têḵ maś·kur·tî maskurTech maskurTecha maśkurtêḵ maśkurteḵā maskurTi maśkurtî
Links
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