Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, the concept of hire, or wages, was integral to the economic and social structures of ancient Israel and the surrounding cultures. The term "hire" refers to the payment or compensation given for services rendered or labor performed. This entry explores the biblical understanding of hire, its regulations, and its implications within the scriptural context.
Old Testament ContextThe Old Testament provides numerous references to the concept of hire, emphasizing fair treatment and timely payment for laborers. In
Leviticus 19:13, the law explicitly commands, "You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand." This directive underscores the importance of justice and integrity in economic transactions.
Deuteronomy 24:14-15 further elaborates on this principle: "Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or a foreigner residing in your land. You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise, he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin." Here, the emphasis is on the vulnerability of the laborer and the moral obligation to provide timely compensation.
The account of Jacob and Laban in
Genesis 29-31 illustrates the complexities of hire and labor agreements. Jacob worked for Laban for seven years to marry his daughter Rachel, only to be deceived into marrying Leah. This narrative highlights issues of fairness and the potential for exploitation in labor arrangements.
New Testament ContextIn the New Testament, the concept of hire is addressed in the context of parables and teachings of Jesus. In
Matthew 20:1-16, the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard illustrates the kingdom of heaven through the lens of labor and wages. The landowner hires workers at different times of the day but pays them all the same wage, challenging conventional notions of fairness and emphasizing divine grace.
The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, also touches on the subject of hire. In
1 Timothy 5:18, he writes, "For the Scripture says, 'Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,' and 'The worker is worthy of his wages.'" This passage affirms the right of workers, including those in ministry, to receive fair compensation for their labor.
Cultural and Theological ImplicationsThe biblical treatment of hire reflects broader theological themes of justice, mercy, and the dignity of work. The consistent call for fair treatment of laborers aligns with the biblical understanding of humanity created in the image of God (
Genesis 1:27), deserving of respect and equitable treatment.
The biblical laws concerning hire also serve as a reminder of God's concern for the marginalized and vulnerable. The frequent mention of the poor and needy in the context of labor laws underscores the divine mandate to protect and uplift those who are economically disadvantaged.
In summary, the biblical concept of hire encompasses not only the economic transaction of wages but also the ethical and theological dimensions of justice, fairness, and compassion. The scriptures call for a community where labor is honored, and workers are treated with dignity and respect, reflecting the character of God in economic relationships.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
pron.) See pron.
2. (n.) The price, reward, or compensation paid, or contracted to be paid, for the temporary use of a thing or a place, for personal service, or for labor; wages; rent; pay.
3. (n.) A bailment by which the use of a thing, or the services and labor of a person, are contracted for at a certain price or reward.
4. (n.) To procure (any chattel or estate) from another person, for temporary use, for a compensation or equivalent; to purchase the use or enjoyment of for a limited time; as, to hire a farm for a year; to hire money.
5. (n.) To engage or purchase the service, labor, or interest of (any one) for a specific purpose, by payment of wages; as, to hire a servant, an agent, or an advocate.
6. (n.) To grant the temporary use of, for compensation; to engage to give the service of, for a price; to let; to lease; -- now usually with out, and often reflexively; as, he has hired out his horse, or his time.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
HIREhir: Two entirely different words are translated "hire" in the Old Testament:
(1) The most frequent one is sakhar, verb sakhar, and verbal adjective sakhir.
(a) As a verb it means "to hire" for a wage, either money or something else; in this sense it is used with regard to ordinary laborers (1 Samuel 2:52 Chronicles 24:12), or mercenary soldiers (2 Samuel 10:62 Kings 7:61 Chronicles 19:62 Chronicles 25:6), or a goldsmith (Isaiah 46:6), or a band of loose followers (Judges 9:4), or a false priest (Judges 18:4), or Balaam (Deuteronomy 23:4Nehemiah 13:2), or hostile counselors (Ezra 4:5), or false prophets (Nehemiah 6:12 f). As a verbal adjective it refers to things (Exodus 22:15Isaiah 7:20)or men (Leviticus 19:13Jeremiah 46:21).
(b) As a noun it denotes the wage in money, or something else, paid to workmen for their services (Genesis 30:32;Genesis 31:8Deuteronomy 24:151 Kings 5:6Zechariah 8:10), or the rent or hire paid for a thing (Exodus 22:15), or a work-beast (Zechariah 8:10). InGenesis 30:16 Leah hires from Rachel the privilege of having Jacob with her again, and her conception and the subsequent birth of a son, she calls her hire or wage from the Lord for the gift of her slave girl to Jacob as a concubine (Genesis 30:18).
(2) The other word translated hire is 'ethnan, once 'ethnan. It is rather a gift (from root nathan, "to give") than a wage earned by labor, and is used uniformly in a bad sense. It is the gift made to a harlot (Deuteronomy 23:18), or, reversing the usual custom, made by the harlot nation (Ezekiel 16:31, 41). It was also used metaphorically of the gifts made by Israelites to idols, since this was regarded as spiritual harlotry (Isaiah 23:17Micah 1:7; compare alsoHosea 8:9 f).
In the English New Testament the word occurs once as a verb and 3 times as a noun as the translation of misthos, and its verbal form. InMatthew 20:1, 8 andJames 5:4 it refers to the hiring of ordinary field laborers for a daily wage. InLuke 10:7 it signifies the stipend which is due the laborer in the spiritual work of the kingdom of God. It is a wage, earned by toil, as that of other laborers. The word is very significant here and absolutely negatives the idea, all too prevalent, that money received by the spiritual toiler is a gift. It is rather a wage, the reward of real toil.
William Joseph McGlothlin
Greek
3409. misthoo -- to let forhire, tohire... to let for
hire, to
hire. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: misthoo Phonetic
Spelling: (mis-tho'-o) Short Definition: I
hire out,
hire, engage Definition: I
...3408. misthos -- wages,hire
... wages,hire. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: misthos Phonetic Spelling:
(mis-thos') Short Definition: wages, reward Definition: (a) pay, wages...
1554. ekdidomi -- to give up, give out, let out forhire
... to give up, give out, let out forhire. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ekdidomi
Phonetic Spelling: (ek-did-o'-mee) Short Definition: I give out, let, let...
2052. eritheia -- rivalry, hence ambition
... seeking; a feud, faction. 2052 (from , "work forhire") -- properly, work
done (as a ), referring therefore to (). Ancient Greek uses...
Strong's Hebrew
7936. sakar -- tohire... 7935, 7936. sakar. 7937 . to
hire. Transliteration: sakar Phonetic Spelling:
(saw-kar') Short Definition: hired.
... earn wages,
hire out self, reward, surely.
...8566. tanah -- tohire
... tanah. 8567 . tohire. Transliteration: tanah Phonetic Spelling: (taw-naw') Short
Definition:hire.... root Definition tohire NASB Word Usagehire (1), hired (1)...
7939. sakar --hire, wages
... 7938, 7939. sakar. 7940 .hire, wages. Transliteration: sakar Phonetic Spelling:
(saw-kawr') Short Definition: wages....hire, price, rewarded, wages, worth....
4242. mechir -- price,hire
... 4241, 4242. mechir. 4243 . price,hire. Transliteration: mechir Phonetic Spelling:
(mekk-eer') Short Definition: price.... gain,hire, price, sold, worth....
7938. seker --hire, wages
... 7937, 7938. seker. 7939 .hire, wages. Transliteration: seker Phonetic
Spelling: (seh'-ker) Short Definition: hired. Word Origin...
5534b. sakar -- tohire
... sakar. 5535 . tohire. Transliteration: sakar Short Definition: hired. Word Origin
a prim. root Definition tohire NASB Word Usage hired (1)....
868. ethnan -- the wages (of a harlot)
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition the wages (of a harlot) NASB Word Usage
earnings (4), harlot's wages (2),hire (1), lovers (1), money (3)....
7809. shachad -- to give a present, bribe
...hire, give a reward. A primitive root; to donate, ie Bribe --hire, give
a reward. 7808, 7809. shachad. 7810 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
On the Mission of the Seventy Disciples, and Christ's Charge to...
... from, the Creator. "The labourer is worthy of hishire." [4433] Who could
better pronounce such a sentence than the Judge? For to...
But Lest any Should Fancy that this was Granted Only to the Twelve...
... And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as are with them:
for the workman is worthy of hishire." [2494] Here it appears that these...
Delivered on the Lord's Day, on that which is Written in the...
... xx. 1, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was a householder, who went
out early in the morning tohire labourers into his vineyard.". [LXXXVII....
The Testament of Issachar Concerning Simplicity.
... who are beloved of the Lord. I was the fifth son born to Jacob, even the
hire of the mandrakes. [124] For Reuben [125] brought in...
The vineyard Labourers.
... "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went
out early in the morning tohire labourers into his vineyard....
Matthew xx. 1, and C.
... 1, & c. For the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Man that is an Housholder, which
went out early in the Morning tohire Labourers into his Vineyard, & c....
Matt. xix. 27
... "For the kingdom of Heaven," He said, "is like to a man that is an householder,
which went out early in the morning tohire laborers into his vineyard....
The Social Challenge to the Church
... The schools cannot assume charge of community center activities without danger either
of overworking the teachers or of having tohire special assistance for...
And He Comes Back Again, and in all Ways...
... above he said of his fellow-apostles; of whom the Lord Himself saith, "The workman
is worthy of his meat;" and, "The workman is worthy of hishire." This meat...
Sermon for Septuagesima Sunday
... Matthew 20:1.""The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder,
which went out early in the morning tohire labourers into his vineyard."....
Thesaurus
Hire (48 Occurrences)... or estate) from another person, for temporary use, for a compensation or equivalent;
to purchase the use or enjoyment of for a limited time; as, to
hire a farm
...Wage (39 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To adventure, or lay out, forhire or reward; tohire out. 5. (vt)
To put upon wages; tohire; to employ; to pay wages to....
Wages (52 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. (n.) A compensation given to a hired person for services;
price paid for labor; recompense;hire. See Wage, n., 2. Int....
Hack (1 Occurrence)
... 9. (n.) A kick on the shins. 10. (n.) A horse, hackneyed or let out for commonhire;
also, a horse used in... 15. (vt) To use as a hack; to let out forhire. 16....
Hireling (17 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A labourer employed onhire for a limited time (Job
7:1; 14:6; Mark 1:20).... 2. (a.) Serving forhire or wages; venal; mercenary. Int....
Labourers (11 Occurrences)
... Matthew 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder,
which went out early in the morning tohire labourers into his vineyard....
Earnings (6 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 23:18 You shall not bring thehire of a prostitute, or the wages of
a dog, into the house of Yahweh your God for any vow: for even both these are...
Prostitution (48 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 16:34 You are different from other women in your prostitution, in that no
one follows you to play the prostitute; and whereas you givehire, and no...
Prostitute (83 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To offer, as a woman, to a lewd use;
to give up to lewdness forhire. 2. (vt) To devote to base...
Goats (134 Occurrences)
... This will be myhire.... Genesis 30:33 So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter,
when you come concerning myhire that is before you....
Resources
What does the Bible say about nepotism? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about discrimination? | GotQuestions.orgWhat items should be included in a church constitution? | GotQuestions.orgHire: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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