Reference: Hire, Hireling
Hastings
The former is used in AV alongside of its synonym 'wages,' by which it has been supplanted in mod. English as in Ge 31:8 RV (cf. Ge 30:18,32 f. with Ge 29:15; 30:28 etc.). A hireling is a person 'hired' to work for a stipulated wage, such as a field-labourer (Mal 3:5), shepherd (Joh 10:12 f.), or mercenary soldier (Isa 16:14, cf. Jer 46:21). No imputation of unfaithfulness or dishonesty is necessarily conveyed by the term, although these ideas have now become associated with it owing to our Lord's application of the word to an unfaithful shepherd in Joh 10:12-13.
A. R. S. Kennedy.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And afterward Laban said unto Jacob, "Though thou be my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall thy wages be?"
Then said Lea, "God hath given me my reward, because I gave my maiden to my husband." And she called him Issachar.
I will go about all thy sheep this day, and separate from them all the sheep that are spotted and of divers colors, and all black sheep among the lambs, and the party and spotted among the kids: And then such shall be my reward.
When he said, 'the spotted shall be thy wages,' then all the sheep bare spotted. If he said, 'the streaked shall be thy reward,' then bare all the sheep streaked.
But now the LORD sayeth thus: In three years, which shall be as the years of a hired servant, shall the glory of Moab be turned into confusion throughout all his multitude, which is very great. And as for the remnant of them, they shall be small and feeble.
Her waged soldiers that be with her, are like fat calves. They also shall flee away together, and not abide: for the day of their slaughter and the time of their visitation shall come upon them.
I will come and punish you, and I myself will be a swift witness against the witches, against the adulterers, against false swearers: yea, and against those that wrongfully keep back the hireling's duty, which vex the widows and the fatherless, and oppress the stranger, and fear not me, sayeth the LORD of Hosts.
An hired servant which is not the shepherd, neither the sheep are his own, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and flyeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
An hired servant which is not the shepherd, neither the sheep are his own, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and flyeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hired servant flyeth because he is a hired servant, and careth not for the sheep.