Reference: Wages
American
The law and the gospel both require the full and prompt payment of a just equivalent for all services rendered according to agreement, Le 19:13; Jer 22:13; Jas 5:4. Eternal death is the wages or just recompense of sin; while eternal life is not a recompense earned by obedience, but a sovereign gift of God, Ro 6:22-23.
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Thou shalt not beguile thy neighbour with cavillations, neither rob him violently, neither shall the workman's labour abide with thee until the morning.
Woe worth him, that buildeth his house with unrighteousness, and his parlors with the good that he hath gotten by violence: which never recompenceth his neighbour's labour, nor payeth him his hire.
But now are ye delivered from sin, and made the servants of God, and have your fruit that ye should be sanctified; and the end: everlasting life. For the reward of sin is death: but eternal life is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Behold, the hire of the laborers which have reaped down your fields - which hire is of you kept back by fraud - crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
Easton
Rate of (mention only in Mt 20:2); to be punctually paid (Le 19:13; De 24:14-15); judgements threatened against the withholding of (Jer 22:13; Mal 3:5; comp. Jas 5:4); paid in money (Mt 20:1-14); to Jacob in kind (Ge 29:15,20; 30:28; 31:7-8,41).
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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?"
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
And your father hath deceived me and changed my wages ten times: But God suffered him not to hurt me. 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.
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house, and served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy sheep, and thou hast changed my reward ten times.
Thou shalt not beguile thy neighbour with cavillations, neither rob him violently, neither shall the workman's labour abide with thee until the morning.
Thou shalt not defraud a hired servant that is needy and poor, whether he be of thy brethren or a stranger that is in thy land within thy cities. Give him his hire the same day, and let not the sun go down thereon. For he is needy and therewith sustaineth his life, lest he cry against thee unto the LORD and it be sin unto thee.
Woe worth him, that buildeth his house with unrighteousness, and his parlors with the good that he hath gotten by violence: which never recompenceth his neighbour's labour, nor payeth him his hire.
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.
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a householder which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And he agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, and sent them into his vineyard.
And he agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, and sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market place, read more. and said unto them: go ye also into my vineyard, and whatsoever is right, I will give you: and they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And he went out about the eleventh hour and found others standing idle, and said unto them, 'Why stand ye here all the day idle?' They said unto him, 'Because no man hath hired us'. He said to them, 'Go ye also into my vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.' When even was come, the Lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, 'Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning at the last, till thou come to the first.' And they which were hired about the eleventh hour, came and received every man a penny. Then came the first, supposing that they should receive more, and they like wise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house, saying, 'These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us which have borne the burden and heat of the day.' He answered to one of them, saying, 'Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny?' Take that which is thy duty, and go thy way. I will give unto this last, as much as to thee.
Behold, the hire of the laborers which have reaped down your fields - which hire is of you kept back by fraud - crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
Fausets
Paid by Laban to Jacob in kind (Ge 29:15,20; 30:28; 31:7-8,41; "I served 14 years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle".) The labourer's daily wages (misthos) in Matthew 20 are set at one denarius ("penny") a day, 7 3/4 d. of our money; compare Tob 5:14, "a drachm." The term opsoonia for "wages" (Lu 3:14) and Paul's words, 2Co 11:8 (opsoonion), "charges," 1Co 9:7, imply that provisions were part of a soldier's wages. They should be paid every night (Le 19:13; De 24:14-15; compare Job 24:11; Jas 5:4; Jer 22:13; Mal 3:5); spiritually, Joh 4:36; Ro 6:23.
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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?"
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
And your father hath deceived me and changed my wages ten times: But God suffered him not to hurt me. 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.
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house, and served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy sheep, and thou hast changed my reward ten times.
Thou shalt not beguile thy neighbour with cavillations, neither rob him violently, neither shall the workman's labour abide with thee until the morning.
Thou shalt not defraud a hired servant that is needy and poor, whether he be of thy brethren or a stranger that is in thy land within thy cities. Give him his hire the same day, and let not the sun go down thereon. For he is needy and therewith sustaineth his life, lest he cry against thee unto the LORD and it be sin unto thee.
The poor are fain to labour in their oil mills, yea and to tread in their wine presses, and yet to suffer thirst.
Woe worth him, that buildeth his house with unrighteousness, and his parlors with the good that he hath gotten by violence: which never recompenceth his neighbour's labour, nor payeth him his hire.
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.
The soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, "And what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do violence to no man: neither trouble any man wrongfully: But be content with your wages."
And he that reapeth, receiveth reward; and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: That both he that soweth and he that reapeth might rejoice together.
For the reward of sin is death: but eternal life is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Who goeth a warfare any time at his own cost? Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit? Or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk?
I robbed other congregations, and took wages of them, to do you service withal.
Behold, the hire of the laborers which have reaped down your fields - which hire is of you kept back by fraud - crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
Hastings
Under the conditions of life in Palestine in OT times, work on the land, at all times the chief occupation, was done for the most part by the peasant and his family, assisted, in the case of the well-to-do, by a few slaves. The 'hired servants' were never numerous, and mainly aliens. We have no information as to the wages of such field-labourers. De 15:18 seems to say that a hireling cost the farmer twice as much as a slave, and since the latter received only his keep and his few clothes, it follows that the former will have earned the equivalent thereof, over and above, in wages. The first definite engagement
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Thou shalt not beguile thy neighbour with cavillations, neither rob him violently, neither shall the workman's labour abide with thee until the morning.
and shall be with him year by year as a hired servant, and the other shall not reign cruelly over him in thy sight.
And let it not grieve thine eyes to let him go out from thee, for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee in his service six years. And the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.
Give him his hire the same day, and let not the sun go down thereon. For he is needy and therewith sustaineth his life, lest he cry against thee unto the LORD and it be sin unto thee.
And Micah said unto him, "Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest. And I will give thee ten silverlings by year and raiment of all sorts, and thy meat and drink."
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a householder which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.
Smith
Wages.
The earliest mention of wages is of a recompense, not in money, but in kind, to Jacob from Laban.
In Egypt money payments by way of wages were in use, but the terms cannot now be ascertained.
The only mention of the rate of wages in Scripture is found in the parable of the householder and the vineyard,
where the laborer's wages was set at one denarius per day, probably 15 to 17 cents, a sum which may be fairly taken as equivalent to the denarius, and to the usual pay of a soldier (ten asses per diem) in the later days of the Roman republic. Tac. Ann. i. 17; Polyb. vi. 39. In earlier times it is probable that the rate was lower; but it is likely that laborers, and also soldiers, were supplied with provisions. The law was very strict in requiring daily payment of wages.
Le 19:13; De 24:14-15
The employer who refused to give his-laborers sufficient victuals is censured
and the iniquity of withholding wages is denounced.
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?"
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
And your father hath deceived me and changed my wages ten times: But God suffered him not to hurt me. 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.
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house, and served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy sheep, and thou hast changed my reward ten times.
Then Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, "Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will reward thee for thy labour." And the woman took the child and nursed it up.
Thou shalt not beguile thy neighbour with cavillations, neither rob him violently, neither shall the workman's labour abide with thee until the morning.
Thou shalt not defraud a hired servant that is needy and poor, whether he be of thy brethren or a stranger that is in thy land within thy cities. Give him his hire the same day, and let not the sun go down thereon. For he is needy and therewith sustaineth his life, lest he cry against thee unto the LORD and it be sin unto thee.
Shouldest thou then see no darkness? Should not the water flood run over thee?
Woe worth him, that buildeth his house with unrighteousness, and his parlors with the good that he hath gotten by violence: which never recompenceth his neighbour's labour, nor payeth him his hire.
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.
And he agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, and sent them into his vineyard.
let the same know, that he which converted the sinner from going astray out of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide the multitude of sins. {Here ends the General Epistle of James}