Topical Bible: Property: Personal: Hired

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In biblical times, the concept of hired property, particularly in the form of labor or services, is a significant aspect of economic and social life. The Bible provides various insights into the treatment, rights, and responsibilities of hired workers, reflecting the values and principles that governed personal and communal relationships in ancient Israel.

Old Testament Context

The Old Testament lays a foundation for understanding the ethical treatment of hired workers. 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 verse underscores the importance of fairness and promptness in compensating those who are hired, reflecting a broader divine mandate for justice and integrity in economic dealings.

Deuteronomy 24:14-15 further elaborates on this principle: "Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. 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." This passage highlights the vulnerability of hired workers and the moral obligation to ensure their well-being, emphasizing daily payment as a means of sustenance for those who rely on their wages for survival.

New Testament Insights

In the New Testament, the parables of Jesus often include references to hired labor, illustrating broader spiritual truths. In Matthew 20:1-16 , the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard presents a scenario where laborers are hired at different times of the day but receive the same wage. This parable challenges conventional notions of fairness and emphasizes the generosity and sovereignty of God, who rewards according to His grace rather than human merit.

The Apostle Paul also addresses the concept of hired labor in his epistles. 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.'" Here, Paul affirms the right of workers to receive fair compensation, drawing from both Old Testament law and the teachings of Jesus to support the principle of just remuneration.

Cultural and Historical Considerations

In ancient Israel, the hiring of laborers was a common practice in agriculture and other industries. The economic structure of the society was largely agrarian, and the demand for seasonal labor was high during planting and harvest times. Hired workers, often landless individuals or foreigners, played a crucial role in the productivity and prosperity of the community.

The biblical mandate to treat hired workers with fairness and compassion reflects a broader concern for social justice and the protection of vulnerable populations. The laws and teachings related to hired labor serve as a reminder of the ethical responsibilities that accompany economic transactions and the importance of upholding the dignity and rights of all individuals, regardless of their social or economic status.

Theological Implications

The biblical perspective on hired property and labor underscores the inherent value of work and the dignity of the worker. It calls for a recognition of the divine image in every person and a commitment to justice and equity in all human interactions. The principles laid out in Scripture regarding hired labor continue to inform contemporary discussions on labor rights, economic justice, and the ethical treatment of workers in various contexts.

Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 22:14,15
And if a man borrow ought of his neighbor, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Private Property and the Common Good
... With powerful individuals, like hired soldiers and Roman tax-farmers, he ... On the
one hand property is indispensable to personal freedom, to all ...
/.../the social principles of jesus/chapter viii private property and.htm

The Lost Sheep.
... incurable defect adheres to the method of employing a hired servant to ... A species
of personal affection and the ordinary interest of property, combine to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/xxii the lost sheep.htm

Chapter twenty-eight
... a month after Clayton turned the saloon property over to ... I have long thought of the
hired girl problem ... But the personal touch of the Christian disciple was very ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sheldon/in his steps/chapter twenty-eight.htm

Are You Willing to be a Servant?
... As we approach this subject and its personal application in ... the Lord Jesus Christ
is not "hired servant" but ... appeal, where we are the absolute property of our ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hession/the calvary road/chapter 8 are you willing.htm

The Three Parables of the Gospel: of the Recovery of the Lost - of ...
... the loss is attributable, but to the personal, free choice ... to both, and kind even
to his hired servants, whose ... he makes for the portion of property falling' to ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xvii the three parables.htm

Eutyches and Philip in Profundis
... The furniture and personal property which had belonged to the true Patriarch were
simple ... So Philip and Eutyches hired a little lodging together in the suburb of ...
/.../chapter lvi eutyches and philip.htm

Gambling, Card-Playing
... mad." It is a personal right and a personal virtue to ... him he would leave his business,
his hired help, his ... All the property one possesses, he possesses it by ...
/.../questionable amusements and worthy substitutes/iii gambling card-playing.htm

A Review and a Challenge
... Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and ... Like ambition and the property instinct,
the religious ... and social interests subservient to personal religion. ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter xii a review and.htm

Seal and Earnest
... intelligent action and the consciousness of personal being, but ... careless in the
preservation of His property as that ... fashioned days, when he was hired, is of ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/seal and earnest.htm

The Death and the Raising of Lazarus - the Question of Miracles ...
... We can scarcely believe, that the hired mourners' would alternate between ... before
they were needed, and treated and inherited as private and personal property. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxi the death and.htm