Definition and Context
Wages, in the biblical context, refer to the compensation or payment received for labor or services rendered. The concept of wages is addressed in various scriptures, highlighting both the material and spiritual dimensions of compensation.

Old Testament References

1. Leviticus 19:13 · "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 paying wages, reflecting God's concern for justice and the well-being of workers.

2. Deuteronomy 24:14-15 · "Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers 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."
Here, the law emphasizes the necessity of timely payment, especially to those in need, and warns against the sin of withholding wages.

3. Jeremiah 22:13 · "Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve without pay and refuses to give him his wages."
This prophetic warning condemns exploitation and the failure to pay workers, linking such actions to broader themes of injustice and unrighteousness.

New Testament References

1. Matthew 20:1-16 · The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
This parable illustrates the kingdom of heaven and the generosity of God, who gives equally to all laborers regardless of the hours worked. It challenges human notions of fairness and highlights divine grace.

2. Luke 10:7 · "Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house."
Jesus affirms the principle that those who labor, particularly in ministry, deserve to be compensated for their work.

3. 1 Timothy 5:18 · "For the Scripture says, 'Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,' and, 'The worker is worthy of his wages.'"
Paul reiterates the Old Testament principle, applying it to the support of church leaders, emphasizing the right to receive material support for spiritual labor.

Spiritual Implications

1. Romans 6:23 · "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
This verse contrasts the concept of wages as earned consequences of sin with the unearned gift of eternal life through Christ, highlighting the spiritual dimension of wages.

2. James 5:4 · "Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts."
James warns against the injustice of withholding wages, emphasizing that such actions are not only socially unjust but also spiritually significant, as they cry out to God.

Conclusion
The biblical treatment of wages encompasses both practical and spiritual dimensions, advocating for justice, fairness, and the recognition of labor's value. The scriptures call for integrity in compensating workers and highlight the broader spiritual truths associated with the concept of wages.Leviticus 19:13
You shall not defraud your neighbor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with you all night until the morning.
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Deuteronomy 24:14,15
You shall not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of your brothers, or of your strangers that are in your land within your gates:
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Deuteronomy 25:4
You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the corn.
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Jeremiah 22:13
Woe to him that builds his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that uses his neighbor's service without wages, and gives him not for his work;
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Haggai 1:6
You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but you have not enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earns wages earns wages to put it into a bag with holes.
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Malachi 3:5
And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, said the LORD of hosts.
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Matthew 10:10
Nor money for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
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Luke 3:14
And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
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Luke 10:7
And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
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Romans 4:4
Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
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Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Colossians 4:1
Masters, give to your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
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James 5:4
Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cries: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
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What does it mean that the wages of sin is death? | GotQuestions.org

Did Jacob placing branches in front of his flock really result in the offspring being speckled and spotted? | GotQuestions.org

Should pastors be paid a salary? | GotQuestions.org

Wages: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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