Wages
The earliest mention of wages is of a recompense, not in money, but in kind, to Jacob from Laban. (Genesis 29:15,20; 30:28; 31:7,8,41) In Egypt money payments by way of wages were in use, but the terms cannot now be ascertained.
(Exodus 2:9) The only mention of the rate of wages in Scripture is found in the parable of the householder and the vineyard, (Matthew 20:2) 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. (Leviticus 19:13; 24:14,15) The employer who refused to give his-laborers sufficient victuals is censured (Job 22:11) and the iniquity of withholding wages is denounced. (Jeremiah 22:13; Malachi 3:5; James 6:4)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Wages
Wages wa'-jez, wa'-jiz (chinnam, maskoreth, pe`ullah, sakhar, sakhar; misthos, opsonion): (1) Chinnam means "gratis," without cost or any advantage, for nought, or in vain; wages in the sense of reasonable return. Jeremiah pronounces woe upon him who "useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him not his hire" (Jer 22:13; the only place where the word is used). (2) Maskoreth means "reward" or "wages." Laban said to Jacob: "Shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall thy wages be?" (Ge 29:15). Jacob said, concerning Laban, speaking to Rachel and Leah: "Your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times" (Ge 31:7; compare Ge 31:41). (3) Pe`ullah generally means "work," "labor," "reward," "wages." The old Levitical Law was insistent on honesty in wages and on promptness in payments: "The wages of a hired servant shall not abide with thee all night until the morning" (Le 19:13). (4) Mistakker means "earning," "hire," "reward," "wages," from root sakhar, meaning "to hire," and has in it the idea of temporary purchase: "He that earneth wages ear…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Wages
The usual OT term for ‘wages’ is py sakhar ; less frequently the cognate ntbyn maskoreth, and m>ya pé'ullah. jinx ethnan is the reward paid to a prostitute. As wages are the price paid or the reward given for labour, 179 méir, ‘ price,’ may sometimes* be translated ‘wages’ or ‘hire’; and conversely the terms for ‘wages’ are sometimes translated ‘reward.’+ The usual NT term is puc Ads, misthos. The term dfénor, opsénion, is translated ‘wages’ in Lk 3" (of soldiers), Ro 6% (‘the wages of sin is death’), and 2 Co 118 According to Sanday-Headlam on Ro 6%, éydviov ‘ =(1) ‘* provi- sion-money, ration-money, or the rations in kind given to troops”; (2) in a more general sense, ““wages.”’ It is used in the Apocrypha of wages paid to soldiers. (A) OLD TESTAMENT.—There are only a few re- ferences to wages in the Old Testament, because in Israel, as in the ancient world generally, most work was done either by members of the family or by slaves. We may, howeyer, take ‘ wages’ in a broad sense as the price of labour without regard to the status of the labourer. From this point of view we may cons…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Wages
Paid by Laban to Jacob in kind (Gen 29:15; Gen 29:20; Gen 30:28; Gen 31:7-8; Gen 31:41; "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" (Luk 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 (Lev 19:13; Deu 24:14-15; compare Job 24:11; Jam 5:4; Jer 22:13; Mal 3:5); spiritually, Joh 4:36; Rom 6:28.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia