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Hire
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
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hı̄r : Two entirely different words are translated "hire" in the Old Testament:
(1) The most frequent one is שׂכר , sākhār , verb שׂכר , sākhar , and verbal adjective שׂכיר , sākhı̄r ̌ . ( a ) As a verb it means "to hire" for a wage, either money or something else; in this sense it is used with regard to ordinary laborers ( 1 Samuel 2:5; 2 Chronicles 24:12 ), or mercenary soldiers (2 Samuel 10:6; 2 Kings 7:6; 1 Chronicles 19:6; 2 Chronicles 25:6 ), or a goldsmith (Isaiah 46:6 ), or a band of loose followers (Judges 9:4 ), or a false priest (Judges 18:4 ), or Balaam (Deuteronomy 23:4; Nehemiah 13:2 ), or hostile counselors (Ezra 4:5 ), or false prophets (Nehemiah 6:12 f). As a verbal adjective it refers to things ( Exodus 22:15; Isaiah 7:20 )or men (Leviticus 19:13; Jeremiah 46:21 ). (b) As a noun it denotes the wage in money, or something else, paid to workmen for their services (Genesis 30:32 f; Genesis 31:8; Deuteronomy 24:15; 1 Kings 5:6; Zechariah 8:10 ), or the rent or hire paid for a thing (Exodus 22:15 ), or a work-beast (Zechariah 8:10 ). In Genesis 30:16 Leah hires from Rachel the privilege of having Jacob with her again, and her conception and the subsequent birth of a son, she calls her hire or wage from the Lord for the gift of her slave girl to Jacob as a concubine ( Genesis 30:18 ).
(2) The other word translated hire is אתנן , 'ethnān , once אתנן , 'ethnan ̌ . It is rather a gift (from root נתן , nāthan , "to give") than a wage earned by labor, and is used uniformly in a bad sense. It is the gift made to a harlot ( Deuteronomy 23:18 ), or, reversing the usual custom, made by the harlot nation (Ezekiel 16:31 , Ezekiel 16:41 ). It was also used metaphorically of the gifts made by Israelites to idols, since this was regarded as spiritual harlotry (Isaiah 23:17 f; Micah 1:7; compare also Hosea 8:9 f).
In the English New Testament the word occurs once as a verb and 3 times as a noun as the translation of μισθός , misthós , and its verbal form. In Matthew 20:1 , Matthew 20:8 and James 5:4 it refers to the hiring of ordinary field laborers for a daily wage. In Luke 10:7 it signifies the stipend which is due the laborer in the spiritual work of the kingdom of God. It is a wage, earned by toil, as that of other laborers. The word is very significant here and absolutely negatives the idea, all too prevalent, that money received by the spiritual toiler is a gift. It is rather a wage, the reward of real toil.
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Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Hire'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/h/hire.html. 1915.
