Leviticus 19.13

“‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning.’”

Deuteronomy 24.14, 15

¹⁴ “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. ¹⁵ Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry out against you to the LORD, and it be sin to you.”

James 5.1-4

In ancient Israel it was considered a form of oppression either to withhold wages that were due or to cause a man to suffer because of his temporary need for assistance involving a pledge. In the case of a pledge, both the lender and the borrower might be careful about such an arrangement, since it involved a high degree of trust on the part of the borrower and a certain amount of inconvenience to the lender. Nevertheless, the Law provided for arrangements where a loan could be made which, if it were of sufficient value, might require a pledge regarded by the borrower of equal value. Satisfaction of the loan would see the pledge – collateral – returned.

Wages, of course, were expected when they were due, according to what had been agreed on by employers and employees. In ancient Israel it seems the practice was to pay wages every day, whether in the form of goods or money. Whatever the schedule, it was to be honored consistently, lest guilt be incurred before the Lord.

T. M. Moore

The Law of God is the soil which, fertilized by the rest of God’s Word and watered by His Spirit, brings forth the fruit of Christian life. If you’d like to understand this process better, and how to make best use of the Law in your walk with and work for the Lord, order the book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, from our online store.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.