Topical Bible: Servants: Hired: Engaged by the Day

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In biblical times, the concept of hiring servants on a daily basis was a common practice, reflecting the agrarian and pastoral economy of ancient Israel. This arrangement allowed landowners and householders to meet their labor needs during peak agricultural seasons or for specific tasks without the long-term commitment of permanent servitude.

Biblical Context and Practice

The practice of hiring servants by the day is rooted in the economic and social structures of ancient Israelite society. Daily laborers were typically engaged for tasks such as harvesting, vineyard work, or other seasonal agricultural activities. This form of employment provided flexibility for both the employer and the laborer, allowing workers to seek daily wages and employers to adjust their workforce according to immediate needs.

Scriptural References

The Bible provides several references to the hiring of servants on a daily basis, emphasizing fair treatment and timely payment. In the book of Leviticus, the law underscores the importance of paying hired workers promptly: "Do not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages due a hired hand must not remain with you until morning" (Leviticus 19:13). This command highlights the ethical obligation to ensure that daily laborers receive their wages without delay, reflecting a concern for their immediate livelihood.

In the New Testament, Jesus' parable of the workers in the vineyard illustrates the practice of hiring laborers by the day. The landowner goes out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard, agreeing to pay them a denarius for the day. Throughout the day, he continues to hire more workers, even up to the eleventh hour, and pays them all the same wage (Matthew 20:1-16). This parable not only reflects the common practice of daily hiring but also conveys deeper spiritual truths about the kingdom of heaven and God's grace.

Social and Economic Implications

The hiring of servants by the day was an integral part of the economic system in biblical times, providing a means for individuals to earn a living without the constraints of long-term servitude. This system also allowed for a degree of social mobility, as individuals could choose their work and negotiate their wages based on the demand for labor.

However, the reliance on daily wages also meant that laborers were vulnerable to economic instability and exploitation. The biblical injunctions against withholding wages and the emphasis on fair treatment serve as reminders of the potential for abuse in such arrangements and the need for justice and compassion in economic dealings.

Moral and Ethical Considerations

The biblical teachings on the treatment of hired servants underscore the broader moral and ethical principles that govern human relationships. The call to pay wages promptly and fairly reflects a commitment to justice and the dignity of labor. It also aligns with the biblical theme of caring for the vulnerable and ensuring that all members of society are treated with respect and equity.

In summary, the practice of hiring servants by the day in biblical times was a reflection of the economic realities of the period, with significant moral and ethical implications. The biblical narrative provides guidance on the fair treatment of laborers, emphasizing the importance of justice, compassion, and the recognition of human dignity in all economic transactions.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 20:2
And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Third Day in Pasion-Week - the Last Series of Parables: to the ...
... in the market-place of busy life, are His Servants. ... runs - had a garden, for which
he hired labourers without ... of the trees on which they had been engaged. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter v the third day.htm

Persistency in Wrong Doing.
... Hanun took the servants, the ambassadors of David, and shaved ... this army of Ammon
and their hired allies, and ... He now engaged Hadarezar, King of the Syrians, and ...
/.../xliii persistency in wrong doing.htm

On Family Religion
... not only indented servants, who are legally engaged to remain ... a term of years; not
only hired servants, whether they ... serve you by the week of day: For these ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 94 on family religion.htm

The Kingdom of God: Its Tasks
... Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went ... And Jesus said unto him,
To-day is salvation ... Zacchaeus was engaged in the profitable but shady business ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter v the kingdom of.htm

The vineyard Labourers.
... This husbandman at once engaged all the men that ... rewards which Christ confers upon
his servants, but this ... whether the labourers who were first hired, and who ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/ix the vineyard labourers.htm

Heathen Plots
... The chief one engaged in this iniquitous work was Shemaiah, a ... Therefore was he hired,
that I should be afraid ... will be employed to induce God's servants to form ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 55 heathen plots.htm

The Twelve and the Seventy.
... interval between His Ascension and the day of Pentecost ... and they could afford to
pay "hired servants" to assist ... pretty clear that the publican was engaged in a ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/chapter iii the twelve and.htm

The Prodigal's Return
... ALL PERSONS ENGAGED IN EDUCATION will tell you that they ... morning, when I rose up
before day-break, because I ... Make me as one of thy hired servants.'" "Oh," said ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the prodigals return.htm

The Ministry.
... Thus saith the Lord; we are the servants of the ... How many the Pharisees that hired
the soldiers to say ... my preaching, especially when I have been engaged in the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/xxii the ministry.htm

The Origin of the Gospels.
... course of New Testament criticism with that engaged upon the ... has never been seen
since that day; we have ... Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter ix the origin of.htm