Deuteronomy 24:14
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This isn't just about paying people on time; it's about protecting the vulnerable. The text specifies "poor and needy," emphasizing that this law is for those who depend on their daily wages for survival, making timely payment a matter of life and sustenance.
“You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a series of laws in Deuteronomy guiding the Israelites on how to live justly within their community, particularly towards the vulnerable. Immediately before this, Moses outlined regulations for handling enemy captives, and the next verse specifies that a hired worker's wages must be paid daily, emphasizing the urgency due to their poverty. This law, therefore, is not just about fairness in general, but about protecting the most precarious workers from suffering even a single day's hardship due to delayed pay.
Ever feel like your hard work isn't being fully valued? This ancient command speaks directly to that ache, revealing God's concern for those living paycheck to paycheck.
This verse isn't just about avoiding outright theft; it's about a deeper principle of justice. The "oppression" here often refers to withholding wages.
The Urgency of the Hire
For the "poor and needy" worker, their daily wage wasn't a bonus – it was survival. It meant food for their family, a roof over their heads. To delay or deny it, even for a short time, could plunge them into immediate crisis.
More Than Just Money
God demands that we be acutely aware of the impact our actions have on those who depend on us for their livelihood. This means prompt, fair payment, recognizing the dignity and necessity of their labor.
In a world that often creates divisions, this verse reminds us that God's commands extend beyond our immediate circle. Who exactly was included in this protection?
This command explicitly includes both "your brothers" (fellow Israelites) and "sojourners" (foreigners or resident aliens) within the towns.
Breaking Down Barriers
God intentionally included the sojourner to ensure that those who were not part of the Israelite nation still received fair treatment. This was radical for the ancient world, where outsiders were often exploited.
Ask a follow-up
A Reflection of God's Character
God's people were to reflect His own nature: He "loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing" (Deuteronomy 10:18). Justice and compassion weren't limited by nationality or social status.
Understand the original words
‘āšaq · Hebrew Verb
To treat someone harshly, unjustly, or to take advantage of them, especially those who are vulnerable, powerless, or dependent.
śākîr · Hebrew Noun
A person who works for hire or wages; distinct from a slave or family member, they live by the daily payment for their labor.
’eḇyôn · Hebrew Adjective
One who lacks everything necessary for life, representing the extreme end of the social and economic spectrum; those entirely dependent on God and the generosity of others.
gēr · Hebrew Noun
A foreigner or temporary resident living in a land not their own; in Israel, they were under the protection of the covenant law and commanded to be treated with justice.
This passage echoes the command not to oppress a hired worker, specifically mentioning that the wages of a hired servant should not be withheld overnight, highlighting the immediate need of the poor for their earnings.
Jeremiah 22:13This prophetic passage condemns those who build their houses by unrighteousness and exploit laborers, withholding their wages, showing the enduring principle of justice for workers across different eras of biblical history.
Malachi 3:5The prophet Malachi warns against those who oppress hired workers and defraud them of their wages, linking such injustice to God's judgment and showing the divine concern for fair labor practices.
James 5:4The Apostle James directly quotes and applies the principle, denouncing employers who have withheld wages from their workers, demonstrating how this Old Testament command remains vital for New Testament believers.
ellicottDeuteronomy 24:14: "Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:"
(14, 15) Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant. —So Leviticus 19:13 . “The wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.” (Comp. also Jeremiah 22:13 ; Malachi 3:5 ; James 5:4 .)
bensonDeuteronomy 24:14: "Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:"
Deuteronomy 24:14-15 . Not oppress a hired servant — By detaining his wages from him when due, which is the meaning of oppression here, as appears from the next verse. At his day thou shalt give him his hire — That is, at the time appointed, weekly or daily. He speaks of a hireling who was so poor as not to be able to prov…
This isn't just about paying people on time; it's about protecting the vulnerable. The text specifies "poor and needy," emphasizing that this law is for those who depend on their daily wages for survival, making timely payment a matter of life and sustenance.
This passage is part of a series of laws in Deuteronomy guiding the Israelites on how to live justly within their community, particularly towards the vulnerable. Immediately before this, Moses outlined regulations for handling enemy captives, and the next verse specifies that a hired worker's wages must be paid daily, emphasizing the urgency due to their poverty. This law, therefore, is not just about fairness in general, but about protecting the most precarious workers from suffering even a single day's hardship due to delayed pay.
This passage is part of a series of laws in Deuteronomy guiding the Israelites on how to live justly within their community, particularly towards the vulnerable. Immediately before this, Moses outlined regulations for handling enemy captives, and the next verse specifies that a hired worker's wages must be paid daily, emphasizing the urgency due to their poverty. This law, therefore, is not just about fairness in general, but about protecting the most precarious workers from suffering even a single day's hardship due to delayed pay.
"“You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns." — This isn't just about paying people on time; it's about protecting the vulnerable. The text specifies "poor and needy," emphasizing that this law is for those who depend on their daily wages for su…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
