Deuteronomy 24:14

14 You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns.

Deuteronomy 24:14 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 24:14

Thou shall not oppress an hired servant
That is hired by the day, as appears by ( Deuteronomy 24:15 ) ; though the law may include such as are hired by the week, or month, or year; neither of whom are to be oppressed by any means, and chiefly by detaining their wages; so the Jerusalem Targum explains the phrase,

``ye shall not detain by force the hire of the hired servant;''

nor by fraud, as in ( James 5:4 ) ;

[that is] poor and needy;
and so cannot bear the lest oppression of this kind, nor to have his wages detained from him any time, and much less wholly to be defrauded of them:

[whether he be] of thy brethren;
an Israelite, and so a brother both by nation and religion:

or of thy strangers that [are] in thy land, within thy gates;
Jarchi interprets this, both of proselytes of righteousness, and of proselytes of the gate; which latter are plainly described by this clause, and the former must be included; for, if proselytes of the gate are not to be oppressed, much less proselytes of righteousness, who were in all respects as Israelites, the same law was to them both. Jarchi says, the phrase "in thy land" is intended to comprehend the hire of beasts, and of vessels; and these in the Misnah F15 are said to be comprehended in this precept, as well as the hire of man.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 Bava Metzia, c. 9. sect. 12.

Deuteronomy 24:14 In-Context

12 If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the garment given you as the pledge.
13 You shall give the pledge back by sunset, so that your neighbor may sleep in the cloak and bless you; and it will be to your credit before the Lord your God.
14 You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns.
15 You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt.
16 Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for their own crimes may persons be put to death.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.