Bible Dictionaries
Hireling

Holman Bible Dictionary

A worker paid wages; a laborer; a hired hand. The work of hired laborers was generally difficult (Job 7:1-2 ). Mosaic law required paying workers at the close of the day so that they might provide for their families (Deuteronomy 24:14-15 ). Workers were frequently exploited (Malachi 3:5; James 5:4 ). John 10:12-13 contrasts the cowardice of a hired shepherd with an owner's self-sacrificing concern for his sheep.