7938. seker
Lexical Summary
seker: Wages, reward, hire, payment

Original Word: שֶׂכֶר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: seker
Pronunciation: seh'-ker
Phonetic Spelling: (seh'-ker)
KJV: reward, sluices
NASB: hired, reward, wages
Word Origin: [from H7936 (שָׂכַר סָכַר - hired)]

1. wages

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
reward, sluices

From sakar; wages -- reward, sluices.

see HEBREW sakar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from sakar
Definition
hire, wages
NASB Translation
hired (1), reward (1), wages (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
שֶׂ֫כֶר noun [masculine] hire, wages; — absolute ׳עשֵֹׁי שׂ Isaiah 19:10 (= שָׂכִיר); construct Proverbs 11:18.

Topical Lexicon
Semantic Range and Conceptual Overview

שֶׂכֶר denotes wages, reward, or profit earned through labor or services rendered. In Scripture it embodies the principle of compensation—whether material, moral, or spiritual—and thus becomes a theological pointer to divine justice and human accountability.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Proverbs 11:18 – “The wicked man earns an empty wage, but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.” Here שֶׂכֶר contrasts ill-gotten gain with the sure recompense God accords to righteousness.
2. Isaiah 19:10 – “The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all wage earners will be sick at heart.” The looming judgment on Egypt includes economic collapse; the loss of שֶׂכֶר underscores the futility of trusting in human industry apart from the Lord.

Historical and Cultural Background

In the ancient Near East, timely and fair wages were vital to social stability. Mosaic law protects laborers (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14-15), reflecting God’s concern for justice. Proverbs and prophets employ שֶׂכֶר to evaluate societal health: righteous societies honor fair compensation; corrupt societies withhold or destroy it, inviting divine censure.

Theological Significance

• Divine Justice: Proverbs links true reward to moral integrity, rooting remuneration in the character of God who “does not show partiality” (2 Chronicles 19:7).
• Judgment and Mercy: Isaiah’s oracle reveals that when a nation opposes God, even legitimate labor yields no profit—a warning meant to call people to repentance.
• Eschatological Overtones: Earthly wages foreshadow ultimate recompense. Revelation 22:12 echoes Proverbs’ theme: “My reward is with Me to repay each one according to what he has done.”

Ministry and Ethical Implications

• Fair Employment Practices: Churches and Christian employers should champion just pay, echoing James 5:4, which condemns withheld wages.
• Stewardship Teaching: Believers are urged to pursue righteous “profit,” investing in works that bear eternal dividends (1 Timothy 6:18-19).
• Pastoral Care: Isaiah 19:10 highlights vocational despair; ministry to the unemployed or underpaid models Christ’s compassion.

Connections to the Broader Biblical Canon

• Old Testament Parallels: שָׂכָר (sakar, “reward”) in Psalms and Proverbs amplifies the motif; together they form a tapestry of divine remuneration.
• New Testament Fulfillment: Jesus’ teaching on heavenly reward (Matthew 6:19-20) and Paul’s metaphor of wages of sin versus gift of God (Romans 6:23) deepen the concept, contrasting earned death with unearned grace.

Pastoral and Devotional Applications

• Examine Motives: Proverbs 11:18 invites believers to measure pursuits by eternal value rather than immediate profit.
• Encourage Faithfulness: Assure God’s people that righteous labor, even when unnoticed, carries “a true reward.”
• Offer Hope: Isaiah 19:10 counsels those facing economic loss to seek the Lord, who can restore both livelihood and heart.

Summary

שֶׂכֶר serves as a concise biblical witness to God’s righteous order in economic, moral, and eschatological realms. It summons individuals and communities to align work, commerce, and character with the Lord who alone guarantees a lasting reward.

Forms and Transliterations
שֶׂ֖כֶר שֶׂ֣כֶר שכר śe·ḵer Secher śeḵer
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Proverbs 11:18
HEB: וְזֹרֵ֥עַ צְ֝דָקָ֗ה שֶׂ֣כֶר אֱמֶֽת׃
NAS: deceptive wages, But he who sows
KJV: [shall be] a sure reward.
INT: sows righteousness wages a true

Isaiah 19:10
HEB: כָּל־ עֹ֥שֵׂי שֶׂ֖כֶר אַגְמֵי־ נָֽפֶשׁ׃
NAS: All the hired laborers
KJV: thereof, all that make sluices [and] ponds
INT: All laborers the hired will be grieved soul

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 7938
2 Occurrences


śe·ḵer — 2 Occ.

7937
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