New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 24:15
15You must pay them their wages each day before sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. If you don’t, they might cry out to the Lord against you, and it would be counted against you as sin.
Deuteronomy 24:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.
- New International Version (NIV)Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
- English Standard Version (ESV)You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he cry against you to the Lord, and you be guilty of sin.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry out against you to the Lord, and it be sin to you.
Context of Deuteronomy 24:15
13Return the cloak to its owner by sunset so he can stay warm through the night and bless you, and the Lord your God will count you as righteous. 14“Never take advantage of poor and destitute laborers, whether they are fellow Israelites or foreigners living in your towns. You must pay them their wages each day before sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. If you don’t, they might cry out to the Lord against you, and it would be counted against you as sin. 16“Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes. 17“True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her debt.
Read all of Deuteronomy 24Deuteronomy 24:15 word by word
בְּיוֹמוֹ֩ תִתֵּ֨ן שְׂכָר֜וֹ וְֽלֹא־תָב֧וֹא עָלָ֣יו הַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ כִּ֤י עָנִי֙ ה֔וּא וְאֵלָ֕יו ה֥וּא נֹשֵׂ֖א אֶת־נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וְלֹֽא־יִקְרָ֤א עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה בְךָ֖ חֵֽטְא׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- At his dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- thou shalt giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: payH5414
- his hireשָׂכָרώâkâr · wagesH7939
- neither shall the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
- go downבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): (sun)setH935
- poorעָנִי‛ânîy · afflictedH6041
- and settethנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: aidH5375
- his heartנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: appetiteH5315
- upon it: lest he cryקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- against thee unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and it be sinחֵטְאchêţ' · sinH2399
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 24:15
- Leviticus 19:13“Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. “Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.
- Proverbs 3:27Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.
- Jeremiah 22:13And the Lord says, “What sorrow awaits Jehoiakim, who builds his palace with forced labor. He builds injustice into its walls, for he makes his neighbors work for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor.
- Matthew 20:8“That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first.
- Mark 10:19But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’”
- James 5:4For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
- Psalms 24:4Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.
- Psalms 25:1O Lord, I give my life to you.
- Psalms 86:4Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you.
- Deuteronomy 15:9Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin.
- Exodus 22:23If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry.
- Job 31:38“If my land accuses me and all its furrows cry out together,
- Job 34:28They cause the poor to cry out, catching God’s attention. He hears the cries of the needy.
- Job 35:9“People cry out when they are oppressed. They groan beneath the power of the mighty.
- Proverbs 22:22Don’t rob the poor just because you can, or exploit the needy in court.
- Proverbs 23:10Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers; don’t take the land of defenseless orphans.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 24:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15He is poor, and setteth his heart upon it - How exceedingly natural is this! The poor servant who seldom sees money, yet finds from his master's affluence that it procures all the conveniences and comforts of life, longs for the time when he shall receive his wages; should his pay be delayed after the time is expired, he may naturally be expected to cry unto God against him who withholds it. See most of these subjects treated at large on Exodus 22:21-27…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-22Verses 14-22 It is not hard to prove that purity, piety, justice, mercy, fair conduct, kindness to the poor and destitute, consideration for them, and generosity of spirit, are pleasing to God, and becoming in his redeemed people. The difficulty is to attend to them in our daily walk and conversation.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1514-15. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy--Hired servants in the East are paid at the close of the day; and for a master to defraud the laborer of his hire, or to withhold it wrongfully for a night, might have subjected a poor man with his family to suffering and was therefore an injustice to be avoided (Le 19:13).Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 24:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries