Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
You must not cheat your neighbor or steal from him. Don't hold back the wages of someone you've hired, pay them before the day is over, not the next morning.
God is commanding fair treatment of workers and neighbors, no cheating, stealing, or withholding earned wages overnight.
📚 Historical Context
In the time of Moses, God was giving the Israelites a set of laws through the book of Leviticus to guide their moral and social conduct as a holy nation. This verse is part of the Holiness Code, which emphasized fairness and protection for the vulnerable in a society where economic exploitation was common in ancient Near Eastern cultures. It specifically addressed the daily realities of hired workers, who relied on immediate wages for survival, ensuring that delays in payment would not cause undue hardship.
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