Classic KJV - Proverbs 10:16

The text presents a scenario in which both the righteous and the wicked are getting what they’ve earned. Neither is idle nor lazy. Their rewards are not monetary. The text is not describing the earnings on a time-sheet, but the rewards in living for good or evil.

Translation: wages, income

The Hebrew word for “wages,” פעלה (peʽǔl•lāh, pronounced “pe-ool-lah”), is also rendered as “reward,” but also (perhaps strangely) as “work” or “labour.” It’s used first in Leviticus 19:13 to refer to the wages of a hired man. He should receive his wages on a daily basis, suggesting in a context of regular, systematic employment, rather than one-time, sporadic piece-work. This may imply God’s preference for deliberate, systematic acts of charity, rather than the popular “random acts of kindness.”

The word “wages” (plural) may incidentally be better translated, “wage” (singular), as in the English Standard Version (ESV).

The Hebrew word for “income,” תבואה (teḇû•ʼāh, pronounced “te-boo-ah”), rhymes with the previous “wages” in Hebrew, indicating some of the beauty lost in translation. Teḇû•ʼāh is translated as “increase, fruit, revenue, or gain.” It’s used first in Genesis 47:24, commonly translated there as the “harvest,” from which Pharaoh should receive one-fifth, with the remaining four-fifths going for future seeding and family consumption. It’s used most frequently in a context of agricultural produce or crops.

Both words denote future return for present effort. There is a delay in the return. There is also an increase in quantity. The harvest exceeds what is planted.

Punishment as Payback

Most English translations use the word “sin” instead of “punishment.” The version in Tanakh: A New Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Jewish Publication Society,1985) uses the word “want.” This also implies conscious suffering rather than unconscious oblivion. The implications are profound! It's very important to consider what the Master says about the opposite of life. What does happen when life as we know it, here on earth now, comes to a dead end?

Our Maker, Saviour, and Friend

Jesus describes two men with very different destinies. One, being wealthy, spent his days partying and feasting. The other, Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), lying at the rich man’s door, begging for scraps. Following death, the rich man writhed in fiery agony, while Lazarus was comforted “in the bosom of Abraham,” their common father. The one, suffering. The other, bliss.

Lazarus was in desperate poverty on earth. In itself, poverty does not bring salvation, but it can make someone more willing to turn to God. Repeated four times, the name “Lazarus” is variation on the Hebrew name “Eleazar,” meaning “Whom God helps.” Lazarus could do few acts of righteousness in his sorry state, but he certainly called to God.

Salvation is rooted in God, not in our performance. The rich man acted wickedly by ignoring those in need. His wickedness was not in his possession of wealth, but in his selfish, sensual solitude. Jesus is crystal-clear on one major point: Our attitudes and actions in our present life have serious consequences for our future life.

Photos/Illustrations:

Hendrick ter Brugghen, “The Rich Man and The Poor Lazarus,” Painting, 1625, Wikimedia Commons, ID11241.

“In Business,” Photo, 2007, stock.xchang, ID754431.

“The Gift,” Photo, 2010, stock.xchang, ID1259246.