Labor

la ́bẽr (יגיע, yeghīa‛, עמל, ‛amāl; κόπος, kópos): The word (noun and verb) denoting hard work or “toil” (thus in the Revised Version of Deuteronomy 26:7; Joshua 7:3; Revelation 2:2) represents several Hebrew and Greek words, chiefly those above. Occasionally, as in Habakkuk 3:17 (ma‛ăsēh), it stands for “fruit of labor.” Sometimes, in conjunction with “travail,” it refers to childbirth (Genesis 35:16-17, yāladh; compare 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8). Examples of the word in the ordinary sense are: of yeghīa‛, Genesis 31:42; Job 39:11, 39:16; Psalms 128:2; of ‛amāl, common in Ecclesiastes 1:3, 1:8; 2:10, 2:11, 2:18, etc.; of kopos, 1 Corinthians 15:58 (“your labor is not vain,” etc.); 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (“work of faith and labor of love”; compare Hebrews 6:10); 1 Timothy 5:17 (“labor in the word and in teaching”). See WORK; SLAVERY.

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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia

Keywords: Labor

Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.

Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.