Worker; Workfellow; Workman - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

WORKER; WORKFELLOW; WORKMAN

wur'-der, wurk'-fel-o, wurk'-man (charash, pa`al; ergates, sunergos):

"Worker" (artificer) is the translation of charash, "to cut in" (1 Kings 7:14, "a worker in brass"), and of charash, "artificer," etc. (1 Chronicles 22:15); "workers of stone," rendered "workman," "workmen" (Isaiah 40:20; 44:11; Jeremiah 10:3,9, "artificer"; Hosea 8:6); `asah, "to work," is translated "workers" of iniquity (Psalms 37:1, "them that work unrighteousness"); `asah mela'khah, "to do work" (2 Kings 12:14,15, "workmen," "them that did the work"; 1 Chronicles 22:15; 2 Chronicles 24:13, etc.; Ezra 3:9);'aneshe mela'khah, "men of work" (1 Chronicles 25:1, "workmen," "them that did the work"); `amel, "working," "toiling" (Judges 5:26, "put .... her right hand to the workmen's hammer"); pa`al, "to act," "do," when translated "workers," is joined with "iniquity," "workers of iniquity" (Job 31:3; 34:8,22; Psalms 5:5; 6:8; 14:4, etc.; Proverbs 10:29; 21:15); ergates, "worker," is translated "workman" (Matthew 10:10, "laborer"; 2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 19:25), "workers" (of iniquity) (Luke 13:27), "deceitful workers" (2 Corinthians 11:13), "evil workers" (Philippians 3:2); dunamis, "power," is translated "(workers of) miracles" (1 Corinthians 12:29 margin, the Revised Version (British and American) "powers"); sunergeo, "to work with" (2 Corinthians 6:1, "working together with him").

Workfellow is the translation of sunergos, "joint or fellow-worker" (Romans 16:21; Colossians 4:11).

Workmaster occurs in Ecclesiasticus 38:27, as the translation of architekton.

For "of ("with") cunning work" (Exodus 26:1,31; 28:6,15; 36:8,35; 39:3,8), the American Standard Revised Version has "the work of the skillful workman," the English Revised Version "of the cunning workman"; instead of "I was by him as one brought up (with him)" (Proverbs 8:30), the Revised Version (British and American) has "I was by him as a master workman.

W. L. Walker

Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'WORKER; WORKFELLOW; WORKMAN'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.