Dictionaries :: Worker; Workfellow; Workman

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

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" (1Ki 7:14, "a worker in brass"), and of charash, "artificer," etc. (1Ch 22:15); "workers of stone," rendered "workman," "workmen" (Isa 40:20; 44:11; Jer 10:3,9, "artificer"; Ho 8:6); ‘asah, "to work," is translated "workers" of iniquity (Ps 37:1, "them that work unrighteousness"); ‘asah mela'khah, "to do work" (2Ki 12:14,15, "workmen," "them that did the work"; 1Ch 22:15; 2Ch 24:13, etc.; Ezr 3:9);'aneshe mela'khah, "men of work" (1Ch 25:1, "workmen," "them that did the work"); ‘amel, "working," "toiling" (Jud 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; Ps 5:5; 6:8; 14:4, etc.; Pr 10:29; 21:15); ergates, "worker," is translated "workman" (Mt 10:10, "laborer"; 2Ti 2:15; Ac 19:25), "workers" (of iniquity) (Lu 13:27), "deceitful workers" (2Co 11:13), "evil workers" (Php 3:2); dunamis, "power," is translated "(workers of) miracles" (1Co 12:29 margin, the Revised Version (British and American) "powers"); sunergeo, "to work with" (2Co 6:1, "working together with him").

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

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

For "of ("with") cunning work" (Ex 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)" (Pr 8:30), the Revised Version (British and American) has "I was by him as a master workman.

Written by W. L. Walker