The meaning of Worker; Workfellow; Workman in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)wur'-der, wurk'-fel-o, wurk'-man (charash, pa'al; ergates, sunergos): "Worker" (artificer) is the translation of charash, "to cut in" (I Kings 7:14, "a worker in brass"), and of charash, "artificer," etc. (I Chronicles 22:15); "workers of stone," rendered "workman," "workmen" (Isaiah 40:20; Isaiah 44:11; Jeremiah 10:3, Jeremiah 10:9, "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" (II Kings 12:14-15, "workmen," "them that did the work"; I Chronicles 22:15; II Chronicles 24:13, etc.; Ezra 3:9);'aneshe mela'khah, "men of work" (I 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; Job 34:8, Job 34:22; Psalms 5:5; Psalms 6:8; Psalms 14:4, etc.; Proverbs 10:29; Proverbs 21:15); ergates, "worker," is translated "workman" (Matthew 10:10, "laborer"; II Timothy 2:15; Acts 19:25), "workers" (of iniquity) (Luke 13:27), "deceitful workers" (II Corinthians 11:13), "evil workers" (Philippians 3:2); dunamis, "power," is translated "(workers of) miracles" (I Corinthians 12:29 margin, the Revised Version (British and American) "powers"); sunergeo, "to work with" (II 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, Exodus 26:31; Exodus 28:6, Exodus 28:15; Exodus 36:8, Exodus 36:35; Exodus 39:3, Exodus 39:8), 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
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