Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, the concept of a fee often related to payments or compensations for services rendered, legal transactions, or religious obligations. The term "fee" as understood in contemporary language does not appear explicitly in the Bible; however, the principles surrounding fees can be discerned through various passages and contexts.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, fees can be associated with the broader concept of payments or offerings. For instance, the Levitical laws required specific offerings and sacrifices, which could be seen as a form of fee for atonement and worship.
Leviticus 5:15-16 outlines the guilt offering, where an individual must bring a ram without defect and make restitution for wrongdoing, adding a fifth of the value as a form of compensation.
Legal transactions often involved fees or payments. In
Genesis 23, Abraham insists on paying Ephron the Hittite the full price for the field of Machpelah to bury his wife Sarah, demonstrating the importance of fair compensation in transactions.
Genesis 23:16 states, "Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants."
New Testament ContextIn the New Testament, the concept of fees can be seen in the context of labor and wages. Jesus' parable of the workers in the vineyard in
Matthew 20:1-16 illustrates the principle of fair compensation for labor. The landowner agrees to pay each worker a denarius for their day's work, emphasizing the fairness and sovereignty of God in dispensing rewards.
The Apostle Paul addresses the issue of compensation for those who preach the gospel. In
1 Corinthians 9:13-14 , Paul writes, "Do you not know that those who serve in the temple eat of its food, and those who attend to the altar partake in the altar’s offerings? In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel." This passage underscores the legitimacy of providing for those who dedicate their lives to ministry.
Religious and Ethical ImplicationsThe Bible emphasizes fairness, justice, and integrity in all transactions, including the payment of fees.
Proverbs 11:1 states, "Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight." This principle extends to all forms of compensation, urging believers to conduct their financial dealings with honesty and fairness.
Furthermore, the Bible warns against the love of money and the pursuit of wealth as an end in itself.
1 Timothy 6:10 cautions, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." This serves as a reminder that while fees and compensation are necessary, they should not become the primary focus of one's life.
In summary, while the Bible does not explicitly mention "fees" as understood today, it provides a framework for understanding compensation, fairness, and integrity in financial matters. Through various laws, parables, and teachings, Scripture guides believers in conducting their financial affairs in a manner that honors God and respects others.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) property; possession; tenure.
2. (n.) Reward or compensation for services rendered or to be rendered; especially, payment for professional services, of optional amount, or fixed by custom or laws; charge; pay; perquisite; as, the fees of lawyers and physicians; the fees of office; clerk's fees; sheriff's fees; marriage fees, etc.
3. (n.) A right to the use of a superior's land, as a stipend for services to be performed; also, the land so held; a fief.
4. (n.) An estate of inheritance supposed to be held either mediately or immediately from the sovereign, and absolutely vested in the owner.
5. (n.) An estate of inheritance belonging to the owner, and transmissible to his heirs, absolutely and simply, without condition attached to the tenure.
6. (v. t.) To reward for services performed, or to be performed; to recompense; to hire or keep in hire; hence, to bribe.
Greek
3566. numphios -- a bridegroom ... a bridegroom. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: numphios Phonetic
Spelling: (noom-
fee'-os) Short Definition: a bridegroom Definition: a bridegroom
... 5360. philadelphia -- the love of brothers, brotherly love
... the love of brothers, brotherly love. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
philadelphia Phonetic Spelling: (fil-ad-el-fee'-ah) Short Definition ...
5392. phimoo -- to muzzle, to put to silence
... to muzzle, to put to silence. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: phimoo Phonetic
Spelling: (fee-mo'-o) Short Definition: I muzzle, silence Definition: I ...
5359. Philadelpheia -- Philadelphia, a city of Lydia
... Philadelphia, a city of Lydia. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
Philadelpheia Phonetic Spelling: (fil-ad-el'-fee-ah) Short Definition ...
5357. phiale -- a (shallow) bowl
... a (shallow) bowl. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: phiale Phonetic
Spelling: (fee-al'-ay) Short Definition: a shallow and flat bowl Definition: a ...
4375. prosphiles -- pleasing, agreeable
... pleasing, agreeable. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: prosphiles Phonetic
Spelling: (pros-fee-lace') Short Definition: pleasing, acceptable Definition ...
682. Apphia -- Apphia, a Christian woman in Colossae
... Apphia, a Christian woman in Colossae. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
Apphia Phonetic Spelling: (ap-fee'-a) Short Definition: Apphia Definition ...
294. amphiennumi -- to clothe
... to clothe. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: amphiennumi Phonetic Spelling:
(am-fee-en'-noo-mee) Short Definition: I put on, clothe Definition: I put on ...
5384. philos -- beloved, dear, friendly
... beloved, dear, friendly. Part of Speech: Adjective; Indeclinable Numeral (Adjective)
Transliteration: philos Phonetic Spelling: (fee'-los) Short Definition ...
Strong's Hebrew
7966. shillum -- requital... recompense, reward. Or shillum {shil-loom'}; from shalam; a requital, ie (secure)
retribution, (venal) a
fee -- recompense, reward. see HEBREW shalam.
... 2130. Ziphi -- inhab. of Ziph
... Ziphi. 2131 . inhab. of Ziph. Transliteration: Ziphi Phonetic Spelling: (zee-fee')
Short Definition: Ziphites. Word Origin from Ziph Definition inhab. ...
3309. Yaphia -- a king of Lachish, also a son of David, also a ...
... a king of Lachish, also a son of David, also a place on the border of Zebulun.
Transliteration: Yaphia Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-fee'-ah) Short Definition: Japhia ...
3304. yepheh-phiyyah -- pretty
yepheh-phiyyah. 3303, 3304. yepheh-phiyyah. 3305 . pretty. Transliteration:
yepheh-phiyyah Phonetic Spelling: (yef-eh' fee-yaw') Short Definition: pretty. ...
7081. qesem -- divination
... divination, divine sentence, witchcraft. From qacam; a lot: also divination (including
its fee), oracle -- (reward of) divination, divine sentence, witchcraft. ...
2741. Charuphi -- descendant of Hariph
... 2740, 2741. Charuphi. 2742 . descendant of Hariph. Transliteration: Charuphi
Phonetic Spelling: (khar-oo-fee') Short Definition: Haruphite. ...
5599. caphiyach -- outpouring
... 5598, 5599. caphiyach. 5599a . outpouring. Transliteration: caphiyach Phonetic
Spelling: (saw-fee'-akh) Short Definition: outpouring. ...
6374. piphiyyoth -- tooth, two-edged
... piphiyyoth. 6375 . tooth, two-edged. Transliteration: piphiyyoth Phonetic Spelling:
(pee-fee-yaw') Short Definition: tooth. Word Origin the same as peh, qv. ...
Library
Whether it is Lawful for an Advocate to Take a Fee for Pleading?
... OF INJUSTICE IN JUDGMENT ON THE PART OF COUNSEL (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether
it is lawful for an advocate to take a fee for pleading? ...
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The Petition
... "I have need of your materials only," he said, "but the fee shall be yours
nevertheless." The man set his case on the ... Mark me. I will give thee thy fee now. ...
Whether Tithes Should be Paid to the Clergy?
... Objection 3: Further, it is the general custom in certain countries for the soldiers
to hold the tithes from the Church in fee; and certain religious receive ...
The Older Boys' Conference or Congress
... delegates. =Registration Fee=. The Registration Fee is to be 50 cents, including
the cost of the banquet Saturday evening. =Preliminary ...
The Bishop Elect and Consecrate
... When he was fairly and ceremonially seated the archdeacon held out his practised
palm for the customary fee (archdeacons are still fee-extracting creatures). ...
Whether it is Lawful to Receive Money for Things Annexed to ...
... Again the right of patronage is transferred with the property sold, and is granted
"in fee." Tithes are granted to certain soldiers, and can be redeemed. ...
Love and Law.
... Here is your retaining fee,""and he laid upon the table of the lawyer
a check for two hundred dollars. "If you gain me my cause ...
How the Steps in the Passion of the Saviour were Predetermined in ...
... for silver." [5078] The very amount and the destination [5079] of the money, which
on Judas' remorse was recalled from its first purpose of a fee, [5080] and ...
Thesaurus
Fee (5 Occurrences)... hence, to bribe. Multi-Version Concordance
Fee (5 Occurrences). 2 Corinthians
11:7 Is it a sin that I abased myself in order for
...Money-changers (5 Occurrences)
... changers"); compare trapezites, "one who sits at a table," "a money-changer," "a
banker" or "broker"; one who both exchanges money for a small fee and pays ...
Moneychangers (2 Occurrences)
... changers"); compare trapezites, "one who sits at a table," "a money-changer," "a
banker" or "broker"; one who both exchanges money for a small fee and pays ...
Garnish (1 Occurrence)
... 8. (vt) Fetters. 9. (n.) A fee; specifically, in English jails, formerly an
unauthorized fee demanded by the old prisoners of a newcomer. Int. ...
Exchange (41 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) A mutual grant of equal interests, the one in consideration of the other.
Estates exchanged must be equal in quantity, as fee simple for fee simple. ...
Code (6 Occurrences)
... The crown had, in every case, authority in reference to estates in fee which a vassal
could not sell, exchange or transmit to his wife or daughters (section ...
Homage (51 Occurrences)
... Special honor or respect; a symbolical acknowledgment made by a feudal tenant to,
and in the presence of, his lord, on receiving investiture of fee, or coming ...
Nazarite (8 Occurrences)
... This permission was commonly granted if the new comer paid all the fees required
from the whole company (fee to the Levite for cutting the hair and fees for ...
Lord (59401 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) A husband. 6. (n.) One of whom a fee or estate is held; the male owner
of feudal land; as, the lord of the soil; the lord of the manor. ...
Feud (1 Occurrence)
... to his superior such duties and services as belong to military tenure, etc., the
property of the soil always remaining in the lord or superior; a fief; a fee. ...
Resources
Who was Porcius Festus? | GotQuestions.orgShould a Christian go to a haunted house? | GotQuestions.orgIs it a sin to share, download, or pirate copyrighted material (music, movies, software) on the internet? | GotQuestions.orgFee: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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