certain passages: “Hirom” (1 Ki. 5:10, 18; 7:40a) and “Huram,” only in the Chronicles.

1. King of Tyre, and friendly contemporary of Kings David and Solomon in the eleventh century B.C.E.

After David conquered the stronghold of Zion and set about to build a palace on the site, Hiram sent messengers to arrange a trade treaty between himself and David. Hiram then supplied David with cedar timber from the western slopes of Lebanon, as well as craftsmen skilled in working wood and stone.—2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Chron. 14:1.

Upon hearing that David had died and Solomon was reigning in his stead, Hiram sent his servants to renew the friendship agreement. (1 Ki. 5:1) Solomon then enlisted the help of Hiram in supplying materials and some of the manpower necessary for the building of the great temple, at the same time bargaining to pay Hiram’s labor force with large quantities of wheat, barley, wine and oil. (1 Ki. 5:2-6; 2 Chron. 2:3-10) In turn, Hiram blessed Jehovah, and a covenant of friendship was concluded between the two nations.—1 Ki. 5:7-12; 2 Chron. 2:11-16.

At the end of Solomon’s twenty-year building project he gave Hiram twenty cities, but they proved most undesirable in Hiram’s eyes. (1 Ki. 9:10-13; see CABUL No. 2.) Whether Hiram returned these same cities or gave Solomon other cities is not certain. (2 Chron. 8:1, 2) Nor is it certain whether 120 talents of gold (over $4,630,000) that Hiram gave Solomon was subsequent to receiving the gift of cities, or somehow figured in the exchange.—1 Ki. 9:14.

Hiram also shared with Solomon in another joint enterprise, in which the latter built a fleet of ships in the Gulf of Aqabah at Ezion-geber. Hiram then supplied experienced seamen to man them along with Solomon’s servants. In addition to these ships that plied the southern waters off the E coast of Africa, Hiram and Solomon had other ships sailing as far as Tarshish, apparently at the western end of the Mediterranean. All together, these extensive operations on the high seas brought in a great deal of wealth—gold, silver, ivory, precious stones, valuable woods and rarities like apes and peacocks.—1 Ki. 9:26-28; 10:11, 12, 22; 2 Chron. 8:18; 9:10, 21; see EZION-GEBER.

2. The skilled artisan who made many of the furnishings of Solomon’s temple. His father was a Tyrian, but his mother was a widow “from the tribe of Naphtali” (1 Ki. 7:13, 14) “of the sons of Dan.” (2 Chron. 2:13, 14) This apparent difference resolves itself if we take the view, as some scholars do, that she was born of the tribe of Dan, had been widowed by a first husband of the tribe of Naphtali, and then was remarried to a Tyrian.

Hiram, the king of Tyre (No. 1 above), sent this Hiram to supervise the special construction for Solomon because of his ability and experience in working with materials such as gold, silver, copper, iron, stone and wood. Hiram was also unusually skilled in dyeing, engraving and designing all sorts of devices. No doubt from childhood on he received some of his technical training in the industrial arts of the times from his Tyrian father, who himself was an accomplished craftsman in copper.—1 Ki. 7:13-45; 2 Chron. 2:13, 14; 4:11-16.

The king of Tyre apparently refers to this man as Hiram-abi, which seems to be an appellation literally meaning “Hiram my father.” (2 Chron. 2:13) By this the king did not mean that Hiram was his literal father, but, perhaps, that he was the king’s “counselor” or “master workman.” Similarly, the expression Hiram-abiv (literally, “Hiram his father”), seems to mean ‘Hiram is his (that is, the king’s) master workman.’—2 Chron. 4:16.

HIRAM-ABI

(Hiʹram-aʹbi) [Hiram my father].

An appellation applied to the “skillful man” whom the king of Tyre sent to make the furnishings of Solomon’s temple. It evidently indicated that Hiram was “father” in the sense of being a “master workman.”—2 Chron. 2:13; see HIRAM No. 2.

HIRAM-ABIV

(Hirʹam-aʹbiv) [Hiram his father].

A term used in reference to the skilled craftsman sent from Tyre to supervise construction of the furnishings of Solomon’s temple. It seems to indicate that Hiram was “father,” not in a literal sense, but in that he was a “master workman.”—2 Chron. 4:16; see HIRAM No. 2.

HIRE, WAGES

Generally, compensation paid to laborers for their work or services. (Lev. 19:13) As a verb, “hire” means to employ someone (Matt. 20:1) or to rent something. (Ex. 22:14, 15; Acts 28:30) “Wages” may be synonymous with “reward.” For example, King Nebuchadrezzar’s (Nebuchadnezzar’s) wages or reward for his service as Jehovah’s executioner in destroying Tyre was foretold to be the conquest of Egypt with all its wealth for him to plunder. (Ezek. 29:18, 19; see also Ruth 2:12; Isaiah 61:8; 62:11.) Also, “wages” at times denotes “recompense.” “The wages sin pays is death.”—Rom. 6:23; see also Psalm 109:20; Isaiah 65:6, 7.

Among those hired for their services or work were nursing women (Ex. 2:9), greedy or false prophets (Deut. 23:4; Neh. 6:10-13), a company of followers (Judg. 9:4), false or greedy priests (Judg. 18:4; Mic. 3:11), soldiers (2 Sam. 10:6; 2 Ki. 7:6; 1 Chron. 19:6, 7; 2 Chron. 25:6), skilled laborers and craftsmen (1 Ki. 5:6; 2 Chron. 24:12; Isa. 46:6), counselors (Ezra 4:4, 5), agricultural workers (Matt. 20:1) and fishermen.—Mark 1:20.

In contrast with the Hebrew word sa·kharʹ (usually meaning hire where a wage is paid for labor or services rendered), the Hebrew word ʼeth·nanʹ from the root na·thanʹ, “to give,” is used in the Scriptures exclusively with reference to the hire gained from prostitution, literal or figurative. The latter is thus viewed as a gift rather than a wage earned by labor and is generally used in a bad sense. The Law forbade bringing into the sanctuary for a vow either the “hire of a harlot” or the “price of a dog,” this latter likely referring to the hire of a male homosexual. (Deut. 23:18) In view of this, the reference to Tyre’s hire for prostitution to the nations becoming something holy to Jehovah evidently means that the Most High would sanctify Tyre’s material gain therefrom in the sense of disposing of it according to his will, causing it to result in benefit for his servants. (Isa. 23:17, 18) Both Judah and Israel were guilty of prostituting themselves to other nations. (Ezek. 23:1-16; Hos. 9:1; Mic. 1:6, 7) But God specifically denounced Jerusalem for something unusual in this regard. Unlike harlots who receive hire, Jerusalem even gave hire to the nations committing prostitution with her.—Ezek. 16:26-34, 41.

Hire was paid, not only in the form of money or silver (2 Chron. 24:11, 12; 25:6), but also in domestic animals, agricultural products, and so forth. Jacob’s wages for fourteen years of work were his two wives, Leah and Rachel. Additionally, he served six years for the agreed-upon part of Laban’s flock. (Gen. 29:15, 18, 27; 31:41) Leah, in giving her son’s mandrakes to Rachel, “hired” Jacob to have relations with her, and for this reason referred to the son born to her as “hireling’s wages.” (Gen. 30:14-18) The tithes of the Israelites constituted the wages of the Levites for their service at the sanctuary. (Num. 18:26, 30, 31) In the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry the usual daily wage for agricultural workers was evidently one denarius (c. 16c). (Matt. 20:2) In fulfillment of Zechariah 11:12, Judas Iscariot received thirty pieces of silver from the priests as “wages” for betraying Jesus Christ.—Matt. 26:14-16; 27:3-10; Acts 1:18.

God’s law to Israel required that hired laborers be paid at the close of the workday. (Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14, 15) The Scriptures severely censure those dealing dishonestly with the wages of hired workers.