The Hebrew term for oppressing workers, oshek, means ‘taking advantage of a worker.’ The Bible generally assumed that workers were relatively powerless and easily intimidated.
Oshek means not paying people what they deserve or not paying the going rate for a particular job or not paying someone on time. The Torah teaches, ‘You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a fellow countryman or a stranger in one of the communities of your land. You must pay him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets…’ (Deut.14:15).
(Jeffrey K. Salkin, Being God’s Partner)
