μισθωτός (misthōtos)
misthōtos
hired worker
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun misthōtōs refers to a hired worker or hireling, someone who performs labor for wages rather than out of personal loyalty. In the New Testament, it appears only three times, primarily in the Gospels of Mark and John. The term derives from the root for "wage" (misthos), highlighting the contractual nature of the relationship between employer and employee.
While the word simply denotes a paid servant, its theological weight emerges in contrast to those who serve out of love or ownership. In John 10:12-13, Jesus uses it to describe a man who is not the true shepherd; when danger approaches, the misthōtōs abandons the sheep because he has no genuine care for them. This usage distinguishes temporary, transactional service from the self-sacrificing commitment of the good shepherd.
Mark 1:20 also employs this term, describing James and John leaving their father Zebedee’s hired workers to follow Jesus. Here, the word underscores the social reality that even a family business relied on wage laborers. The contrast between these hired hands and the disciples who leave everything suggests a shift from economic obligation to spiritual calling.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word misthōtōs describes a hired worker, someone who performs labor in exchange for wages. In the first century, this was a common social reality, as seen when James and John left their father’s boat with these workers to follow Jesus (Mark 1:20). It highlights a relationship based on contract rather than deep personal bond.
In John 10, Jesus uses this term to contrast temporary service with true care. The hired hand flees when danger comes because he does not own the sheep and feels no genuine love for them (John 10:12-13). This imagery reminds us that God’s relationship with us is not transactional. He is not a distant employer paying for duty, but a Shepherd who stays through every storm.
For your faith, this offers great comfort. You are not valued for your productivity or your ability to pay a spiritual wage. Your worth comes from being known and loved by the One who owns you. When life feels like hard labor, remember that your Shepherd is committed to you, not because of what you do, but because of who He is.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- hired servant2×
- hired servants1×
- a hired servant1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μισθωτὸς2×
- μισθωτῶν1×
- μισθωτός1×
Key Verses
-
Mark 1:20
Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.
This verse grounds the term in a real social setting, showing that even Jesus' early disciples came from a context where hired labor was standard practice.
-
John 10:12
He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.
Here the word defines the lack of ownership and care that causes the worker to abandon the sheep when the wolf arrives.
-
John 10:13
The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care for the sheep.
This occurrence explains the motivation behind the flight, emphasizing that the absence of personal investment leads to abandonment in crisis.