"a hireling, Mk. 1:20; Jn. 10:12, 13*"
Definition and meaning
a hireling, Mk. 1:20; Jn. 10:12, 13*
In the original Greek the word is written: μισθωτός
Historical context
The Gospel of Mark moves urgently — the word "immediately" appears over 40 times. It was written for a Roman audience familiar with power and action. Jesus is portrayed as a man who acts, heals, and commands authority that the Roman world had never seen from a Jewish teacher.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of misthotos (G3411) across the King James Bible.
And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
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Common questions
Strong's G3411 (misthotos) is a Greek word that means: a hireling, Mk. 1:20; Jn. 10:12, 13* It appears 3 times in the King James Bible.
The word misthotos (G3411) appears 3 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G3411 is misthotos, a Greek word defined as: a hireling, Mk. 1:20; Jn. 10:12, 13*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
misthotos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.