μισθωτός

The Greek word μισθωτός (misthōtos) refers to a hired worker. This term is used 4 times in the Bible, indicating its significant role within ancient Greek culture, which had a thriving economy based on hired labor. As a hired worker, misthōtos would have been a person working in exchange for a wage, not typically an owner or operator of their own business. In its limited biblical occurrences, misthōtos is not used with any specific cultural or economic connotations. Given its definition, it is reasonable to infer that the word was chosen to convey a sense of employment, rather than a specific social status or occupation. The use of this term suggests a simple yet universal aspect of ancient Greek society - people working to earn a living.