Misthotos denotes a person engaged to work for another, including workers distinguished from an owner or shepherd.

The attested usage identifies people employed in another's work: in John the singular person is contrasted with the shepherd who owns the sheep, while Mark places plural workers in Zebedee's boat.

1. A person employed in another's work · dominant

   In John 10:12 and John 10:13, the nominative singular form identifies the person who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep; the APB renders the clauses with “The hired hand” and “a hired worker.” In Mark 1:20, the genitive plural form occurs with Zebedee remaining in the boat; the APB renders the group as “the hired servants.”

   John 10:12John 10:13Mark 1:20

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the singular person as “The hired hand” and “a hired worker” in John, and the plural group as “the hired servants” in Mark. These are translation renderings of whole clauses.