μισθόω

I hire out, hire, engage

Definition

The verb μισθόω means to hire or engage someone for work, typically for wages. In its active voice, it means 'I hire out' (as an employer sending workers), while in the middle voice, it means 'I hire myself out' or 'I am hired' (as a worker agreeing to labor). This distinction is seen in its only two New Testament occurrences, both in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1, 7). In Matthew 20:1, the vineyard owner (the active subject) 'hires out' laborers. In Matthew 20:7, the unemployed workers state that 'no one has hired us,' using the middle voice to express their status as those available for hire.

Biblical Usage

This word is used exclusively in Matthew 20:1 and 20:7 within the context of Jesus's parable about the kingdom of heaven. It describes the economic transaction of hiring day-laborers for agricultural work. The usage perfectly illustrates the common labor practices of the time and serves as the central metaphor for God's gracious, unconventional generosity in rewarding all who serve in his kingdom, regardless of the duration of their labor.

Etymology

Derived from the noun μισθός (misthos, G3408), meaning 'wages,' 'reward,' or 'pay.' The verb μισθόω literally means 'to do something for μισθός'—that is, to engage in a contract for compensation. This root connects the act of hiring directly to the concept of earned or given reward.

Semantic Range

Though a common economic term, μισθόω is theologically significant as the action underpinning Jesus's major parable about grace and divine reward (Matthew 20:1-16). The hiring act initiates a story where God's economy supersedes human notions of fairness. Understanding that the workers are 'hired' (a contractual, wage-based relationship) makes the landowner's final equal payment to all not a violation of contract, but a stunning demonstration of grace, redefining 'reward' (μισθός) in the kingdom. It enriches reading by highlighting the tension between earned wages and unmerited gift.

In the first-century agrarian setting, hiring day-laborers from the marketplace was a standard practice for harvests or large projects. Workers would gather at dawn, hoping to be hired for a day's wage (a denarius, Matthew 20:2). Being 'unhired' (Matthew 20:7) meant no income for the day, leading to significant family hardship. This context makes the landowner's repeated trips to the marketplace an unusual act of provision, not just business efficiency.

ἐργάζομαι (ergazomai, G2038) — a broader term meaning 'to work' or 'to labor,' focusing on the activity itself rather than the hiring contract. μισθαποδότης (misthapodotēs, G3406) — 'rewarder' or 'paymaster,' the one who gives the wages, used in Hebrews 11:6 for God.

Word Details

Scripture References