ὑπηρέτης
Servant
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What does ὑπηρέτης (hypērétēs) mean in the Bible?
ὑπηρέτης (hypērétēs) is a Greek word meaning "servant". ὑπηρέτης, -ου, ὁ (ὑπό + ἐρέτης, a rower) [in LXX: Pro. Defines Paul’s appointed role under Christ’s authority. This term runs through the canonical themes of Messiah.
Full entry for ὑπηρέτης (G5257) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
A subordinate who actively serves under authority; distinct from δοῦλος by implying official function rather than ownership status.
(ὑπό + ἐρέτης, a rower) [in LXX: Pro.14:35 (עֶבֶד), Wis.6:4, al. ;] prop., an under rower; hence, generally, a servant, attendant, minister: of a magistrate's attendant, Mat.5:25; of officers of the Synagogue or Sanhedrin, Mat.26:58, Mrk.14:54, 65, Luk.4:20, Jhn.7:32, 45-46 18:3, 12 18:22 19:6, Act.5:22, 26; of the attendants of kings, οἱ ὑ. οἱ ἑμοί Jhn.18:36; of Christian ministers, Act.13:5 26:16; ὑπηρέται λόγου, Luk.1:2; Χριστοῦ, 1Co.4:1; δοῦλοι κ. ὑ., Jhn.18:18.
Why This Word Matters
Defines Paul’s appointed role under Christ’s authority. Acts 26:9-18
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
New Testament Witnesses
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain