ὑπηρέτης

ὑπηρέτης, ου, ὁ (Aeschyl., Hdt.+; ins, pap, LXX; TestBenj 3:8; EpArist, Philo, Joseph., Just.; Tat. 4, 2; loanw. in rabb.; freq. as t.t. for a governmental or other official) one who functions as a helper, freq. in a subordinate capacity, helper, assistant (e.g. a physician’s assistant: Hobart 88f; as adjutant: Arrian, Tact. 10, 4; 14, 4; the lictor beside the consul: Appian, Liby. 90 §424; the 20 senators with Pompey: Appian, Bell. Civ. 2, 18 §67; the priest’s helpers: Diod S 1, 73, 3; the assistant to the ἡγούμενος of a cultic fellowship: Sb 7835, 11 [I B.C.]) Dg 7:2. John (Mark) as ὑπ. of Paul and Barnabas Ac 13:5 (BHolmes, Luke’s Description of John Mark: JBL 54, ’35, 63–72; WHadorn, D. Gefährten u. Mitarbeiter des Pls: ASchlatter Festschr. 1922, 65–82; RTaylor, ET 54, ’42/43, 136–38). Of the attendants of a board or court (Diod S 14, 5, 1f and Appian, Bell. Civ. 1, 31 §138 of attendants of the court; Diod S 17, 30, 4 παρέδωκε τοῖς ὑπηρέταις … ἀποκτεῖναι; Maximus Tyr. 3, 2b), of the Sanhedrin (Jos., Bell. 1, 655 παρέδωκεν τοῖς ὑπ. ἀνελεῖν, Ant. 4, 37 πέμψας ὑπ.; 16, 232) Mt 5:25 (Ael. Aristid. 45 p. 68 D.: ὁ δικαστὴς παραδίδωσι τ. ὑπηρέταις ‘deputies’); 26:58; Mk 14:54, 65; J 7:32, 45f; 18:3, 12, 22; 19:6; Ac 5:22, 26; GJs 10:1; 15:2. W. δοῦλοι (as Pla., Polit. 289c [on this Collins 81–84, s. below]; Just., A I, 14, 1) J 18:18. Of a synagogue attendant (as prob. in the Roman-Jewish grave ins: RGarrucci, Dissertazioni archeologiche II 1865, p. 166 no. 22) Lk 4:20 (ὑπ. as a title of cult officials: Thieme 33. Also Musaeus, Fgm. 11 Diels [Paus. 10, 5, 6]: Pyrcon as Poseidon’s ὑπηρέτης ἐς τὰ μαντεύματα; Dio Chrys. 19 [36], 33 ὑπ. τῶν τελετῶν; PLond 2710 recto, 11 [HTR 29, ’36, p. 40; 50]). Of a king’s retinue J 18:36; GJs 21:2; 23:1f. The apostles as assistants of Christ Ac 26:16; 1 Cor 4:1 (Epict. 3, 22, 82 the Cynic as ὑπ. τοῦ Διός; Galen, Protr. 5 p. 12, 5 J.: Socr., Hom. et al. as ὑπ. τοῦ θεοῦ; Pythagorean saying: WienerStud 8, 1886, p. 278 no. 105 τὸν εὐεργετοῦντά σε εἰς ψυχὴν ὡς ὑπηρέτην θεοῦ μετὰ θεὸν τίμα=one who has benefited you spiritually, esteem as God’s helper after God; Sextus 319; Just., D. 57, 3). Believers gener. as θεοῦ ὑπηρέται (w. οἰκονόμοι [as 1 Cor 4:1] and πάρεδροι) IPol 6:1 (cp. PGM 59, 3; 5 and Jos., Bell. 2, 321, Ant. 3, 16).—Also w. objective gen. of that to which services are rendered (Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 41 §169 τῆς πατρίδος ὑπ.; Wsd 6:4) ὑπηρέται τοῦ λόγου ministers of the word Lk 1:2 (cp. the role of a scribe Sir 39:1–4; PMather, BR 30, ’85, 28f). ἐκκλησίας θεοῦ ὑπηρέται servants of God’s assembly/church ITr 2:3.—On the obscure οἱ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑπηρέται B 16:4 s. Windisch, Hdb. ad loc.—On the functions of the ὑπ. in Greco-Rom. Egypt, HKupiszewski and JModrzejewski, JJP XI and XII, ’57/58, 141–66; JCollins, Diakonia ’90, esp. 81–84, 173–75.—B. 1334. DELG. M-M. TW. Spicq. Sv.