B. Hellenistic Judaism.
1. The LXX, apocrypha, and Pseudepigrapha.
a. the group plays little role in the Greek bible. In Prov. 14:35 we have a reference to the hyperetes who is to carry out orders in the proper way, in Dan. 3:46 “servant of the king” execute royal commands, and in Job 1:3 hyperesia is used for Job’s servants. A fuller use occurs only in the Greek Wisdom of Solomon.
b. The pseudepigrapha offer many examples of the group, and these are in accord with nonbiblical usage, whether in the military, legal, cultic, or even the demonic sphere (the assistants of Beliar in Testaments of the Twelve).
2. Philo. Philo gives the terms a personal reference, with God, rulers, ordinary people, or even bodily organs as controlling subjects. The stress is again on compliance with lawful instruction. When Joseph styles himself hyperetes and diakonos for his family, hyperetes refers to his function as God’s assistant, and diakonos to the service he renders the family (on Joseph 241).
3. Josephus. In Josephus the usage is governed by the idea of helping someone. Moses, Levites, etc. are God’s assistants, and we also read of royal officials, of agents, and of members of a bodyguard. Jacob helps his mother when she prepares the meal that will win him the birthright. A doulos can act as hyperetes, but intrinsically thehyperetes can accept or refuse the commission. The functional character of the activity distinguishes the hyperetes from the diakonos or therapon.