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Bible Dictionaries
Commerce
Smith's Bible Dictionary
or Commerce. From the time that men began to live in cities, trade, in some shape, must have been carried on to supply the town-dwellers with necessaries from foreign, as well as native sources, for we find that Abraham was rich, not only in cattle, but in silver, gold and gold and silver plates and ornaments. Genesis 13:2; Genesis 24:22; Genesis 24:53.
Among trading nations mentioned in Scripture, Egypt holdsm in very early timesm a prominent position. The internal trade of the Jews, as well as the external, was much promoted by the festivals, which brought large numbers of persons to Jerusalem. 1 Kings 8:63.
The places of public market were chiefly the open spaces near the gates, to which goods were brought for sale by those who came from the outside. Nehemiah 13:15-16; Zephaniah 1:10. The traders, in later times, were allowed to intrude into the Temple, in the outer courts of which victims were publicly sold for the sacrifice. Zechariah 14:21; Matthew 21:12; John 2:14.
These files are public domain.
Smith, William, Dr. Entry for 'Commerce'. Smith's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/sbd/c/commerce.html. 1901.
