Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, April 25th, 2024
the Fourth Week after Easter
Attention!
We are taking food to Ukrainians still living near the front lines. You can help by getting your church involved.
Click to donate today! Bible Encyclopedias
Merchandise
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Search for…
or
mûr´chan - dı̄z ((1) עמר , ‛āmar (2) סחר , ṣaḥar , (3) סחר , ṣāḥar , (4) סחרה , ṣeḥōrāḥ , (5) רכלּה , rekhullāh , (6) מערב , ma‛ărābh , (7) מרכּלת , markōleth ; (8) ἐμπορία , emporı́a (9) ἐμπόριον , empórion , (10) γόμος , gómos ): There seem to be 4 distinct meanings of the word according to the Revised Version (British and American), namely: (1) The products, i.e. goods or things sold or exchanged, and so merchandise in the present-day usage: ( a ) ṣaḥar is translated thus in Proverbs 31:18; Isaiah 23:18; (b ) ṣāḥar is translated thus in Isaiah 45:14; these two are from a root meaning "to travel around as a peddler"; (c ) rekhullāh , translated thus in Ezekiel 26:12 , from a root meaning "to travel for trading purposes"; (d ) ma‛ărābh , translated thus in Ezekiel 27:9 , Ezekiel 27:27 , Ezekiel 27:33 , Ezekiel 27:34 , from a root meaning "to intermix, to barter"; (e ) markōleth ; translated thus in Ezekiel 27:24 (the above 5 Hebrew words are all used to designate the goods or wares which were bartered); ( f ) ‛āmar , occurring in Deuteronomy 21:14; Deuteronomy 24:7 , translated in the King James Version "make merchandise of," but in the Revised Version (British and American) "deal with as a slave," or the Revised Version margin "deal with as a chattel"; (g ) emporia , translated "merchandise" in Matthew 22:5; (h ) emporion , likewise in John 2:16 (the same Greek word is used in 2 Peter 2:3 for the American Standard Revised Version "make merchandise of you"); ( i ) gomos , "merchandise," margin "cargo."
(2) The process of trade itself, i.e. the business: rekhullāh has in it the root meaning of "itinerant trading", and so in Ezekiel 28:16 the correct translation is not "merchandise," as in the King James Version, but "traffic," "abundance of thy traffic," i.e. doing a thriving business: "trade was good."
(3) The place of trading, i.e. emporium, mart, etc.: ṣeḥōrāḥ in Ezekiel 27:15 is translated "mart." In John 2:16 reference is made to the "house of merchandise."
(4) The profits of trading: In Proverbs 3:14 , ṣaḥar is translated "gaining." Referring to wisdom, "For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit thereof than fine gold"; the King James Version "merchandise."
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and were generously provided by the folks at WordSearch Software.
Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Merchandise'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/m/merchandise.html. 1915.
