Topical Bible: Merchants

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In biblical times, merchants played a significant role in the economic and social life of ancient societies. The Bible provides numerous references to merchants, illustrating their influence and the moral and ethical considerations associated with trade and commerce.

Old Testament References

Merchants are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, often in the context of trade and economic prosperity. In Genesis 37:28, the account of Joseph being sold by his brothers to a caravan of Ishmaelite merchants highlights the early presence of trade routes and the movement of goods and people. "So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt" .

The book of Proverbs offers wisdom concerning the conduct of merchants, emphasizing honesty and integrity. Proverbs 11:1 states, "Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight" . This underscores the importance of fairness and truthfulness in business dealings.

Ezekiel 27 provides a detailed account of the wealth and trade of Tyre, a prominent city known for its merchants. The chapter lists various goods and trading partners, illustrating the extensive network of commerce in the ancient Near East. "Tarshish was your trading partner because of your abundant wealth of every kind; they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise" (Ezekiel 27:12).

New Testament References

In the New Testament, merchants are mentioned in the context of parables and teachings of Jesus. In Matthew 13:45-46, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a merchant seeking fine pearls: "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it" . This parable highlights the value and sacrifice associated with the pursuit of the kingdom of God.

The cleansing of the temple by Jesus, as recorded in John 2:14-16, also involves merchants. Jesus drives out those buying and selling in the temple courts, saying, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!" (John 2:16). This act underscores the importance of reverence and purity in worship, contrasting with the commercial activities that had infiltrated the sacred space.

Moral and Ethical Considerations

Throughout the Bible, the activities of merchants are often scrutinized through a moral and ethical lens. The prophets frequently condemned dishonest practices and exploitation in trade. Amos 8:5-6 criticizes those who "trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying, 'When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?'—skimping on the measure, boosting the price, and cheating with dishonest scales" .

The Bible encourages fair and just practices in commerce, reflecting God's concern for justice and righteousness. The role of merchants, while essential for economic prosperity, is also a reminder of the need for integrity and ethical conduct in all areas of life.

Greek

1713. emporos -- a passenger on shipboard, a merchant
... Word Origin from en and poros (a journey) Definition a passenger on shipboard, a
merchant NASB Word Usage merchant (1), merchants (4). merchant. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1713.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

3667b. kenaan -- a merchant
... 3667a, 3667b. kenaan. 3668 . a merchant. Transliteration: kenaan Short
Definition: merchants. Word Origin from kana Definition a ...
/hebrew/3667b.htm - 5k

5503. sachar -- to go around or about, travel about
... sachar. 5504 . to go around or about, travel about. Transliteration: sachar Phonetic
Spelling: (saw-khar') Short Definition: merchants. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/5503.htm - 6k

7402. rakal -- probably to go about
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition probably to go about NASB Word Usage merchant
(2), merchants (3), traded (4), traders (8). spice merchant. ...
/hebrew/7402.htm - 6k

3669b. kenaani -- a trader, merchant
... Word Origin from kana Definition a trader, merchant NASB Word Usage merchant (1),
merchants (1). 3669a, 3669b. kenaani. 3670 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3669b.htm - 5k

4376. makar -- to sell
... root Definition to sell NASB Word Usage certainly sell (1), destruction (1), make
(1), merchants (1), offer yourselves for sale (1), sell (23), seller (3 ...
/hebrew/4376.htm - 6k

Library

The Destruction of Babylon.
... And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her; for no one buyeth their
merchandise any more; the merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the destruction of babylon.htm

Constantine and his Mother Helena.
... Certain merchants, seeing his excellent quality, formed a scheme of making money
by palming him off on the emperor of the Greeks as a son-in-law, representing ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/1 constantine and his mother.htm

A Man Expects to Reap the Same Kind as He Sows.
... When merchants teach clerks to say that goods are all wool when they are half cotton,
and to adulterate groceries and say they are pure, when they grind up ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter iv a man expects.htm

Plymouth Members
... As the strife grew more severe, complaints grew, and finally the Southern merchants
drew up a list of Northern merchants with whom they would have no dealings. ...
/.../griswold/sixty years with plymouth church/plymouth members.htm

Ezekiel's Discourse
... Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they were the merchants of thy hand; in
lambs, and rams, and goats, in these were they thy merchants. ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/vii ezekiels discourse.htm

On the Holy Ghost and his Descent Upon the Apostles
... While they were debating about how they should put him to death"he was then only
sixteen years old"some merchants passed on their way to Egypt; so, instead ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 9 on the holy.htm

How Solomon Grew Rich, and Fell Desperately in Love with Women and ...
... before; but let no one imagine that these pine trees were like those which are now
so named, and which take that their denomination from the merchants, who so ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 how solomon grew.htm

Slavery of Redemptioners.
... Most of them had been shamefully deceived and decoyed into the horrors of this
"white slavery" by Dutch and English merchants and conscienceless agents whom ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/bente/american lutheranism/slavery of redemptioners.htm

The Nations of the North-East
... east to west. Its merchants grew rich, and "the mina of Carchemish" became
a standard of value in the ancient world. Its capture ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iv the nations of.htm

Herodotus and Xenophon.
... the waters of the Mediterranean Sea; and in times of peace, almost the only mode
of communication was by the ships and the caravans of the merchants who traded ...
/.../abbott/cyrus the great/chapter i herodotus and xenophon.htm

Thesaurus

Merchants (34 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Merchants (34 Occurrences). Revelation 18:3 For
all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of ...
/m/merchants.htm - 16k

Spice-merchants (1 Occurrence)
Spice-merchants. Spice-laden, Spice-merchants. Spice-perfume .
Multi-Version Concordance Spice-merchants (1 Occurrence). ...
/s/spice-merchants.htm - 6k

Traffic (12 Occurrences)
... traf'-ik, traf'-ik-er (kena`-an, micchar, cachar, rekhullah): (1) Kena`an = "Canaan,"
and, as the Canaanites were celebrated merchants, came to mean "merchant ...
/t/traffic.htm - 12k

Dealers (16 Occurrences)
... (WEY). 1 Kings 10:15 besides what came by the dealers, and by the traffic of the
merchants, and by all the kings of Arabia, and by the governors of the country. ...
/d/dealers.htm - 11k

Traders (31 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 10:15 besides that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants,
and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the ...
/t/traders.htm - 15k

Merchandise (34 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The objects of commerce; whatever is usually bought
or sold in trade, or market, or by merchants; wares; goods; commodities. ...
/m/merchandise.htm - 22k

Wares (23 Occurrences)
... Revelation 18:15 The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will
stand far away for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning; (See RSV). ...
/w/wares.htm - 15k

Trafficker (3 Occurrences)
... traf'-ik, traf'-ik-er (kena`-an, micchar, cachar, rekhullah): (1) Kena`an = "Canaan,"
and, as the Canaanites were celebrated merchants, came to mean "merchant ...
/t/trafficker.htm - 9k

Caravan (8 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A company of travelers, pilgrims, or merchants, organized and equipped
for a long journey, or marching or traveling together, esp. ...
/c/caravan.htm - 11k

Yarn (37 Occurrences)
... The Authorized Version has: "And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen
yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price;" but the ...
/y/yarn.htm - 18k

Resources

Who was Joseph in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about selling in church? | GotQuestions.org

What were the 400 years of silence? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Merchants (34 Occurrences)

Revelation 18:3
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 18:11
The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more;
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 18:15
The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far away for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning;
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 18:23
The light of a lamp will shine no more at all in you. The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will be heard no more at all in you; for your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 23:16
Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants' standard.
(WEB RSV NIV)

Genesis 37:28
Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. They brought Joseph into Egypt.
(WEB DBY WBS NIV)

1 Kings 10:15
besides that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Kings 10:28
The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; and the king's merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 1:16
The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt and from Kue; the king's merchants purchased them from Kue.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NIV)

2 Chronicles 9:14
besides that which the traders and merchants brought: and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Nehemiah 3:31
After him repaired Malchijah one of the goldsmiths to the house of the Nethinim, and of the merchants, over against the gate of Hammiphkad, and to the ascent of the corner.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Nehemiah 3:32
Between the ascent of the corner and the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Nehemiah 13:20
So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside of Jerusalem once or twice.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Job 6:19
The caravans of Tema looked. The companies of Sheba waited for them.
(See NIV)

Job 41:6
Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 107:23
Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters;
(See NIV)

Proverbs 31:14
She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
(KJV DBY)

Proverbs 31:24
She maketh linen garments and selleth them; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
(See NIV)

Isaiah 23:2
Be still, you inhabitants of the coast, you whom the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 23:8
Who has planned this against Tyre, the giver of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth?
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 47:15
Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.
(KJV WBS YLT)

Ezekiel 16:29
You have moreover multiplied your prostitution to the land of merchants, to Chaldea; and yet you weren't satisfied with this.
(WEB DBY NAS NIV)

Ezekiel 17:4
he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs of it, and carried it to a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Ezekiel 27:13
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.
(KJV WBS YLT)

Ezekiel 27:15
The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand: they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony.
(KJV WBS YLT)

Ezekiel 27:17
Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm.
(KJV WBS YLT)

Ezekiel 27:21
Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they were the merchants of your hand; in lambs, and rams, and goats, in these were they your merchants.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Ezekiel 27:22
The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants: they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold.
(KJV DBY WBS YLT NIV)

Ezekiel 27:23
Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad, were thy merchants.
(KJV DBY WBS YLT NIV)

Ezekiel 27:27
Thy wealth and thy remnants, Thy merchandise, thy mariners, And thy pilots, strengtheners of thy breach, And the traders of thy merchandise, And all thy men of war, who 'are' in thee, And in all thine assembly that 'is' in thy midst, Fall into the heart of the seas in the day of thy fall,
(See NIV)

Ezekiel 27:36
The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you are become a terror, and you shall nevermore have any being.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Ezekiel 38:13
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions of it, shall tell you, Have you come to take the spoil? have you assembled your company to take the prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great spoil?
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Nahum 3:16
You have increased your merchants more than the stars of the skies. The grasshopper strips, and flees away.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV NIV)

Zephaniah 1:11
Howl, ye inhabitants of the hollow place, For cut off hath been all the merchant people, Cut off have been all bearing silver.
(See NIV)

Subtopics

Merchants

Related Terms

Merchants (34 Occurrences)

Merchant-ships (1 Occurrence)

Bag (52 Occurrences)

Stock (16 Occurrences)