Merchandise:
mur'-chan-diz
(1) amar
(2) cachar,
(3) cachar,
(4) cechorach,
(5) rekhullah,
(6) maarabh,
(7) markoleth;
(8) emporia
(9) emporion,
(10) gomos)
: 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) cachar is translated thus in Pr 31:18; Isa 23:18;
(b) cachar is translated thus in Isa 45:14; these two are from a root meaning "to travel around as a peddler";
(c) rekhullah, translated thus in Eze 26:12, from a root meaning "to travel for trading purposes";
(d) maarabh, translated thus in Eze 27:9,27,33,34, from a root meaning "to intermix, to barter";
(e) markoleth, translated thus in Eze 27:24 (the above 5 Hebrew words are all used to designate the goods or wares which were bartered);
(f) amar, occurring in De 21:14; 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 Mt 22:5;
(h) emporion, likewise in Joh 2:16 (the same Greek word is used in 2Pe 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: rekhullah has in it the root meaning of "itinerant trading", and so in Eze 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.: cechorah in Eze 27:15 is translated "mart." In Joh 2:16 reference is made to the "house of merchandise."
(4) The profits of trading: In Pr 3:14, cachar 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."
Written by William Edward Raffety
The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.
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