Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, markets were central to the economic and social life of a community. They served as places where goods were exchanged, news was shared, and social interactions occurred. The concept of a market in the Bible is often associated with the bustling activity of buying and selling, a vital aspect of daily life in ancient societies.
Old Testament ContextThe Old Testament provides several references to markets, though not always explicitly using the term. Markets were typically located at city gates, which were strategic locations for trade and commerce. For example, in
2 Kings 7:1, the prophet Elisha prophesies about the abundance of food that will be sold at the gate of Samaria, indicating the gate's role as a marketplace.
The book of Proverbs also alludes to market activities, emphasizing fair trade and honest dealings.
Proverbs 20:14 highlights the bargaining process: "‘Worthless, worthless!’ says the buyer, but on the way out, he gloats." This verse reflects the common practice of haggling in the marketplace.
New Testament ContextIn the New Testament, markets are more explicitly mentioned and play a significant role in the narratives. The Greek term "agora" is often used, referring to the public square or marketplace. Jesus frequently used the imagery of markets in His teachings and parables. In
Matthew 11:16-17, Jesus compares the generation to children sitting in the marketplaces, calling to others, illustrating the public and communal nature of these spaces.
The Gospels also recount Jesus' cleansing of the temple, where He drove out those buying and selling, condemning the commercialization of sacred spaces (
Matthew 21:12-13). This act underscores the tension between commerce and worship, highlighting the potential for markets to distract from spiritual devotion.
Cultural and Economic SignificanceMarkets in biblical times were not only centers of commerce but also hubs of cultural exchange. They were places where people from different backgrounds and regions interacted, facilitating the spread of ideas and customs. The presence of various goods, from local produce to imported items, reflects the interconnectedness of ancient economies.
The economic principles governing markets in biblical times were rooted in the Law, which emphasized justice and fairness.
Leviticus 19:35-36 commands, "You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume. You shall maintain just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin." This directive underscores the importance of integrity in trade.
Spiritual LessonsThe Bible uses the concept of the market to convey spiritual truths. In
Revelation 18, the fall of Babylon is depicted as the collapse of a great commercial center, symbolizing the futility of placing trust in material wealth. This imagery serves as a warning against the idolatry of riches and the transient nature of earthly prosperity.
Furthermore, the marketplace is a metaphor for the kingdom of God. In
Matthew 13:45-46, Jesus describes the kingdom as a merchant seeking fine pearls, who, upon finding one of great value, sells everything to purchase it. This parable illustrates the incomparable worth of the kingdom and the sacrifice required to attain it.
In summary, markets in the Bible are multifaceted, serving as centers of economic activity, social interaction, and spiritual teaching. They reflect the complexities of human life and the divine principles that guide ethical conduct in commerce.
ATS Bible Dictionary
MarketIn GreekAGORA, in LatinFORUM, a large open area in many ancient cities, especially of Greece and Rome, having the public market on one side only, the other sides of the are being occupied by temples, theatres, colonnades, courts of justice, baths, and other public structures, the whole square often presenting a magnificent appearance.
Here was the city exchange, the focus to which converged all the lines of public life. Hither laborers resorted in search of employment,Matthew 20:3-7, and children to pursue their sports,Luke 7:32. Here the ordinary assemblies of the people were held; here philosophers and statesmen met and debated; here laws were promulgated and news announced; hither men resorted for pleasure as well as for business.
The most notable public men, and indeed all classes of citizens, here congregated; and what was done here was done before the whole city. Hence the proud Pharisees desired "greeting in the market places,"Matthew 12:38; and Paul resorted to the agora at Athens to meet and convince the philosophers,Acts 17:17; and the masters of the damsel at Philippi exorcised by Paul and Silas, "drew them into the market place unto the rulers,"Acts 16:19.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A meeting together of people, at a stated time and place, for the purpose of traffic (as in cattle, provisions, wares, etc.) by private purchase and sale, and not by auction; as, a market is held in the town every week.
2. (n.) A public place (as an open space in a town) or a large building, where a market is held; a market place or market house; esp., a place where provisions are sold.
3. (n.) An opportunity for selling anything; demand, as shown by price offered or obtainable; a town, region, or country, where the demand exists; as, to find a market for one's wares; there is no market for woolen cloths in that region; India is a market for English goods.
4. (n.) Exchange, or purchase and sale; traffic; as, a dull market; a slow market.
5. (n.) The price for which a thing is sold in a market; market price. Hence: Value; worth.
6. (n.) The privilege granted to a town of having a public market.
7. (v. i.) To deal in a market; to buy or sell; to make bargains for provisions or goods.
8. (v. t.) To expose for sale in a market; to traffic in; to sell in a market, and in an extended sense, to sell in any manner; as, most of the farms have marketed their crops.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MARKET; MARKETPLACE; MARTmar'-ket, mar'-ketplas, mart (ma`arabh, cachar; agora):
(1) Ma`arabh, from a root meaning "trading" and hence, goods exchanged, and so "merchandise" in the Revised Version (British and American), "market" in the King James Version, occurs only inEzekiel 27:13, 17, 19, 25, and is translated correctly "merchandise" in both the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version.
(2) Cachar means a "trading emporium," hence, mart, and merchandise. It occurs only inIsaiah 23:3 (see MERCHANDISE).
(3) Agora, from root meaning "to collect," means a "town meeting-place," "resort of the people," so a place where the public generally met to exchange views and wares. No doubt, the central place soon filling up, the people thronged the adjoining streets, and so in time each street thus used came to be called agora, "marketplace"; translated "marketplace(s)" in 1 Esdras 2:18; Tobit 2:3;Matthew 11:16;Matthew 20:3;Matthew 23:7Mark 6:56;Mark 7:4;Mark 12:38Luke 7:32;Luke 11:43;Luke 20:46Acts 16:19;Acts 17:17; "Market of Appius" inActs 28:15 means, probably, "street" (see APPII FORUM).
The marketplace in New Testament times was the public open space, either simple or ornate, in town, city or country, where (Mark 6:56) the people congregated, not only for exchange of merchandise, but for one or more of the following purposes:
(1) a place where the children came together to sing, dance and play, a "back-to-date" municipal recreation center (Matthew 11:16, 17Luke 7:32);
(2) a place for loafers, a sort of ancient, irresponsible labor bureau where the out-of-work idler waited the coming of an employer with whom he might bargain for his services, usually by the day (Matthew 20:1-16);
(3) a place where the proud pretender could parade in long robes and get public recognition, "salutations in the market-places," e.g. the scribes and Pharisees against whom Jesus emphatically warns His disciples (Matthew 23:3-7Mark 12:38Luke 11:43;Luke 20:46);
(4) a place where the sick were brought for treatment, the poor man's sanatorium, a municipal hospital; Jesus "who went about doing good" often found His opportunity there (Mark 6:56);
(5) a place of preliminary hearing in trials, where the accused might be brought before rulers who were present at the time, e.g. Paul and Silas at Philippi (Acts 16:19);
(6) a place for religious and probably political or philosophical discussion (gossip also), a forum, a free-speech throne; no doubt often used by the early apostles not only as a place of proclaiming some truth of the new religion but also a place of advertisement for a coming synagogue service, e.g. Paul in Athens (Acts 17:17).
The Wisdom of Solomon 15:12 (the King James Version) has "They counted... our time here a market for gain," the Revised Version (British and American) "a gainful fair," margin "a keeping of festival," Greek panegurismos, "an assembly of all." Such assemblies offered particular opportunities for business dealings.
William Edward Raffety
SHEEP MARKET
(John 5:2, the Revised Version (British and American) "sheep gate"): The Greek (he probatike) means simply something that pertains to sheep.
SeeBETHESDA;SHEEP GATE.
MARKET, SHEEP
See SHEEP MARKET.
Greek
3111. makellon -- a meatmarket... a meat
market. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: makellon Phonetic Spelling:
(mak'-el-lon) Short Definition: a meat-
market Definition: a meat-
market...5410. phoron -- forum,market
... forum,market. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: phoron Phonetic Spelling:
(for'-on) Short Definition: Forum,Market Definition: (of Latin origin...
675. Appiou Phoron --Market of Appius, the name of a city south...
...Market of Appius, the name of a city south of Rome. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Appiou Phoron Phonetic Spelling: (ap'-pee-os) Short...
58. agora -- an assembly, place of assembly
... an assembly, place of assembly. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
agora Phonetic Spelling: (ag-or-ah') Short Definition:market-place Definition...
1712. emporion -- a trading place
... a trading place. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: emporion Phonetic
Spelling: (em-por'-ee-on) Short Definition:market,market-house Definition: a...
60. agoraios -- pertaining to the marketplace, an agitator
... an agitator. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: agoraios Phonetic Spelling:
(ag-or-ah'-yos) Short Definition: a lounger in themarket-place Definition...
4262. probatikos -- of sheep
... sheepmarket. From probaton; relating to sheep, ie (a gate) through which they
were led into Jerusalem -- sheep (market). see GREEK probaton....
59. agorazo -- to buy in the marketplace, purchase
... buy, redeem. From agora; properly, to go tomarket, ie (by implication) to purchase;
specially, to redeem -- buy, redeem. see GREEK agora....
779. askos -- a leather bottle, wineskin
... leather. In Spanish means a , a , and a . In Spain wine is still brought
tomarket in pig-skins" (M. Vincent). Word Origin a prim....
Strong's Hebrew
5506. sechorah -- merchandise... 5505, 5506. sechorah. 5507 . merchandise. Transliteration: sechorah Phonetic
Spelling: (sekh-o-raw') Short Definition:
market. Word
...4627. maarab -- articles of exchange, merchandise
...market, merchandise. From arab, in the sense of trading; traffic; by implication,
mercantile goods --market, merchandise. see HEBREW arab. 4626, 4627....
5504. sachar -- commerce, gain
... Word Origin from sachar Definition commerce, gain NASB Word Usage gain
(3),market (1), merchandise (1), profit (2). merchandise....
Library
How theMarket-Town of Gaza was Made a City for Its Profession of...
... Book IV. Chapter XXXVIII."How theMarket-Town of Gaza was made a City for its
Profession of Christianity, and received the Name of Constantia....
The Following Books to be had at the Shop of John Bryce, Printer...
... The following BOOKS to be had at the Shop of JOHN BRYCE, Printer and Bookseller,
opposite Gibson's-Wynd, Salt-market. BOOKS IN OCTAVO....
The Henkels.
... and Ohio. He was pastor at NewMarket, Va., at Salisbury, Va., and again at
NewMarket, where he died, November 17, 1825. He participated...
Innocent Alypius, Being Apprehended as a Thief, is Set at Liberty...
... As was that also, that when he was yet studying under me at Carthage, and was
meditating at noonday in themarket-place upon what he had to recite (as scholars...
The Repentance of Samuel Johnson
... Johnson's father was a bookseller, who used to have a little shop in the
market-place, where he sold books onmarket-days. One day...
But this was Already Being Laid up in his Memory to be a Medicine...
... So was that also, that when he was yet studying under me at Carthage, and was thinking
over at mid-day in themarket-place what he was to say by heart (as...
The French Drummer-Boy
... The fiercest part of the fighting was carried on against Hungarian Grenadiers,
who held themarket-place of the town. During this...
The Consulship of Eutropius
... gold on a blue ground, to stick up on his bedroom-wall; if David guesses right
I'll give him an earthenware vase full of roses from the flower-market; and if...
Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
... court that the markets described in this section were held] Those that sold oxen
and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting [Thismarket in the...
The Misfortunes which Happened in Connection with These Things, in...
... 7. And some of the high-born women in the cities, driven by want to shameful
extremities, went forth into themarket-places to beg, giving evidence of their...
Thesaurus
Market (24 Occurrences)... time and place, for the purpose of traffic (as in cattle, provisions, wares, etc.)
by private purchase and sale, and not by auction; as, a
market is held in
...Market-place (7 Occurrences)
Market-place. Marketplace,Market-place. Marketplaces . Easton's Bible
Dictionary... Multi-Version ConcordanceMarket-place (7 Occurrences)....
Market-places (4 Occurrences)
Market-places. Marketplaces,Market-places. Markets . Multi-Version
ConcordanceMarket-places (4 Occurrences). Matthew...
Meat-market (1 Occurrence)
Meat-market. Meat-hooks, Meat-market. Meatoffering . Multi-Version
Concordance Meat-market (1 Occurrence). 1 Corinthians...
Sheep-market (1 Occurrence)
Sheep-market. Sheepmarket, Sheep-market. Sheepmaster . Easton's Bible
Dictionary... Multi-Version Concordance Sheep-market (1 Occurrence)....
Mart (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Amarket. 2. (n.) A bargain.... 6. (n.) Battle; contest.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.MARKET; MARKETPLACE; MART....
Marketplace (8 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible EncyclopediaMARKET; MARKETPLACE; MART. mar'-ket,
mar'-ketplas, mart (ma`arabh, cachar; agora): (1) Ma`arabh, from...
Buying (12 Occurrences)
... Testament Times II. ORIENTAL BUYING A TEDIOUS PROCESS III. SHOPS AND BAZAARS
1. Oriental Shops 2. TheMarket-Place IV. BUYING ON CREDIT...
Forum (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Amarket place or public place in Rome, where
causes were judicially tried, and orations delivered to the people....
Sale (12 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) Opportunity of selling; demand;market. 4. (vt) Public disposal to the
highest bidder, or exposure of goods inmarket; auction. Int....
Resources
Is it allowable for a Christian to eat halal food? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a metanarrative? | GotQuestions.orgDoes the Bible say anything about how to deal with puberty? | GotQuestions.orgMarket: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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