ἐμπορία
emporía
G1711 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Trade, commercial activity involving the buying and selling of goods; specifically, the practice or business of commerce. Also, in certain contexts, a collective term for goods or merchandise intended for trade.
Semantic Range
commerce, trade, business (as a profession or process), merchandise (collective), trading activity, commercial venture
Root / Etymology
From the noun ἔμπορος (emporos, 'merchant' or 'trader'), which itself is formed from the preposition ἐν ('in') and πόρος ('way, passage'), indicating 'one who travels in the way,' i.e., a trader who traverses routes of commerce.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, ἐμπορία predominantly denotes trade or commercial exchange, especially involving long-distance or overseas commerce, as opposed to local market trading (agora). In the Septuagint (e.g., Ezekiel 28:5, 16, 18), it frequently refers to the trading activities of cities and nations, and by extension, to their commercial wealth or trade goods. In the Koine period, including the New Testament and contemporaneous literature, ἐμπορία continues to denote commercial trading as a practice or institution. The word can serve as a concrete term for 'merchandise,' but the focus is more on goods intended for or resulting from commercial activity. English translations that render ἐμπορία singularly as 'merchandise' may fail to capture the broader concept of active trade or commercial exchange. It differs from κερδαίνω (to gain profit) and from ἀγορά (marketplace), emphasizing the ongoing process and institution of trade rather than the location or the act of buying/selling alone. No strong religious or ethnic connotations are associated with this term in Greek sources; it is strictly commercial in reference.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine from ἔμπορος; traffic:--merchandise.
Root Family
ἐμπορ- (emporía) — to traffic, to trade, to travel for commerce
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1711-01 |
ἐμπορίαν | emporian | N ACC F SG |
merchandise | trade activity | trade activity | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1711-01 |
Matthew 22:5 | ἐμπορίαν | emporian | N ACC F SG |
merchandise | trade activity | trade activity |