ἐμπόριον
empórion
G1712 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place of trade or commercial exchange, specifically a market, trading post, or emporium where goods are sold, bought, and exchanged. The term primarily denotes an established site or building dedicated to mercantile activity, especially in a port or major urban center. In broader contexts, it may refer to the trade or commercial activity occurring there.
Semantic Range
marketplace, trading post, emporium, commercial center, port facility, place of commerce, mart
Root / Etymology
Derived from ἔμπορος ('merchant, trader'), itself from ἐν ('in') + πόρος ('passage, journey'), collectively meaning 'one who goes on a journey/expedition for trade'. Ἐμπόριον is the noun form signifying the location related to the action of trading.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek sources, ἐμπόριον described a dock, marketplace, or district within a city or port specifically designated for commerce, often with legal or civic recognition. The word appears in Herodotus and other historians to refer to trading colonies or formalized foreign mercantile zones in Greek cities and foreign lands. In Hellenistic and Roman contexts, it retained this sense and was sometimes extended to mean a center or hub of trade for a region (e.g., Ptolemaic Egypt's Εμπόριον on the Nile). In the Septuagint and New Testament, the term is rare, often denoting literal places of trade rather than metaphorical usage. Standard English translations as 'market,' 'emporium,' or 'marketplace' capture the core meaning but may omit the institutional or port-based connotation. The term is distinct from ἀγορά (general market, public square) and refers more specifically to the commercial or foreign-trade dimension of urban life. Usage did not primarily denote the goods ('merchandise') themselves, but the venue or institution for trading them.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
neuter from ἔμπορος; a mart ("emporium"):--merchandise.
Root Family
ἐμπόριον (emporion) — place of trade, marketplace, trading post, emporium, commercial center
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1712-01 |
ἐμπορίου | emporiou | N GEN N SG |
of merchandise | of the marketplace | of the marketplace | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1712-01 |
John 2:16 | ἐμπορίου | emporiou | N GEN N SG |
of merchandise | of the marketplace | of the marketplace |