MERCHANDISE

mur'-chan-diz

(1) `amar

(2) cachar,

(3) cachar,

(4) cechorach,

(5) rekhullah,

(6) ma`arabh,

(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 Proverbs 31:18 Isaiah 23:18;

(b) cachar is translated thus in Isaiah 45:14; these two are from a root meaning "to travel around as a peddler";

(c) rekhullah, translated thus in Ezekiel 26:12, from a root meaning "to travel for trading purposes";

(d) ma`arabh, translated thus in Ezekiel 27:9, 27, 33, 34, from a root meaning "to intermix, to barter";

(e) markoleth, translated thus in Ezekiel 27:24 (the above 5 Hebrew words are all used to designate the goods or wares which were bartered);

(f) `amar, occurring in Deuteronomy 21:14; Deuteronomy 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 Matthew 22:5;

(h) emporion, likewise in John 2:16 (the same Greek word is used in 2 Peter 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 Ezekiel 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 Ezekiel 27:15 is translated "mart." In John 2:16 reference is made to the "house of merchandise."

(4) The profits of trading: In Proverbs 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."

William Edward Raffety

MOUNT OF OLIVES

See OLIVES, MOUNT OF; JERUSALEM.

MOUNT OF THE AMALEKITES

("Hill-country of the Amalekites" (Judges 12:15)): The Amalekites are usually connected with the valley (Numbers 14:25 Judges 7:12), but appear from this passage to have had a settlement in the hill country of Ephraim.

See AMALEKITE.

MOUNT OF THE AMORITES

("Hill-country of the Amorites" (Deuteronomy 1:7, 20, 24; compare Numbers 13:29 Joshua 10:6, etc.)): The region intended is that afterward known as the hill country of Judah and Ephraim, but sometimes "Amorites" is used as a general designation for all the inhabitants of Canaan (Genesis 15:16 Joshua 24:8, 18, etc.).

See AMORITES.

MOUNT OF THE VALLEY

Zereth-shahar is said to be situated in or on the "mount of the valley" (behar ha`emeq (Joshua 13:19)). Cheyne (EB, under the word) says "i.e. on one of the mountains East of the Jordan valley (compare Josephus 13 27), and not impossibly on that described at length in BJ, VII, vi, 1-3." To the Northwest of this mountain is Wady ec-Cara, wherein there may be a reminiscence of Zereth-shahar. There is no certainty.