Lexical Summary emporia: Commerce, trade, business Original Word: ἐμπορία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance merchandise, tradeFeminine from emporos; traffic -- merchandise. see GREEK emporos HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 1711 emporía – a business trip for the purpose of trading (used only in Mt 22:5; see also Lk 19:13). See 1713 (emporia). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfem. from emporos Definition commerce, business, trade. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1711: ἐμπορίαἐμπορία (see ἐν, III. 3), ἐμπορίας, ἡ (ἔμπορος), trade, merchandise: Matthew 22:5. (Hesiod and following; the Sept..) Topical Lexicon Definition and Concept ἐμπορία denotes commercial activity—buying, selling, and the pursuit of profit. It evokes the bustling world of merchants, trade routes, and market stalls that characterized the Greco-Roman economy of the first century. Biblical Usage Matthew 22:5 is the word’s single appearance in the New Testament: “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business”. In the parable, ἐμπορία stands for everyday commercial pursuits that distract invitees from the king’s banquet, symbolizing the kingdom of heaven. Historical Background 1. Commerce was integral to first-century life. Roman roads and Mediterranean shipping lanes enabled rapid movement of goods such as grain, oil, textiles, and spices. Related Scriptures • Matthew 13:45 speaks of “a merchant in search of fine pearls,” illustrating a positive form of commerce when rightly directed toward the priceless kingdom. Theological Implications 1. Priority of the Kingdom: Jesus contrasts ἐμπορία with the royal wedding feast to expose misplaced loyalties. Earthly enterprises become spiritually perilous when they eclipse obedience to God’s invitation. Practical Ministry Application • Discipleship training should address the pull of work and profit that may sabotage spiritual commitments. See Also ἐμπόρος (merchant) • πώλησις (selling) • πλεονεξία (greed) Forms and Transliterations εμπορία εμποριαν εμπορίαν ἐμπορίαν εμπορίας emporian emporíanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 22:5 N-AFSGRK: ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμπορίαν αὐτοῦ KJV: to his merchandise: INT: to the business of him |