The term "market-place" in biblical times refers to a central area in a city or town where people gathered for the exchange of goods, services, and ideas. It was a bustling hub of economic, social, and sometimes political activity. The market-place was not only a place for commerce but also a venue for public discourse and community interaction.

Biblical References:

1. Matthew 11:16-17 : Jesus uses the market-place as a metaphor to describe the generation of His time: "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’" Here, the market-place is depicted as a place where people gather and interact, highlighting the social aspect of the location.

2. Matthew 20:3 : In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, the market-place is where laborers are found: "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing." This illustrates the market-place as a place where people sought employment, emphasizing its role in the economic life of the community.

3. Acts 17:17 : The Apostle Paul engaged with people in the market-place: "So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day." This passage highlights the market-place as a venue for philosophical and theological discussions, reflecting its importance as a center for public debate and the exchange of ideas.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Near Eastern cities, the market-place was typically located near the city gate or in a central square. It was an open area where merchants set up stalls or spread their goods on the ground. The market-place was often surrounded by shops and was a focal point of daily life. It was common for people to gather there not only to buy and sell but also to hear news, engage in legal matters, and participate in civic life.

The market-place was a microcosm of the broader society, reflecting the economic, social, and cultural dynamics of the time. It was a place where different classes and ethnic groups interacted, and where the influence of Hellenistic culture could be seen in the architecture and organization of the space.

Theological Significance:

The market-place in biblical narratives often serves as a backdrop for Jesus' teachings and the apostles' ministry. It represents the intersection of the sacred and the secular, where divine truths are proclaimed in the midst of everyday life. The use of the market-place in parables and teachings underscores the accessibility of the Gospel message to all people, regardless of their social or economic status.

In a broader theological sense, the market-place can be seen as a symbol of the world, where believers are called to be witnesses to the truth of the Gospel. It is a reminder that the Christian faith is not confined to religious settings but is to be lived out in the public sphere, engaging with the world in meaningful and transformative ways.Any place of public resort, and hence a public place or broad street (Matthew 11:16; 20:3), as well as a forum or Market-place proper, where goods were exposed for sale, and where public assemblies and trials were held (Acts 16:19; 17:17). This word occurs in the Old Testament only in Ezek. 27:13.

In early times Markets were held at the gates of cities, where commodities were exposed for sale (2 Kings 7:18). In large towns the sale of particular articles seems to have been confined to certain streets, as we may infer from such expressions as "the bakers' street" (Jeremiah 37:21), and from the circumstance that in the time of Josephus the valley between Mounts Zion and Moriah was called the Tyropoeon or the "valley of the cheesemakers."

60. agoraios -- pertaining to the marketplace, an agitator
... Word Origin from agora Definition pertaining to the marketplace, an agitator
NASB Word Usage courts (1), market place (1). the marketplace. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/60.htm - 6k

59. agorazo -- to buy in the marketplace, purchase
... to buy in the marketplace, purchase. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: agorazo
Phonetic Spelling: (ag-or-ad'-zo) Short Definition: I buy Definition: I buy. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/59.htm - 9k

58. agora -- an assembly, place of assembly
... Word Origin from ageiro (to bring together) Definition an assembly, place of assembly
NASB Word Usage market place (5), market places (6). marketplace, street. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/58.htm - 6k

3111. makellon -- a meat market
... Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: makellon Phonetic Spelling:
(mak'-el-lon) Short Definition: a meat-market Definition: a meat-market, marketplace. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3111.htm - 6k

1712. emporion -- a trading place
... Cognate: 1712 -- an emporium; a marketplace for (doing commerce), used only
in Jn 2:16 (see also Lk 19:13). See 1713 (). Word Origin neut. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1712.htm - 6k

5410. phoron -- forum, market
... forum, market. Of Latin origin; a forum or market-place; only in comparative with
Appios; a station on the Appian road -- forum. see GREEK Appios. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5410.htm - 6k

1805. exagorazo -- to buy up, ie ransom, fig. to rescue from loss
... 1805 (from 1537 , "completely " which intensifies 59 , "buy-up at the marketplace") --
properly, take of, seizing a buying-opportunity, ie making the most of ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1805.htm - 7k

4819. markoleth -- probably place of trade, marketplace
... 4818, 4819. markoleth. 4820 . probably place of trade, marketplace.
Transliteration: markoleth Phonetic Spelling: (mar-ko'-leth) Short Definition: ...
/hebrew/4819.htm - 6k

But this was Already Being Laid up in his Memory to be a Medicine ...
... by whom they were wont to be suspected of stealing the goods lost out of the
marketplace, as though to show ... For he had attended his master to the market-place. ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter ix but this was.htm

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 the market-place upon what he had to recite (as scholars ...
/.../chapter ix innocent alypius being apprehended.htm

The French Drummer-Boy
... The fiercest part of the fighting was carried on against Hungarian Grenadiers,
who held the market-place of the town. During this ...
/.../chidley/fifty-two story talks to boys and girls/the french drummer-boy.htm

Letter xvii. (AD 390. )
... For, in the first place, a comparison was drawn by you between Mount Olympus and
your market-place, the reason for which I cannot divine, unless it was in ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter xvii a d 390.htm

The Third Day in Pasion-Week - the Last Series of Parables: to the ...
... And when he came, they had stood in the marketplace ready and waiting to go ... they
had not gone before; they were others' than those in the market-place when the ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter v the third day.htm

The vineyard Labourers.
... And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the
market-place, and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/ix the vineyard labourers.htm

Jesus Drives Out the Money-Changers.
... Buying and selling, haggling and bargaining were in full swing in the
market-place. ... Is this the house of God, or is it a market-place? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/stead/king of the jews/chapter i jesus drives out.htm

Great Surprises.
... Then he brought them all in through the gates, and they followed, as docile as lambs,
and when they were in the market-place, he said, "Lord, open the eyes of ...
/.../the village pulpit volume ii trinity to advent/xxxviii great surprises.htm

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 on market-days. One day ...
/.../fifty-two story talks to boys and girls/the repentance of samuel johnson.htm

Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
... the tradition of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market-place, except
they ... hold the man as probably unclean who had been in the marketplace, where he ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lxv jesus fails to attend.htm

Marketplace (8 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia MARKET; MARKETPLACE; MART. ... William Edward Raffety.
Multi-Version Concordance Marketplace (8 Occurrences). ...
/m/marketplace.htm - 13k

Market-place (7 Occurrences)
Market-place. Marketplace, Market-place. Marketplaces . Easton's Bible Dictionary ...
(BBE). Marketplace, Market-place. Marketplaces . Reference Bible.
/m/market-place.htm - 9k

Market (24 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A public place (as an open space in a town) or a large building, where a
market is held; a marketplace or market house; esp ... MARKET; MARKETPLACE; MART. ...
/m/market.htm - 19k

Mart (2 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To traffic. 5. (n.) The god Mars. 6. (n.) Battle; contest. Int.
Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MARKET; MARKETPLACE; MART. mar ...
/m/mart.htm - 11k

Buying (12 Occurrences)
... Testament Times II. ORIENTAL BUYING A TEDIOUS PROCESS III. SHOPS AND BAZAARS
1. Oriental Shops 2. The Market-Place IV. BUYING ON CREDIT ...
/b/buying.htm - 23k

Unpersuaded (3 Occurrences)
... Acts 17:5 But the unpersuaded Jews took along some wicked men from the
marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. ...
/u/unpersuaded.htm - 7k

City
... Within the walls, the main points considered in the "layout" were, the Tower or
Stronghold, the High Place, the Broad Place by the Gate, and the Market-Place. ...
/c/city.htm - 43k

Areopagus (3 Occurrences)
... smoothing of the stone for seats. Directly below to the North was the old
Athenian agora, or market-place. To the East, on the descent ...
/a/areopagus.htm - 14k

Vessels (210 Occurrences)
... Mark 7:4 They don't eat when they come from the marketplace, unless they bathe
themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to ...
/v/vessels.htm - 40k

Kettles (2 Occurrences)
... Mark 7:4 and, 'coming' from the market-place, if they do not baptize themselves,
they do not eat; and many other things there are that they received to hold ...
/k/kettles.htm - 7k

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