Definition and Etymology:
The term "mart" is not directly found in the Bible; however, it is often used in historical and literary contexts to refer to a marketplace or a place where goods are bought and sold. The concept of a marketplace is prevalent throughout the Bible, reflecting the economic and social activities of ancient times.

Biblical Context:
In biblical times, marketplaces were central to the economic life of a community. They were places where people gathered not only to buy and sell goods but also to exchange news and ideas. The marketplace was a hub of activity and a vital part of daily life.

Old Testament References:
While the specific term "mart" is not used, the concept of a marketplace is evident in several Old Testament passages. For example, in the book of Proverbs, wisdom is personified and described as calling out in the streets and public squares, which would include marketplaces (Proverbs 1:20-21). The marketplace is depicted as a place where people gather, making it an ideal setting for the dissemination of wisdom.

In Ezekiel 27, the prophet describes the city of Tyre as a bustling center of trade, likening it to a grand marketplace where merchants from many nations come to trade their goods. This passage highlights the importance of trade and commerce in the ancient world.

New Testament References:
The New Testament provides several references to marketplaces, often in the context of Jesus' ministry. In the Gospels, Jesus is frequently depicted teaching and performing miracles in public spaces, including marketplaces. For instance, in Matthew 11:16-17 , Jesus compares the generation to children sitting in the marketplaces, calling out to others. This imagery underscores the marketplace as a place of social interaction and public discourse.

In the account of Jesus cleansing the temple, He drives out those who were buying and selling, accusing them of turning the house of prayer into a "den of robbers" (Matthew 21:12-13). This event highlights the tension between commercial activities and spiritual devotion, a theme that resonates with the prophetic critiques of economic injustice found in the Old Testament.

Cultural and Theological Significance:
The marketplace in biblical times was more than just a place of commerce; it was a microcosm of society where various aspects of life intersected. It was a place where social, economic, and religious dynamics played out. The presence of Jesus in these spaces signifies His engagement with the everyday lives of people and His challenge to the prevailing social and economic norms.

Theologically, the marketplace serves as a backdrop for Jesus' teachings on wealth, justice, and the kingdom of God. His interactions in these settings often reveal the values of the kingdom, contrasting them with the materialism and exploitation that can characterize human economic systems.

Conclusion:
While the term "mart" itself does not appear in the biblical text, the concept of the marketplace is integral to understanding the social and economic context of the Bible. It serves as a setting for significant teachings and events, reflecting the intersection of daily life and divine truth.1. (n.) A market.

2. (n.) A bargain.

3. (v. t.) To buy or sell in, or as in, a mart.

4. (v. t.) To traffic.

5. (n.) The god Mars.

6. (n.) Battle; contest.

MARKET; MARKETPLACE; MART

mar'-ket, mar'-ketplas, mart (ma`arabh, cachar; agora):

(1) Ma`arabh, from a root meaning "trading" and hence, goods exchanged, and so "merchandise" in the Revised Version (British and American), "market" in the King James Version, occurs only in Ezekiel 27:13, 17, 19, 25, and is translated correctly "merchandise" in both the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version.

(2) Cachar means a "trading emporium," hence, mart, and merchandise. It occurs only in Isaiah 23:3 (see MERCHANDISE).

(3) Agora, from root meaning "to collect," means a "town meeting-place," "resort of the people," so a place where the public generally met to exchange views and wares. No doubt, the central place soon filling up, the people thronged the adjoining streets, and so in time each street thus used came to be called agora, "marketplace"; translated "marketplace(s)" in 1 Esdras 2:18; Tobit 2:3; Matthew 11:16; Matthew 20:3; Matthew 23:7 Mark 6:56; Mark 7:4; Mark 12:38 Luke 7:32; Luke 11:43; Luke 20:46 Acts 16:19; Acts 17:17; "Market of Appius" in Acts 28:15 means, probably, "street" (see APPII FORUM).

The marketplace in New Testament times was the public open space, either simple or ornate, in town, city or country, where (Mark 6:56) the people congregated, not only for exchange of merchandise, but for one or more of the following purposes:

(1) a place where the children came together to sing, dance and play, a "back-to-date" municipal recreation center (Matthew 11:16, 17 Luke 7:32);

(2) a place for loafers, a sort of ancient, irresponsible labor bureau where the out-of-work idler waited the coming of an employer with whom he might bargain for his services, usually by the day (Matthew 20:1-16);

(3) a place where the proud pretender could parade in long robes and get public recognition, "salutations in the market-places," e.g. the scribes and Pharisees against whom Jesus emphatically warns His disciples (Matthew 23:3-7 Mark 12:38 Luke 11:43; Luke 20:46);

(4) a place where the sick were brought for treatment, the poor man's sanatorium, a municipal hospital; Jesus "who went about doing good" often found His opportunity there (Mark 6:56);

(5) a place of preliminary hearing in trials, where the accused might be brought before rulers who were present at the time, e.g. Paul and Silas at Philippi (Acts 16:19);

(6) a place for religious and probably political or philosophical discussion (gossip also), a forum, a free-speech throne; no doubt often used by the early apostles not only as a place of proclaiming some truth of the new religion but also a place of advertisement for a coming synagogue service, e.g. Paul in Athens (Acts 17:17).

The Wisdom of Solomon 15:12 (the King James Version) has "They counted... our time here a market for gain," the Revised Version (British and American) "a gainful fair," margin "a keeping of festival," Greek panegurismos, "an assembly of all." Such assemblies offered particular opportunities for business dealings.

William Edward Raffety

MART

mart.

See MARKET.

1712. emporion -- a trading place
... Neuter Transliteration: emporion Phonetic Spelling: (em-por'-ee-on) Short Definition:
market, market-house Definition: a place of traffic, mart, market, market ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1712.htm - 6k5505. sachar -- mart, merchandise
... 5504, 5505. sachar. 5506 . mart, merchandise. Transliteration: sachar Phonetic
Spelling: (saw-khar') Short Definition: mart. ... mart, merchandise ...
/hebrew/5505.htm - 5k

831. Ashqelon -- a city of the Philistines
... Ashkelon, Askalon. Probably from shaqal in the sense of weighing-place (ie Mart);
Ashkelon, a place in Palestine -- Ashkelon, Askalon. see HEBREW shaqal. ...
/hebrew/831.htm - 6k

4819. markoleth -- probably place of trade, marketplace
... merchandise (1). merchandise. From rakal; a mart -- merchandise. see HEBREW
rakal. 4818, 4819. markoleth. 4820 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4819.htm - 6k

5801. izzabon -- wares
... fair, ware. From azab in the sense of letting go (for a price, ie Selling); trade,
ie The place (mart) or the payment (revenue) -- fair, ware. see HEBREW azab. ...
/hebrew/5801.htm - 6k

Christians Charged with an Obstinate Contempt of Death Instances ...
... [736] Tertullian refers to Cleopatra's death also in his tract ad Mart. ... [737] This
case is again referred to in this treatise (p. 138), and in ad Mart c. iv. ...
/.../tertullian/ad nationes/chapter xviii name charged with.htm

Some History of Tiberias. The Jerusalem Talmud was Written There ...
... There inquiry is made by one, "What of the mart of Tsur?""There is this inscription
there, "I Diocletianus, the king, built this mart of Tsur [or Tyre], to ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 81 some history of.htm

The Persecution of Diocletian.
... The little circle which surrounded Pamphilus did not escape. In the third year of
the persecution (Mart. of Pal. ... (Pal. Mart. Cureton's ed. p.36 sq.; HE App. ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/section 3 the persecution of.htm

Whether Martyrdom is an Act of Fortitude?
... fortitude. On the contrary, Cyprian says (Ep. ad Mart. et Conf. ... persecutors.
Hence Cyprian says in a sermon (Ep. ad Mart. et Conf. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether martyrdom is an act 2.htm

Catalogue of his Works.
... Eusebius himself refers to this work in four passages (HE VI.32, VII.32, VIII.13,
and Mart. Pal. c.11). ... Eccles. in a note on the first chapter of the Mart. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/pamphilius/church history/section 2 catalogue of his.htm

Many Others, Both Men and Women, who Suffered in Various Ways.
... It was practiced apparently throughout Maximin's dominions; we are told of numbers
who were treated in this way, both in Egypt and Palestine (see Mart. Pal. ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xii many others both men.htm

The Bishops of the Church that Evinced by their Blood the ...
... [2558] ie Tyrannion. [2559] Silvanus, bishop of Gaza, is mentioned also in Mart.
Pal. chaps. ... [2561] Peleus and Nilus are mentioned in Mart. Pal. chap. ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xiii the bishops of the.htm

Excursus on the Minor Orders of the Early Church.
... The name and the function, however, appear much earlier in the Christian
Church; eg, Justin Mart., Apol. ii., 6 (p.45). The forms ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/excursus on the minor orders.htm

Luther's Catechisms. AD 1529.
... Enchiridion. Der kleine Catechismus f?�r die gemeine Pfarher und Prediger, gemehret
and gebessert durch Mart. Luther. ... Prediger. Mart. Lu. ...
/.../ 43 luthers catechisms a d.htm

Those in the Palace.
... Eusebius thinks. The martyrdoms of which he has heard belong rather to the
time after the Fourth Edict (see below, Mart. Pal. chap. 3 ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter vi those in the palace.htm

Mart (2 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A bargain. 3. (vt) To buy or sell in, or as in, a mart. 4. (vt) To traffic. ...
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MARKET; MARKETPLACE; MART. ...
/m/mart.htm - 11k

Marketplace (8 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia MARKET; MARKETPLACE; MART. ... (2) Cachar
means a "trading emporium," hence, mart, and merchandise. ...
/m/marketplace.htm - 13k

Market (24 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MARKET; MARKETPLACE; MART. ... (2) Cachar
means a "trading emporium," hence, mart, and merchandise. ...
/m/market.htm - 19k

Merchandise (34 Occurrences)
... Version, but "traffic," "abundance of thy traffic," ie doing a thriving business:
"trade was good." (3) The place of trading, ie emporium, mart, etc.: cechorah ...
/m/merchandise.htm - 22k

Martha (12 Occurrences)

/m/martha.htm - 16k

Wares (23 Occurrences)
... activity, property, possession, work, occupation, thing made, deed, business (Ezekiel
27:16, 18); (6) `izzabhon, "selling," trade, revenue, mart, letting go ...
/w/wares.htm - 15k

Traded (16 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 27:15 The men of Dedan were thy traffickers; many isles were the mart of
thy hand; they brought thee as tribute horns of ivory and ebony. (See RSV NIV). ...
/t/traded.htm - 11k

Markets (11 Occurrences)
... (DBY). Ezekiel 27:15 Sons of Dedan 'are' thy merchants, Many isles 'are' the mart
of thy hand, Horns of ivory and ebony they sent back thy reward. (See RSV). ...
/m/markets.htm - 9k

Marshy (1 Occurrence)

/m/marshy.htm - 6k

Sihor (3 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 23:3 And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river,
is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations. (KJV WBS YLT). ...
/s/sihor.htm - 8k

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