Commerce: Articles of Land
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In biblical times, the concept of land ownership and the commerce associated with it played a significant role in the socio-economic and spiritual life of the people. The Bible provides numerous references to the buying, selling, and inheritance of land, reflecting its importance in ancient Israelite society.

Biblical Context and Significance

Land in the Bible is often seen as a divine gift, a promise from God to His people. The land of Canaan, for instance, was promised to Abraham and his descendants as an everlasting possession (Genesis 17:8). This promise underscores the theological significance of land as not merely a commodity but as a testament to God's covenant with His people.

Legal Transactions and Procedures

The Bible outlines specific procedures for the transfer and redemption of land. In Leviticus 25, the Year of Jubilee is introduced, a time when land was to be returned to its original owners, emphasizing the idea that the land ultimately belongs to God: "The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine, and you are but foreigners and sojourners with Me" (Leviticus 25:23). This law ensured that no family would permanently lose their inheritance, maintaining social and economic balance.

The book of Jeremiah provides a detailed account of a land purchase. In Jeremiah 32:6-15, the prophet buys a field from his cousin Hanamel as a sign of hope that the Israelites would return to their land after exile. The transaction is meticulously recorded, involving witnesses and a sealed deed, illustrating the formalities involved in land commerce.

Inheritance and Family Rights

Inheritance laws were crucial in maintaining family lineage and property within the tribe. The daughters of Zelophehad, for example, approached Moses to claim their father's inheritance, as he had no sons (Numbers 27:1-11). God instructed Moses to grant their request, setting a precedent for inheritance rights for daughters, ensuring that land remained within the family.

The account of Naboth's vineyard in 1 Kings 21 highlights the sanctity of ancestral land. King Ahab's desire to acquire Naboth's vineyard and Naboth's refusal to sell it, citing it as his ancestral inheritance, underscores the deep connection between land and family heritage. Naboth's subsequent murder orchestrated by Jezebel reveals the moral and ethical implications of land commerce when corrupted by greed and power.

Economic and Social Implications

Land was not only a source of sustenance but also a measure of wealth and status. The parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21 warns against placing trust in material wealth, including land, at the expense of one's relationship with God. The fool's hoarding of his abundant harvest without regard for his soul's eternal state serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of prioritizing earthly possessions over spiritual well-being.

In the New Testament, the early church demonstrated a communal approach to property. Acts 4:32-37 describes believers selling their land and possessions to support one another, reflecting a radical departure from traditional land ownership practices and emphasizing the unity and generosity within the Christian community.

Conclusion

The biblical perspective on land commerce is deeply intertwined with themes of divine promise, justice, and community. Land is portrayed not merely as an economic asset but as a sacred trust, a symbol of God's provision and faithfulness to His people. Through the laws and narratives surrounding land transactions, the Bible offers profound insights into the ethical and spiritual dimensions of commerce.
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Genesis 23:13-16
And he spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if you will give it, I pray you, hear me: I will give you money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.
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Ruth 4:3
And he said to the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, sells a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:
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Library

Commerce
... lay out one in the purchase of land, to invest ... But no sketch of commerce among the
early Jews, however ... those of another, to buying and selling articles of home ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 12 commerce.htm

Twenty-Seven Articles Respecting the Reformation of the Christian ...
... Now though I am too lowly to submit articles that could serve for the reformation ...
And would to God that, as each land has its own peculiar character and nature ...
/.../iii twenty-seven articles respecting the.htm

Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House ...
... seems to have been given to facility of intercourse throughout the land. ... for those
of another district, and produced the latest articles of commerce or of ...
/.../sketches of jewish social life/chapter 4 travelling in palestineroads.htm

His Unconscious Preparation for his Work
... kind of cloth and manufactured into various articles, among which ... Tarsus was not
only a center of commerce, but also ... He was an alien in the land of his birth. ...
/.../stalker/the life of st paul/chapter ii his unconscious preparation.htm

Ripe for Gathering
... only fit to be swept out of the land, were most ... held up as shining lights of commerce,
who have the faculty of turning everything into saleable articles? ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/ripe for gathering.htm

The Arminian Controversy. AD 1604-1619.
... and every comfort and luxury which commerce could bring ... The Five Articles of the
Remonstrance were unanimously rejected ... became more and more a land of religious ...
/.../ 65 the arminian controversy.htm

Connecticut at the Close of the Revolution
... the Connecticut and Pennsylvanian claimants to the land. ... Connecticut's commerce was
an import commerce exchanging natural ... pro and con in articles, or rather ...
/.../chapter xii connecticut at the.htm

A Bottle in the Smoke
... The peasantry of Asia keep many articles, both dry and liquid, in ... What if the stream
fertilize the land? ... and sudden turn in the tide of commerce should sweep ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/a bottle in the smoke.htm

Sermon at the Faribault Celebration of the Centennial of the ...
... they did not own a foot of land, they owed ... to prohibit or restrain this execrable
commerce in human ... The articles of confederation were sent to the States in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/whipple/five sermons/ii sermon at the faribault.htm

The Reconnoitering of Greece.
... armor of beautiful workmanship, and articles of dress ... They traveled by land westward,
across the continent ... the Scriptures as a great pagan emporium of commerce. ...
/.../abbott/darius the great/chapter vi the reconnoitering of.htm

Resources
How is Satan god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4)? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of “Cast your bread upon the waters” in Ecclesiastes 11:1? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Pharisees? | GotQuestions.org

Commerce: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Commerce

Commerce of the Arabians

Commerce of the Jews: Checked in Jehoshaphat's Time

Commerce of the Jews: Commenced After Their Settlement in Canaan

Commerce of the Jews: Greatly Extended by Solomon

Commerce of the Jews: Under Strict Laws

Commerce: Articles of Apes

Commerce: Articles of Balm

Commerce: Articles of Blue Cloth

Commerce: Articles of Bodies and Souls of Men

Commerce: Articles of Brass

Commerce: Articles of Cattle

Commerce: Articles of Chariots

Commerce: Articles of Chest of Rich Apparel

Commerce: Articles of Chests of Rich Apparel

Commerce: Articles of Cinnamon

Commerce: Articles of Clothes for Chariots

Commerce: Articles of Corn

Commerce: Articles of Embroidery

Commerce: Articles of Frankincense

Commerce: Articles of Gold

Commerce: Articles of Honey

Commerce: Articles of Horses

Commerce: Articles of Iron and Steel

Commerce: Articles of Ivory

Commerce: Articles of Land

Commerce: Articles of Lead

Commerce: Articles of Linen

Commerce: Articles of Oil

Commerce: Articles of Peacocks

Commerce: Articles of Pearls

Commerce: Articles of Perfumes

Commerce: Articles of Precious Stones

Commerce: Articles of Purple

Commerce: Articles of Sheep

Commerce: Articles of Silk

Commerce: Articles of Silver

Commerce: Articles of Slaves

Commerce: Articles of Sweet Cane

Commerce: Articles of Thyine Wood

Commerce: Articles of Timber

Commerce: Articles of Tin

Commerce: Articles of Wheat

Commerce: Articles of White Wool

Commerce: Articles of Wine

Commerce: Articles of, Called: Merchandise

Commerce: Articles of, Called: Wares

Commerce: Babylonians

Commerce: Called: Buying and Selling

Commerce: Called: Trade

Commerce: Called: Traffic

Commerce: Carried on by Egyptians

Commerce: Carried on by Ethiopians

Commerce: Carried on by Ishmaelites

Commerce: Carried on by Jews

Commerce: Carried on by Means of Caravans

Commerce: Carried on by Means of Ships

Commerce: Carried on by Ninevites

Commerce: Carried on by People of Tarshish

Commerce: Carried on by People of Tyre

Commerce: Carried on by Syrians

Commerce: Carried on in Fairs

Commerce: Conducted in Fairs

Commerce: Denunciations Connected With Abuses of

Commerce: Egyptians

Commerce: Ethiopians

Commerce: Evil Practices Connected With

Commerce: from Tarshish

Commerce: Illustrative of Intercourse With the Apostasy

Commerce: Increased the Wealth of Nations and Individuals

Commerce: Inland, by Caravans

Commerce: Ishmaelites

Commerce: Israelites

Commerce: Jews

Commerce: Laws Concerning

Commerce: Maritime, by Ships

Commerce: Ninevites

Commerce: Persons Engaged In, Called: Chapmen

Commerce: Persons Engaged In, Called: Merchants

Commerce: Persons Engaged In, Called: Sellers and Buyers

Commerce: Persons Engaged In, Called: Traffickers

Commerce: Persons of Distinction Engaged In

Commerce: Success In, Led to Pride

Commerce: Syrians

Commerce: The Barter of One Commodity for Another

Commerce: The Exchange of Commodities for Money

Commerce: Transportation of Passengers

Commerce: Tyrians

Commerce: Zidonians

Related Terms

Trade (33 Occurrences)

Cinnamon (4 Occurrences)

Commercial (1 Occurrence)

Ships (46 Occurrences)

Boats (11 Occurrences)

Dispersion (4 Occurrences)

Esarhaddon (3 Occurrences)

Merchandise (34 Occurrences)

Maritime (1 Occurrence)

Myrrh (22 Occurrences)

Pannag (1 Occurrence)

Phenicia (1 Occurrence)

Buying (12 Occurrences)

Cassia (3 Occurrences)

Asher (43 Occurrences)

Nabathaeans

Nabataeans

Phoenicians

Phoenicia (6 Occurrences)

Library

Commentary (2 Occurrences)

Tyre (59 Occurrences)

Zidon (25 Occurrences)

Know (8133 Occurrences)

Negotiate (1 Occurrence)

Navigate (2 Occurrences)

Nahum (3 Occurrences)

Unlawful (9 Occurrences)

Oil (281 Occurrences)

Joppa (14 Occurrences)

Jehoshaphat (79 Occurrences)

Latin (2 Occurrences)

Lod (4 Occurrences)

Loan (9 Occurrences)

Lydda (3 Occurrences)

Lignaloes

War (529 Occurrences)

Whore (14 Occurrences)

Income (7 Occurrences)

Intercourse (6 Occurrences)

Import (2 Occurrences)

Inland (1 Occurrence)

Incest (1 Occurrence)

Frankincense (22 Occurrences)

Friend (139 Occurrences)

Feast (209 Occurrences)

Trader (7 Occurrences)

Traffic (12 Occurrences)

Trafficker (3 Occurrences)

Trading (24 Occurrences)

Revival (1 Occurrence)

Respect (204 Occurrences)

Empty (84 Occurrences)

East (228 Occurrences)

Essay (1 Occurrence)

Exportation (2 Occurrences)

External (8 Occurrences)

Extend (35 Occurrences)

Decapolis (3 Occurrences)

Derbe (4 Occurrences)

Manna (19 Occurrences)

Merchant (15 Occurrences)

Mercury (1 Occurrence)

Puteoli (1 Occurrence)

By (30426 Occurrences)

Bind (68 Occurrences)

Citron (2 Occurrences)

Chamber (73 Occurrences)

Cos (1 Occurrence)

Corinth (13 Occurrences)

Chaldee

Cubit (51 Occurrences)

Conversation (30 Occurrences)

Commission (11 Occurrences)

Colossae (1 Occurrence)

Company (287 Occurrences)

Caperberry (1 Occurrence)

Cocoon (1 Occurrence)

Aramaic (12 Occurrences)

Commerce: Articles of Ivory
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