Matthew 13:45 - "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls."

Nehemiah 3:32 - "And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repair."

The distribution and sale of goods is probably the oldest and most wide-spread phase of trading, and the market place was very important in the lives of the people. Here it was that the merchants plied their trade. Their places were usually near the gate (as we see in our second text), or in the open square in the center of the city. Often certain streets were set aside for some particular trade or merchandise.

Surplus produce and livestock were the only items that the Hebrews had to trade, and often goods were bartered rather than being sold for money. Often too there was no set price for an article, so there was much argument and haggling.

As the population increased and roads were developed, the number of merchants increased accordingly. And soon commercial stands sprang up near shrines and religious centers. Sometimes the merchant was a primitive traveling salesman and carried his merchandise by camel, mule, ox, ass, or slave.

A merchant’s profits were generally between 20 and 30 percent, although he occasionally went as high as 100 percent. It’s not surprising, then, that merchants were considered to be dishonest and immoral.

Today we have many comparable occupations, such as the retailer, the department store owner, the salesman, any of the many professions which provide merchandise to the buying public. But we may be sure that the profits are considerably less for today’s merchant - truth in lending laws, laws against usury, and such legal procedures protect the consumer from those merchants who are somewhat unscrupulous. Perhaps they should be very grateful that they didn’t live in the ancient days when a man caught cheating someone in the marketplace could lose his hand, which was doing the cheating!