Fair business transactions are essential to distribute the benefits of God's goodness between individuals and nations. Scripture insists on honesty in trade and warns against abuses.
Trade in ancient Israel
Leviticus 25:14 Land transactions required the approval of the ruler of the state; 2 Kings 4:7, 2 Kings 7:1; Nehemiah 3:31–32; Proverbs 31:13–18, Proverbs 31:24; Zephaniah 1:11; Matthew 21:12 parallels Mark 11:15–16, Luke 19:45, John 2:14–16 trade in Jerusalem in Jesus Christ's day
International trade
Under Solomon
1 Kings 9:26–28 parallel 2 Chronicles 8:17–18 See also 1 Kings 10:14–15 parallel 2 Chronicles 9:13–14 Transit taxes were imposed on inter-state trade. Also some taxes were owed to the state by merchants for some kinds of trade; 1 Kings 10:28–29 parallel 2 Chronicles 1:16–17; 2 Chronicles 9:21; Song of Solomon 3:6–7
King Solomon also assembled a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. And Hiram sent his servants, sailors who knew the sea, to serve in the fleet with Solomon’s servants. They sailed to Ophir and imported gold from there— 420 talents— and delivered it to Solomon.
Under Jehoshaphat
1 Kings 22:48 parallel 2 Chronicles 20:35–37 Soon afterwards the port of Ezion Geber passed back into the hands of Edom (see 2 Kings 8:20).
In the Psalms
Trade among the nations
Hittites
Shechemites
Ishmaelites
And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
Midianites
See also Genesis 37:28
Egypt
Sheba
Damascus
Tyre and the surrounding nations
Isaiah 23:8 See also Ezekiel 27:1–36
Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?
Tarshish
Nineveh
Ancient Babylon
Babylon the Great
Revelation 18:9–24 See also Revelation 18:2–3
Honesty is essential in trade
Leviticus 19:35–36 See also Deuteronomy 25:13–16; Proverbs 11:1, Proverbs 16:11, Proverbs 20:10, Proverbs 20:23
You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume. You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Warnings against abuses in trade
Dishonesty
Amos 8:4–5 See also Ezekiel 28:18; Hosea 12:7; Micah 6:10–11
Hear this, you who trample the needy, who do away with the poor of the land, asking, “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, that we may market wheat? Let us reduce the ephah and increase the shekel; let us cheat with dishonest scales.
Oppression
Overconfidence
Pride
Ezekiel 28:5 See also Isaiah 2:12, Isaiah 2:16, Isaiah 23:17–18
By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, but your heart has grown proud because of it.
Sabbath trading
Nehemiah 10:31, Nehemiah 13:15–22
The slave trade
Genesis 37:26–28, Genesis 37:36, Genesis 39:1; Amos 2:6, Amos 8:6; 1 Timothy 1:10; Revelation 18:13
Sacrilegious trade
Immoral trade
The imagery of trade applied to spiritual matters
Matthew 13:45–46 See also Proverbs 23:23; Matthew 25:14–18; Luke 19:13; 1 Corinthians 6:20
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.