מַרְכֹּלֶת
𐤌𐤓𐤊𐤋𐤕
markôleth
H4819 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Goods traded or sold; merchandise, wares. The term chiefly refers to items or cargo brought for trade, particularly in the context of commercial activity or trade caravans. While it may refer broadly to any type of merchandise, it often highlights the collective goods associated with commerce and barter.
Semantic Range
goods for sale, merchandise, commercial wares, imported cargo, marketable items
Root / Etymology
The word is derived from the root רכל (רָכַל), which means 'to go about as a trader' or 'to trade, traffic.' מַרְכֹּלֶת reflects a derivative formation from this root indicating 'merchandise, articles of trade.' The formative מַ- prefix with the -ֶת ending is typical for abstract or collective nouns in Hebrew.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַרְכֹּלֶת appears in the Hebrew Bible only in late biblical books—chiefly in Ezra and Nehemiah—where it refers to goods, often of foreign origin, involved in trade with Judahites or residents of Jerusalem during the Persian period. The sense is distinct from מִכְרָה (mikhrāh, a more general term for 'merchandise' or 'sale') and סְחוֹרָה (sekhorah, 'merchandise, goods'), which can be used more broadly or with subtle differences in emphasis. The word’s use reflects the commercial realities of the post-exilic period, when Jerusalem and Judah were re-integrating into larger Near Eastern economies. In English translations, it is usually rendered as 'merchandise' or 'wares,' but these do not always capture the implication of commercial exchange or imported goods. There is no early biblical (pre-exilic) usage, and the term is notably absent from pentateuchal or early monarchic sources, suggesting it may reflect Persian-era commercial terminology or practices.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רָכַל; a mart; merchandise.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רכל (r-k-l) — to travel as a trader, to trade, to traffic
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7400 | רָכִיל | slander-peddler |
| H7402 | רָכַל | the traveling traders |
| H7403 | רָכָל | in Merchant-Place |
| H7404 | רְכֻלָּה | in your traded goods |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4819-01 |
בְּ/מַרְכֻלְתֵּֽ/ךְ | bemarekhuletekhe | HR/Ncfsc/Sp2fs |
among your merchandise | in your trade-goods | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4819-01 |
Ezekiel 27:24 | בְּ/מַרְכֻלְתֵּֽ/ךְ | bemarekhuletekhe | HR/Ncfsc/Sp2fs |
among your merchandise | in your trade-goods |