רְכֻלָּה
𐤓𐤊𐤋𐤄
rᵉkullâh
H7404 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Merchandise, goods for trade, or wares, especially in the context of peddling or itinerant commerce. The term often denotes items or products being traded, emphasizing the activity or practice of dealing in goods rather than merely possessing them. Typically used in reference to commercial exchange and the movement of goods in markets.
Semantic Range
merchandise, wares, traded goods, commodities, traffic (in goods), items circulated by merchants, goods carried or peddled for exchange
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root רכל (r-k-l), which means 'to travel about as a merchant' or 'to peddle.' רְכֻלָּה is the feminine noun form, likely a passive participle in origin, denoting 'that which is traded' or 'merchandise.' The focus in derivation is on the activity of trading or peddling, rather than the goods themselves.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, רְכֻלָּה primarily appears in prophetic literature, notably Ezekiel, to refer to the wares of merchants or the objects of trade brought to markets by foreign traders—especially Tyrian merchants. The term reflects the prominence of international commerce in the ancient Near East, where itinerant peddlers played a key role in moving goods between cities and regions. It is distinguished from more general terms for goods or property (such as רֵכֶשׁ or חֵפֶץ), as רְכֻלָּה specifically refers to goods designated for trade. In later Jewish literature, related terms continue to carry connotations of trade or merchant activity. Unlike modern English 'merchandise,' which may imply any goods for sale, רְכֻלָּה often retains nuances of activity—specifically, goods peddled by merchants or moved via traffic. English translations frequently render the term as 'merchandise' or 'traffic,' but may underplay the aspect of active trading. The association with the root רָכַל also gives the sense of itinerancy and the exchange of diverse goods through trade networks, which was particularly relevant in the Iron Age and Persian periods. No theological or religious connotations are inherent to the word itself, though the activity of trading may be contrasted with settled agrarian life in biblical discourse.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine passive participle of רָכַל; trade (as peddled); merchandise, traffic.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רכל (r-k-l) — to trade, peddle, go about as a merchant
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4819 | מַרְכֹּלֶת | in your trade-goods |
| H7400 | רָכִיל | slander-peddler |
| H7402 | רָכַל | the traveling traders |
| H7403 | רָכָל | in Merchant-Place |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7404-02 |
רְכֻלָּתְ/ךָ֗ | rekhulatekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your trade | your traded goods | 2 |
H7404-01 |
בִּ/רְכֻלָּתְ/ךָ֖ | birekhulatekha | HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms |
in your trading | in your traded goods | 1 |
H7404-03 |
רְכֻלָּתֵ֔/ךְ | rekhulatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your-merchandise | your traded wares | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7404-03 |
Ezekiel 26:12 | רְכֻלָּתֵ֔/ךְ | rekhulatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your-merchandise | your traded wares |
H7404-01 |
Ezekiel 28:5 | בִּ/רְכֻלָּתְ/ךָ֖ | birekhulatekha | HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms |
in your trading | in your traded goods |
H7404-02 |
Ezekiel 28:16 | רְכֻלָּתְ/ךָ֗ | rekhulatekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your trade | your traded goods |
H7404-02 |
Ezekiel 28:18 | רְכֻלָּ֣תְ/ךָ֔ | rekhulatekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
your trade | your traded goods |