ἔμπορος (emporos)
emporos
trader/merchant
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun emporos refers to a merchant or trader who travels for business, rather than a local shopkeeper. Its etymology combines a prefix meaning "in" with a root related to journeying, literally describing one who moves through places to conduct commerce. This distinguishes the word from terms for retail sellers; an emporos is involved in larger-scale trade that requires travel and significant capital.
Scripture uses this term primarily to illustrate spiritual truths through commercial imagery. In Matthew 13:45, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a merchant seeking fine pearls, highlighting the value of discovering something worth sacrificing everything for. The word appears frequently in Revelation chapter 18, where it describes the wealthy traders who mourn when Babylon falls, showing how global commerce depends on political and economic stability.
Translators typically render emporos as "merchant" or "trader," capturing the sense of a professional engaged in long-distance trade. The sources note its use in the Septuagint for Hebrew words meaning dealer or peddler, reinforcing the connection to mobile commerce. This focus on journeying underscores that the work involves leaving home to acquire goods, making it a distinct category from stationary retail.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word emporos describes a professional trader who travels to conduct business, rather than a local shopkeeper. This distinction highlights the effort and capital required to pursue valuable goods across distances. In Matthew 13:45, Jesus uses this image to show how the Kingdom of Heaven is worth every sacrifice. A true merchant searches diligently for rare pearls, ready to sell all they have to secure one perfect find.
Revelation chapter 18 offers a sobering contrast. There, merchants mourn when Babylon falls because their wealth vanishes overnight. Their joy was tied to luxury and power, not eternal truth. This reminds us to examine what we value most. Are we seeking lasting spiritual treasures, or are we invested in temporary worldly success that cannot protect us from judgment?
Christians are invited to view their lives through this lens of purposeful pursuit. Just as the merchant in Matthew’s gospel recognizes supreme worth, believers are called to prioritize the Kingdom above all else. This perspective brings clarity and hope, anchoring our hearts in what endures forever rather than what fades quickly.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- merchants4×
- a merchant1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἔμποροι3×
- ἔμποροί1×
- ἐμπόρῳ1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 13:45
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls,
Jesus uses this term to illustrate the deliberate search for the Kingdom of Heaven, showing that its value justifies total sacrifice.
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Revelation of John 18:3
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury.”
This verse links merchants to global corruption, showing how trade networks can become complicit in widespread moral decay.
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Revelation of John 18:11
The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more:
The mourning here reveals the emptiness of wealth built on luxury, as these traders realize their business has collapsed due to divine judgment.