מֶ֫כֶר (me.kher)
me.kher
merchandise
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun mekher refers to merchandise, value, or price. It appears in only three verses in the Hebrew Bible, found in Numbers, Nehemiah, and Proverbs. In these contexts, it denotes goods prepared for trade or the monetary worth assigned to them.
In Proverbs 31:18, the text describes a capable woman whose lamp does not go out at night because she considers how her merchandise profits her. This usage highlights the practical aspect of commerce and the careful evaluation of economic gain. The word connects the physical goods with their financial value in a marketplace setting.
The term is straightforward, focusing on the commercial exchange rather than abstract concepts of wealth. Its limited occurrence suggests it was a specific technical term for trade items or their assessed cost, used to illustrate diligence and shrewdness in managing resources.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mekher points to the tangible goods we handle and the prices we assign to them. It reminds us that everyday commerce is not separate from spiritual life. When we manage resources, whether in a busy market or a quiet home, we are stewarding what God has provided.
In Proverbs 31, the capable woman evaluates her merchandise with care. Her lamp does not go out because she thinks clearly about profit and loss. This is not greed; it is wisdom. She understands that diligence in small things honors God.
We can learn from this practical faith. It invites us to look at our work and wealth as opportunities for faithful stewardship. May your hands be skilled and your heart wise in all you do.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- price/ their1×
- price/ her1×
- merchandise1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מֶ֑כֶר1×
- מִכְרָֽ/הּ\׃1×
- מִכְרָ֑/ם1×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 31:10
Who can find a worthy woman? For her value is far above rubies.
This verse contrasts the woman's worth with rubies, establishing that her value includes her prudent management of merchandise and economic gain.
-
Nehemiah 13:16
Some men of Tyre also lived there, who brought in fish and all kinds of wares, and sold on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
Here the term describes fish and wares sold in Jerusalem, highlighting how trade activities were monitored to ensure Sabbath rest was kept.
-
Numbers 20:19
The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”
The Israelites offer to pay the price for water, showing that mekher can refer to the monetary compensation due for resources used during travel.