ἐμπορ-εύομαι G1710
to engage in commerce or trade; to exploit something for gain, especially in an unscrupulous manner
Originally denoting travel for business or trade, the term develops a more negative nuance in the NT. James uses it of merchants planning commercial ventures (Jas 4:13), while Peter employs it more pejoratively of false teachers who exploit believers with fabricated stories (2 Pet 2:3). The range from neutral 'trade' to exploitative 'make merchandise of' appears across translations, with the context determining whether honest commerce or greedy exploitation is in view.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To engage in trade or commerce; to buy and sell for profit. In Jas 4:13, it describes planned commercial activity ('we will trade/do business'), while in 2 Pet 2:3 it carries the negative sense of exploitation ('they will exploit/make merchandise of you'). The lexical background emphasizes traveling for business purposes. Spanish alternates between neutral 'negociar' and exploitative contexts, while German 'Handel treiben' emphasizes the commercial transaction aspect. 2×
AR["سَنَتاجِرُ", "يَتَّجِرونَ"]·ben["ব্যবসা-করব", "ব্যবসা-করবে"]·DE["Handel-treiben"]·EN["they-will-exploit", "we-will-trade"]·FR["ἐμπορευσόμεθα", "ἐμπορεύσονται"]·heb["יִסְחֲרוּ", "נִסְחַר"]·HI["व्यापार-करेंगे"]·ID["kita-akan-berdagang,", "mereka-akan-mengeksploitasi;"]·IT["emporeusometha", "emporeusontai"]·jav["badhé-dagang,", "badhé-dagang;"]·KO["이용하리라;", "장사하리라,"]·PT["farão-comércio", "negociaremos"]·RU["будем-торговать,", "будут-эксплуатировать"]·ES["negociaremos", "negociarán"]·SW["tutafanya-biashara", "watawatumia-kwa-faida"]·TR["sömürecekler", "ticaret-yapacağız"]·urd["استعمال-کریں-گے؛", "تجارت-کریں-گے٬"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐμπορ-εύομαι, future -πορεύσομαι: aorist 1 ἐνεπορεύθην:—middle, aorist 1 -ευσάμηνRefs 5th c.BC+:—travel, ξένην ἔπι.. γαῖαν Refs 5th c.BC+; ποῖ δ᾽ ἐμπορεύ; Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 absolutely, walk, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II travel for traffic or business, Χρηματισμοῦ Χάριν Refs 5th c.BC+; εἰς Πόντον Chion Refs inveigh against the art of healing, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II.2 to be a merchant, traffic, Refs 5th…