Comércio na Bíblia. Significado e Versículos sobre Comércio

Abraão era rico em objetos e ornamentos de prata e de ouro, o que mostra que já naqueles primitivos tempos as raças nômades tinham relações comerciais com outras (Gênesis 13.2 – Gênesis 24.22,53). Desde os tempos mais remotos o Egito tinha uma alta situação como nação comercial, ainda que os seus negócios externos estavam nas mãos de estrangeiros.

Foi uma caravana de ismaelitas, com os seus camelos carregados de especiarias, que levou José para o Egito – a descrição desse fato mostra que os escravos faziam, algumas vezes, parte da mercadoria importada (Gênesis 37.25 – Gênesis 39.1 – *veja João 6.19).

O trigo era exportado do Egito e pago por meio de pesadas quantidades de prata (Gênesis 41.57 – Gênesis 42.3, 2 – Gênesis 35 – Gênesis 43.11, 1 – Gênesis 21). As pedras preciosas e especiarias da índia eram levadas para o Egito (Êxodo 25.3,7).

Por este mesmo tempo havia relações comerciais entre Babilônia e as cidades da Síria. Até ao reinado de Salomão pode dizer-se que a nação hebraica não tinha comércio externo. Mas esse rei importou do Egito fio de linho, cavalos, e carros.

Tudo isto ele pagou com o ouro que vinha da india e da Arábia por mar (1 Reis 9.26,27 – 1 Reis 10.22 a 29). O cedro e outras madeiras para as grandes obras do templo e da sua casa foram levados por mar para Jope pelos fenícios, ao passo que as necessárias provisões para os operários, que trabalhavam no monte Líbano, eram mandadas por Salomão (1Rs 5.6,9 – 2 Crônicas 2.16).

Os navios costumavam navegar para o oceano indico de três em três anos, partindo de Elate e Eziom-Geber, portos sobre o golfo Elanítico do mar Vermelho, e traziam para a Palestina ouro, prata, marfim, pau sândalo, ébano, pedras preciosas, macacos e pavões (1Rs 9.26 – 2 Crônicas 10.11,12 – 2 Crônicas 8.18).

A Fenícia era abastecida pela Judéia de trigo, mel, azeite e bálsamo (1 Reis 5.11 – Ezequiel 27.17 – Atos 12.20), enquanto os comerciantes de Tiro traziam a Jerusalém peixe e outras mercadorias por ocasião da volta do cativeiro (Neemias 13.16), bem como madeiras para a reedificação do templo.

Exportava-se azeite para o Egito (Oséias 12.1), e se vendiam cintos de manufatura doméstica para ornamento, e linho fino aos mercadores (Provérbios 31.24). Na linguagem de Ezequiel, aparece Jerusalém como rival de Tiro no comércio de exportação, que se fazia pelo seu porto de Jope (Ezequiel 26.2).

Os lugares do mercado público eram, principalmente, os espaços abertos próximos das portas das povoações para onde eram levados os gêneros de venda por aqueles que vinham de fora (Neemias 13.15,16 – Sofonias 1.10).

Com respeito à compra e venda das diversas mercadorias, a lei era muito exigente na maneira honesta de negociar. Pesos exatos e balanças certas eram exigidos com todo o rigor (Levítico 19.3 – Levítico 36 – Deuteronômio 25 13 a 16).

Levar à força para outras terras homens ou mulheres para serem vendidos era crime, passível de dura penalidade (Êxodo 21.16 – Deuteronômio 24.7).

Comércio – Dicionário Bíblico de Smith

Comércio.

Desde o momento em que os homens começaram a viver em cidades, o comércio, de alguma forma, deve ter sido realizado para fornecer aos habitantes da cidade os necessários de fontes estrangeiras e nativas, pois encontramos que Abraão era rico, não apenas em gado, mas também em prata, ouro e utensílios e ornamentos de ouro e prata. (Gênesis 13.2 ; Gênesis 24.22 Gênesis 24.53) Entre as nações comerciais mencionadas nas Escrituras, o Egito ocupa uma posição proeminente desde os tempos antigos.

O comércio interno dos judeus, assim como o externo, foi muito promovido pelos festivais, que traziam grande número de pessoas a Jerusalém. (1 Reis 8.63) Os locais de mercado público eram principalmente os espaços abertos perto dos portões, para onde as mercadorias eram trazidas para venda por aqueles que vinham de fora. (Neemias 13.15 Neemias 13.16 ; Sofonias 1.10) Os comerciantes em tempos posteriores foram autorizados a invadir o templo, nos pátios externos do qual as vítimas eram publicamente vendidas para o sacrifício. (Zacarias 14.21 ; Mateus 21.12 ; João 2.14)

Smith, William, Dr. “Entry for ‘Commerce’”. “Smith’s Bible Dictionary”. 1901.

Comércio – Enciclopédia Internacional da Bíblia Padrão

Commerce

I. Old Testament Times.

1. Early Overland Commerce:

There were forces in early Hebrew life not favorable to the development of commerce. Intercourse with foreigners was not encouraged by Israel’s social and religious customs. From the days of the appearance of the Hebrews in Canaan, however, some commercial contact with the peoples around was inevitable.

There were ancient trade routes between the East and the West, as well as between Egypt and the Mesopotamian valley. Palestine lay as a bridge between these objective points. There were doubtless traveling merchants from very remote times, interchanging commodities of other lands for those of Palestine.

Some of the Hebrew words for “trading” and “merchant” indicate this (compare cachar, “to travel,” rakhal, “to go about”). In the nomadic period, the people were necessarily dependent upon overland commerce for at least a part of their food supply, such as grain, and doubtless for articles of clothing, too.

Frequent local famines would stimulate such trade. Companies or caravans carrying on this overland commerce are seen in Gênesis 37.25,28, “Ishmaelites” and “Midianites, merchantmen,” on their way to Egypt, with spices, balm and myrrh.

Jacob caused his sons to take certain products to Egypt as a present with money to Joseph in return for grain:

balsam, spices, honey, myrrh, nuts, almonds (Gênesis 43.11). The presence of a “Bab mantle” among the spoils of Ai (Josué 7.21) indicates commerce between Canaan and the East.

2. Sea Traffic:

While there are slight indications of a possible sea trade as early as the days of the Judges (Juízes 5.17; compare Gênesis 49.13), we must wait till the days of the monarchy of David and especially Solomon for the commerce of ships.

Land traffic was of course continued and expanded (1 Reis 10.15,28,29; 2 Crônicas 1.16). Sea trade at this time made large strides forward. The Philistines were earlier in possession of the coast. Friendship with Hiram king of Tyre gave Solomon additional advantages seaward (1 Reis – 1 Reis 9.26 – 1 Reis 10.19-29; 2 Crônicas 8.1 – 2 Crônicas 9.14), since the Phonicians were pre-eminently the Mediterranean traders among all the people of Palestine.

Later, commerce declined, but Jehoshaphat attempted to revive it (1 Reis 22.48; 2 Crônicas 20.36), but without success. Tyre and Sidon as great commercial centers, however, long impressed the life of Israel (Isaías 23 Ezequiel 26.27).

Later, in the Maccabean period, Simon acquired Joppa as a Jewish port (1 Macabeus 14:5), and so extended Mediterranean commerce.

3. Land Traffic in the Time of the Kings:

During the peaceful reign of Solomon, there came, with internal improvements and foreign friendships, a stimulus to traffic with Egypt and the Far East over the ancient trade routes as well as with Phoenicia on the northwest.

He greatly added to his wealth through tariffs levied upon merchantmen (1 Reis 10.15). Trade with Syria in the days of Omri and Ahab is indicated by the permission Benhadad gave to Israelites to open streets, or trading quarters, in Damascus, as Syrians had in Samaria (1 Reis 20.34).

The prophets disclose repeatedly the results of foreign commerce upon the people in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, and of Jeroboam II, under whom great material prosperity was attained, followed by simple luxury (Isaías 2.6,7,16; Oséias 12.1,7,8; Amós 6.3-6).

The people in their greed of gain could not observe Sabbaths and feast days (Amós 8.5); compare Sabbath trading and its punishment in the days of the restoration (Neemias 13.15-22). “Canaanite” became the nickname for traffickers (Zacarias 14.21; compare Isaías 23.8).

II. New Testament Times.

After the conquests of Alexander 333 BC, trade between East and West was greatly stimulated. Colonies of Jews for trade purposes had been established in Egypt and elsewhere. The dispersion of the Jews throughout the Greek and Roman world added to their interest in commerce.

The Mediterranean Sea, as a great Roman lake, under Roman protection, became alive with commercial fleets. The Sea of Galilee with its enormous fish industry became the center of a large trading interest to all parts.

The toll collected in Galilee must have been considerable. Matthew was called from his collectorship to discipleship (Mateus 9.9); Zaccheus and other publicans became rich collecting taxes from large commercial interests like that of balsam.

Jesus frequently used the commerce of the day as illustration (Mateus 13.4 – Mateus 25.14-30). Along the Palestinian coast there were several ports where ships touched:

Lydda, Joppa, Caesarea; and further north Ptolemais, Tyre, Sidon and Antioch (port Seleucia).

The apostle Paul made use of ships touching at points on the coast of Asia Minor, and the islands along the coast, and also doing coast trade with Greece, Italy and Spain, to carry on his missionary enterprises (Atos 13.4-1 – Atos 16.11 – Atos 18.18 – Atos 20.13-16 – Atos 21.1-8 – Atos 27.1-44 – Atos 28.1-14).

The rapidity with which the gospel spread throughout the Roman world in the 1st century was due no little to the use of the great Roman highways, built partly as trade routes; as well as to the constant going to and fro of tradesmen of all sorts; some of whom like Aquila and Priscilla (Atos 18.2,18,26), Lydia, (Atos 16.14,40) and Paul himself (who was a traveling tent-maker) were active in disseminating the new faith among the Gentiles.

In Tiago 4.13 we have a good representation of the life of a large number of Jews of this period, who would “go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain” (the King James Version).

Edward Bagby Pollard

Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. “Entry for ‘COMMERCE’”. “International Standard Bible Encyclopedia”. 1915.