Mosaic law commanded that the merchant’s measurements be standardized and just.—Deut. 25:13-16; Prov. 11:1; 20:10; Mic. 6:11.

Some merchants were shopkeepers; others did business in the cities in marketplaces and bazaars. (Neh. 13:20) Some owned fleets of ships that plied the high seas to bring back valuable cargoes of merchandise from distant lands. (Ps. 107:23; Prov. 31:14) Other traders were travelers who followed the extensive overland trade routes of the ancient world. (1 Ki. 10:14, 15; 2 Chron. 9:13, 14) Joseph was sold by his brothers to such traveling merchants headed for Egypt.—Gen. 37:25, 28.

All the nations, small and great, had their merchants, and through their activity many were made rich. There were the merchants of Ethiopia (Isa. 45:14), Assyria (Nah. 1:1; 3:16), the kingdom of Solomon (1 Ki. 10:28; 2 Chron. 1:16), and of Sidon and Tyre.—Isa. 23:2, 8.

Ezekiel’s prophecy describes the city of Tyre as a great commercial center to which the ships and caravans from all parts of the world came and that did business with the merchants of many nations—Tarshish, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Dedan, Edom, Judah, Damascus, Sheba, Raamah, Asshur, Chilmad. This same prophecy also describes the great variety of merchandise these merchants handled and which enriched this port city, such things as silver, iron, tin, lead, copper articles, horses, mules, ivory, ebony, turquoise, wool, dyed fabrics, corals, rubies, wheat, special foodstuffs, honey, oil, balsam, wine, cassia, cane, garments of woven material, perfumes, precious stones, gold and other valuable things.—Ezek 27:2, 12-25.

The Greek word emʹpo·ros (poʹros meaning journey) refers to a traveling merchant (being the source of the English word “emporium”), as, for example, the traveling merchant in Jesus’ illustration who searched for fine pearls of great price. (Matt. 13:45) It is the traveling merchants that the symbolic book of Revelation says are made rich by “the great harlot . . . ‘Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots,’” and who weep and mourn over her downfall and destruction. (Rev. 17:1, 5; 18:3, 11-15) Babylon the Great also has her own traveling merchants, “the top-ranking men of the earth.”—Rev. 18:23.

MERCY

This is a frequent translation of the Hebrew ra·hhamʹ and the Greek eʹle·os (verb, e·le·eʹo). An examination of these terms and their usage helps bring out their full flavor and sense. In many cases, though not all, the thought of pity is conveyed or implied.

The Hebrew verb ra·hhamʹ is defined as meaning “to glow, to feel warm with tender emotion; . . . to be compassionate.” According to lexicographer Gesenius: “The primary idea seems to lie in cherishing, soothing and a gentle emotion of mind.” The term is closely related to the word for “womb,” or can refer to “bowels,” which are affected when one feels warm and tender sympathy or pity.—Compare Isaiah 63:15, 16; Jeremiah 31:20.

In the Scriptures ra·hhamʹ is used only once by man toward God, the psalmist saying: “I shall have affection [form of ra·hhamʹ] for you, O Jehovah my strength.” (Ps. 18:1) Between humans, Joseph displayed this quality when “his inward emotions [form of ra·hhamʹ] were excited” toward his younger brother Benjamin and he gave way to tears. (Gen. 43:29, 30; compare 1 Kings 3:25, 26.) Those subjected to the possibility of being dealt with harshly or unfeelingly by captors (1 Ki. 8:50; Jer. 42:10-12) or by officials of superior authority (Gen. 43:14; Neh. 1:11; Dan. 1:9) desired and prayed to become objects of pity or mercy before such ones, hence, to be treated with favor, gentleness, consideration.—Contrast Isaiah 13:17, 18.

JEHOVAH’S MERCY

The term’s most frequent use is with regard to Jehovah’s dealings with his covenant people. God’s pity (ra·hhamʹ) toward these is compared with that of a woman toward the children of her womb and with a father’s mercy toward his sons. (Isa. 49:15; Ps. 103:13) Since the nation of Israel frequently strayed from righteousness and came into sore straits, they often became especially in need of merciful help. If they showed a right heart attitude and turned to Jehovah, he, though having been angry with them, would express compassion, favor, goodwill. (Deut. 13:17; 30:3; Ps. 102:13; Isa. 54:7-10; 60:10) His sending his Son to be born in Israel was evidence of a coming “daybreak” of divine compassion and mercy for them.—Luke 1:50-58, 72-78.

The Greek eʹle·os conveys some of the sense of the Hebrew ra·hhamʹ. W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says: “ELEOS (ἔλεος) ‘is the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it.’” The verb (e·le·eʹo) generally conveys the idea of feeling “sympathy with the misery of another, and especially sympathy manifested in act.” (Vol. III, pp. 60, 61) Hence, the blind, the demon-possessed, the leprous, or those whose children were afflicted, were among those who evoked eʹle·os, the expression of mercy, pity. (Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; Mark 5:18, 19; Luke 17:12, 13) In response to the plea, “Have mercy on us,” Jesus performed miracles relieving such ones. He did so, not in a routine, apathetic way, but “moved with pity” (Matt. 20:33, 34), the Gospel writer here using a form of the verb splag·khniʹzo·mai, which literally means “to feel the bowels yearn.” This latter verb expresses the feeling of pity, whereas eʹle·os refers to the active manifestation of such pity, hence an act of mercy.

Not limited to judicial action

In English the word “mercy” quite generally conveys the idea of refraining, exercising restraint, such as in the administering of punishment, this restraint being motivated by compassion or sympathy. Thus, it frequently has a judicial flavor, as when a judge shows clemency in softening the judgment upon a wrongdoer. Since God’s exercise of mercy is always in harmony with his other qualities and righteous standards, including his justice and trueness (Ps. 40:11; Hos. 2:19), and since all men are by inheritance sinful and worthy of receiving sin’s payment of death (Rom. 5:12; compare Psalm 130:3, 4; Daniel 9:18; Titus 3:5), it is clear that the pardoning of error, or the lightening of judgment or punishment, is frequently involved in God’s exercise of mercy. (Ps. 51:12; 103:3, 4; Dan. 9:9; Mic. 7:18, 19) However, it can be seen from the preceding information that the Hebrew and Greek terms (ra·hhamʹ; eʹle·os) are not limited to forgiveness or restraint in applying a judicial penalty. Pardon of error of itself is not the mercy generally portrayed by these terms, but, rather, such forgiveness opens the way for that mercy. In expressing mercy, God, of course, never ignores his perfect standards of justice and for this reason he has provided the ransom sacrifice through his Son Christ Jesus, making possible the forgiveness of sins with no violation of justice.—Rom. 3:25, 26.

Mercy, then, most frequently refers, not to a negative action, a holding back (as of punishment), but to a positive action, to an expression of kind consideration or pity that brings relief to those who are disadvantaged, in need of mercy.

This is well illustrated in Jesus, parable of the Samaritan who saw the traveler lying by the roadside, robbed and beaten. He showed himself “neighbor” to the man because, moved with pity, he “acted mercifully toward him,” treating his wounds and caring for him. (Luke 10:29-37) No forgiveness of wrongdoing or judicial proceedings were involved.

Hence, the Scriptures show that the mercifulness of Jehovah God is not a quality that comes into play only when persons are, in effect, “on trial” before him due to having committed some particular wrong-doing