684. The Market Place

Matthew 20:3  •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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Matthew 20:33And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, (Matthew 20:3). He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market place.
The place for trading was often at the gates of walled cities. See note on 2 Kings 7:11Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. (2 Kings 7:1) (#339). Here, also, laborers went to seek employment, and employers went to seek laborers. Sometimes, in Oriental cities, a large public square is used for similar purposes. Morier says: “The most conspicuous building in Hamadan is the Mesjid Jumah, a large mosque now falling into decay, and before it a maiden or square, which serves as a market-place. Here we observed every morning, before the sun rose, that a numerous body of peasants were collected with spades in their hands, waiting, as they informed us, to be hired for the day to work in the surrounding fields” (Second Journey through Persia, p. 265).