Original Word: מָכַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: makar
Pronunciation: mah-KAR
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-kar')
KJV: X at all, sell (away, -er, self)
NASB: sold, sell, sells, seller, certainly sell, destruction, make
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender)

sell away,

A primitive root; to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender) -- X at all, sell (away, -er, self).

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to sell
NASB Translation
certainly sell (1), destruction (1), make (1), merchants (1), offer yourselves for sale (1), sell (23), seller (3), selling (1), sells (8), sold (40).

מָכַר verb sell (Late Hebrew id.; Phoenician מכר; Zinjirli מכרו price, DHM^{Sendsch. 60}; Aramaic , מְכַר marry (i.e. buy as a wife); compare Assyrian makkûru, namkur(r)u, nakkuru, possession, property, Dl^{HWB 408}); —

Qal Perfect ׳מ Leviticus 27:20 2t.; suffix מְכָרוֺ Exodus 21:37 2t.; 1 singular מָכַרְתִּי Isaiah 50:1 2t., etc.; Imperfect יִמְכֹּר Exodus 21:7 +, etc.; Imperative מִכְרָ֫ה Genesis 25:31; feminine singular מִכְרִי 2 Kings 4:7; Infinitive absolute מָכֹר Deuteronomy 14:21; Deuteronomy 21:14; construct מְכוֺר Nehemiah 10:32; suffix מָכְרָהּ Exodus 21:8; מִכְרָם Amos 2:6; Nehemiah 13:15 (compare Ba^{NB 104}); Participle מֹכֵר (מוֺכֵר) Leviticus 25:16 3t.; feminine מֹכֶרֶת Nahum 3:4, etc.; — sell (with בְּ pret. Amos 2:6; Joel 4:3; Psalm 44:13) followed by accusative e.g. land Genesis 47:20,22 (J), Leviticus 25:14 (accusative of congnate meaning with verb), Leviticus 25:25 (H; followed by מֵאֲחֻזָּתוֺ) compare Ezekiel 48:14 (followed by מִן partitive), Leviticus 25:15 (no object expressed), so Leviticus 25:27; Leviticus 27:20 (H), Ruth 4:3; house Leviticus 25:29 (H); beast Exodus 21:35; Exodus 21:37 (E); flesh Deuteronomy 14:21 (no object); crop Leviticus 25:16 (H); food Nehemiah 10:32; Nehemiah 13:15,16, compare Nehemiah 13:20 (followed by מִמְכָר); oil 2 Kings 4:7; linen Proverbs 31:24; birthright Genesis 25:31,33 (J); most often human beings, e.g. as slaves Genesis 37:27,28,36; Genesis 45:4,5 (all J E), Exodus 21:16 (E), Deuteronomy 21:14 (twice in verse); Deuteronomy 24:7, compare Amos 2:6; Nehemiah 5:8; Zechariah 11:5; Joel 4:3; Joel 4:6; Joel 4:7; Joel 4:8 (twice in verse); especially daughters Exodus 21:7,8 (E); in marriage Genesis 31:15 (E); Participle = seller Isaiah 24:2; Ezekiel 7:12,13; figurative, object truth Proverbs 23:23; of Nineveh, selling nations גּוֺיִם Nahum 3:4; especially ׳י selling his people (to enemies), i.e. giving it entirely into their power: Deuteronomy 32:30; Psalm 44:13; Isaiah 50:1, also (בְּיַד ׳מ) Judges 2:14; Judges 3:8; Judges 4:2; Judges 10:7; 1 Samuel 12:9; compare Judges 4:9 (Sisera to woman); also Ezekiel 30:12 (strike out Co after B and others)

Niph`al Perfect נִמְכַּר Leviticus 25:48 5t., etc.; Imperfect יִמָּכֵר Leviticus 25:34 3t., etc.; Infinitive הִמָּֽכְרוֺ Leviticus 25:50; Participle plural נִמְכָּרִים Nehemiah 5:8; — be sold, of land Leviticus 25:23,34; beast Leviticus 27:27; compare Leviticus 27:28 (all P); of human beings as slaves Exodus 22:2 for (בְּ) theft (E), Leviticus 25:42 (P), Psalm 105:17; Esther 7:4; sell oneself Leviticus 25:39,47,48,50 (PH), Deuteronomy 15:12; Jeremiah 34:14; Nehemiah 5:8 (twice in verse); figurative of Israel, sold by ׳י, Isaiah 50:1 for (בְּ) their sins, Isaiah 52:3; compare Esther 7:4 = given over to death.

Hithpa`el Perfect הִתְמַכֵּר 1 Kings 21:25; וְהִתְמַכַּרְתֶּם consecutive Deuteronomy 28:68; וַיִּתְמַכְּרוּ 2 Kings 17:17; Infinitive הִתְמַכֶּרְךָ 1 Kings 21:20; sell oneself as slave Deuteronomy 28:68; figurative 1 Kings 21:20,25; 2 Kings 17:17, all followed by לַעֲשׂוֺת הָרַע.

Range and Pattern of Usage

The verb appears close to eighty times, spanning Genesis to Zechariah. It is applied to land, livestock, movable goods, persons, inheritances, and—most arrestingly—God’s own covenant people. The contexts fall naturally into several thematic clusters that highlight both ordinary commercial practice and profound spiritual realities.

Economic and Legal Context

1. Ordinary commerce

Goods are simply exchanged for value in verses such as Genesis 47:20, where “Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh.” The verb conveys routine market activity without moral overtones.

2. Sale of land and houses inside Israel

Leviticus 25 regulates the process: land may be sold (v. 14) but remains spiritually the Lord’s (v. 23), so every sale anticipates a possible kinsman-redeemer or Jubilee release. The same chapter extends the principle to urban houses (vv. 29-30) and even to the poor selling themselves (v. 39).

3. Slavery contracts within Israel

Exodus 21:7-8, Deuteronomy 15:12, and Nehemiah 5:8 illustrate the sale of Hebrew servants. Mosaic law restricts and humanizes these sales, always tempering commerce with covenant identity.

Bondage and Slavery

1. Forced sale by brothers

Genesis 37 repeatedly uses the verb for Joseph: his brothers “sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver” (v. 28). Joseph later interprets the event theologically: “It was not you who sent me here, but God” (45:8).

2. Judicial selling of thieves

Exodus 22:3: “A thief must make restitution; if he has nothing, he must be sold for his theft.” Personal liberty can be lost through crime, underscoring the seriousness of sin’s debt.

3. National bondage

During the Judges era the Lord “sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim” (Judges 3:8; cf. 4:2, 10:7). The verb depicts covenant discipline: Yahweh hands His people over as if a divine creditor collects on unpaid fidelity.

Divine Judgement and Sovereignty

God himself is the primary Actor in many occurrences.

• Psalm 44:12: “You sell Your people for nothing; You make no profit from their sale.”
• Isaiah 50:1: “Behold, you were sold for your iniquities.”
• Isaiah 52:3: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.”

These statements frame national exile as a “sale” occasioned by sin, yet simultaneously highlight the gratuitous nature of future redemption.

Prophetic and Ethical Denunciations

The prophets attack commercialized oppression:

• Amos 2:6: “They sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals.”
• Joel 3:3, 6: The nations “have sold a boy for a prostitute and a girl for wine.”
• Zechariah 11:5: “Their own shepherds do not spare them.”

Such texts expose economic injustice as an assault on God’s image-bearers and warn that exploiters will themselves face divine recompense.

Covenantal and Familial Obligations

A unique nuance appears in Ruth 4:3-4. Naomi “is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.” The legal possibility of purchase activates the kinsman-redeemer system and paves the way for Davidic—and ultimately Messianic—genealogy. What looks like an ordinary sale becomes redemptive infrastructure.

Redemptive Foreshadowing

The verb sets up anticipation of deliverance. Every sale in Leviticus 25 expects a redeemer; every divine “sale” of Israel promises an Exodus-type rescue. Joseph’s account prefigures suffering turned to salvation: “God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5). Thus the Old Testament use of מָכַר becomes a shadow that the New Testament substance fulfills: “You were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Messianic and Theological Implications

1. Typology of Joseph

Sold for silver, yet exalted to save many. The pattern anticipates Jesus, betrayed for silver (Matthew 26:15) and exalted for the salvation of the world.

2. Redemption language

Isaiah 52:3 (“redeemed without money”) signals that Messiah’s redemption will not be transacted in earthly currency but in His own blood (1 Peter 1:18-19).

3. Divine ownership

The recurring reminder that the land and the people are the Lord’s (Leviticus 25:23, Deuteronomy 32:6) culminates in Paul’s declaration, “You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preach freedom from sin’s slavery: as Israel was “sold for iniquity,” so sinners are captive until Christ purchases them.
• Confront social injustice: prophets condemn those who “sell” the vulnerable; modern ministry should champion the oppressed and resist human trafficking.
• Encourage stewardship: land and possessions belong ultimately to God; believers are managers, not absolute owners.
• Cultivate hope: Divine “sales” are never final; the Lord delights in redeeming what seems lost.

The verb מָכַר, therefore, is more than a record of ancient market activity. It is a theological thread weaving together human commerce, divine judgment, and the glorious promise of redemption accomplished in Jesus Christ.

הִמָּ֣כְרוֹ הִתְמַכֵּ֔ר הִתְמַכֶּרְךָ֔ הַמֹּכֶ֤רֶת הַמּוֹכֵ֗ר הַנִּמְכָּרִ֤ים המוכר המכרו המכרת הנמכרים התמכר התמכרך וְהִתְמַכַּרְתֶּ֨ם וְהַמּוֹכֵ֖ר וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ וְנִמְכְּרוּ־ וְנִמְכַּ֖ר וְנִמְכַּ֗ר וְנִמְכַּ֥ר וְנִמְכַּר־ וַֽיִּמְכְּרֵ֗ם וַֽיִּמְכְּרֵ֞ם וַֽיִּמְכְּרֵם֙ וַיִּֽתְמַכְּר֗וּ וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ וַיִּמְכְּרֵ֣ם וַיִּמְכֹּ֣ר וַיִּמְכֹּ֥ר וַתִּמְכֹּ֑ר וּמְכָר֑וֹ וּמְכָר֛וֹ וּמְכָר֥וּם וּמָ֨כְר֜וּ וּמָכַ֖ר וּמָכַרְתִּ֞י וּמָכַרְתִּ֥י וּמָכֹ֥ר וּמֹכְרִ֧ים וּמֹכְרֵ֧י וּמֹכְרֵיהֶ֣ן והמוכר והתמכרתם וימכר וימכרו וימכרם ויתמכרו ומכר ומכרו ומכרום ומכרי ומכריהן ומכרים ומכרתי ונמכר ונמכר־ ונמכרו־ ונמכרנו ותמכר יִמְכְּר֣וּ יִמְכָּר־ יִמְכֹּ֤ר יִמְכֹּ֥ר יִמָּכְר֖וּ יִמָּכֵ֑ר יִמָּכֵ֖ר יִמָּכֵ֣ר יִמָּכֵ֨ר ימכר ימכר־ ימכרו כַּמּוֹכֵ֔ר כמוכר לְמָכְרָ֖הּ לִמְכּ֔וֹר למכור למכרה מְכַרְתֶּ֖ם מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם מְכָר֑וֹ מְכָרָ֑נוּ מְכָרָ֔ם מִכְרִ֣י מִכְרָ֤ם מִכְרָ֥ה מִכְרָ֥ם מָֽכַר־ מָכְר֖וּ מָכְר֤וּ מָכְר֥וּ מָכְרָ֣ה מָכַ֥ר מָכַ֥רְתִּי מָכֹר֙ מֹכֵ֖ר מכר מכר־ מכרה מכרו מכרי מכרם מכרנו מכרתי מכרתם נִמְכַּ֔ר נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ נִמְכַּ֥ר נִמְכַּרְתֶּ֑ם נִמְכַּרְתֶּ֔ם נמכר נמכרנו נמכרתם תִּמְכְּר֥וּ תִּמְכֹּ֑ר תִּמְכֹּֽר־ תִמְכְּר֤וּ תִמְכְּרֶ֖נָּה תִמָּכֵר֙ תמכר תמכר־ תמכרו תמכרנה ham·mō·ḵe·reṯ ham·mō·w·ḵêr hammoCher hammoCheret hammōḵereṯ hammōwḵêr han·nim·kā·rîm hannimkaRim hannimkārîm him·mā·ḵə·rōw himMacherov himmāḵərōw hiṯ·mak·kêr hiṯ·mak·ker·ḵā hitmakKer hiṯmakkêr hitmakkerCha hiṯmakkerḵā kam·mō·w·ḵêr kammoCher kammōwḵêr lə·mā·ḵə·rāh lemacheRah ləmāḵərāh lim·kō·wr limKor limkōwr mā·ḵar mā·ḵar- mā·ḵar·tî mā·ḵə·rāh mā·ḵə·rū mā·ḵōr machar maCharti macheRah macheRu maChor māḵar māḵar- māḵartî māḵərāh māḵərū māḵōr mə·ḵā·rā·nū mə·ḵā·rām mə·ḵā·rōw mə·ḵar·tem mechaRam mechaRanu mechaRo mecharTem məḵārām məḵārānū məḵārōw məḵartem michRah michRam michRi miḵ·rāh miḵ·rām miḵ·rî miḵrāh miḵrām miḵrî mō·ḵêr moCher mōḵêr nim·kar nim·kar·nū nim·kar·tem nimkar nimKarnu nimkarnū nimkartem ṯim·kə·ren·nāh tim·kə·rū ṯim·kə·rū tim·kōr tim·kōr- ṯim·mā·ḵêr timkeRennah ṯimkərennāh timkeRu timkərū ṯimkərū timkor timkōr timkōr- timmaCher ṯimmāḵêr ū·mā·ḵar ū·mā·ḵar·tî ū·mā·ḵə·rū ū·mā·ḵōr ū·mə·ḵā·rōw ū·mə·ḵā·rūm ū·mō·ḵə·rê ū·mō·ḵə·rê·hen ū·mō·ḵə·rîm umaChar umacharTi uMacheRu umaChor ūmāḵar ūmāḵartî ūmāḵərū ūmāḵōr umechaRo umechaRum ūməḵārōw ūməḵārūm umocheRei umochereiHen umocheRim ūmōḵərê ūmōḵərêhen ūmōḵərîm vaiyimkeRem vaiyimkeRu vaiyimKor vaiyitmakkeRu vattimKor vehammoCher vehitmakkarTem venimKar venimkeRennu venimkeru wat·tim·kōr wattimkōr way·yim·kə·rêm way·yim·kə·rū way·yim·kōr way·yiṯ·mak·kə·rū wayyimkərêm wayyimkərū wayyimkōr wayyiṯmakkərū wə·ham·mō·w·ḵêr wə·hiṯ·mak·kar·tem wə·nim·kar wə·nim·kar- wə·nim·kə·ren·nū wə·nim·kə·rū- wəhammōwḵêr wəhiṯmakkartem wənimkar wənimkar- wənimkərennū wənimkərū- yim·kār- yim·kə·rū yim·kōr yim·mā·ḵə·rū yim·mā·ḵêr yimkār- yimkeRu yimkərū yimKor yimkōr yimmaCher yimmacheRu yimmāḵêr yimmāḵərūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts