Business can mean work, employment, affairs, dealings, or a matter requiring attention. In the New Testament it may refer to the Father’s affairs, diligent service, honest work, or ordinary responsibilities.
Definition
Business may denote work, employment, affairs, dealings, an action, a matter, or an ordinary responsibility. In biblical translation it represents several Hebrew and Greek expressions whose meanings range from practical labor to a particular concern or transaction.
Biblical Usage
In the New Testament, business may refer to the Father’s affairs, a need, diligence, a matter, or tending to one’s own affairs. It can also describe commercial activity or a craft. The biblical contexts therefore connect the word with devoted service, honest work, and responsible conduct.
Historical Background
The underlying biblical terms include words meaning work, word or dealings, action, employment, need, haste, thing done, and working. English “business” thus gathers several related ideas rather than translating one uniform original term.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>biz'-nes: Is the rendering of four Hebrew words:</p><p>(1) mela'khah, in Ge 39:11 (the American Standard Revised Version "work"); 1Ch 26:29,30; 2Ch 13:10 (the American Standard Revised Version "in their work"); 17:13 (the American Standard Revised Version "many works"); Ne 11:16,22; 13:30 (the American Standard Revised Version "in his work"); Es 3:9; Ps 107:23; Pr 22:29; Da 8:27.</p><p>(2) dabhar, literally "a word," is so translated in De 24:5; Jos 2:14,20; Jud 18:7 (the American Standard Revised Version "dealings"); Jud 18:28 (the American Standard Revised Version "dealings"); 1Sa 21:2,8.</p><p>(3) ma`aseh, "an action" (1Sa 20:19).</p><p>(4) `inyan, "employment" (Ec 5:3; 8:16).</p><p>In the New Testament "business" in Lu 2:49 is the rendering of the phrase en, tois, tou patros mou, literally "in the things of my Father," which the American Standard Revised Version renders "in my Father's house," with "about my Father's business" as the marginal reading. "Business" is also used in the translation of chreia, literally "need," of Ac 6:3; as the translation of spoude, literally "haste" of Ro 12:11 (the American Standard Revised Version "diligence"); of pragma, literally "thing done," of Ro 16:2 (the American Standard Revised Version "matter"); of prassein ta idia, literally "tend to one's own business," of 1Th 4:11. In Ac 19:24,25 in Paul's account of the riot in Ephesus, ergasia, literally "working," "performing," is translated "little business" in Ac 19:24 (the King James Version "small gain"), and "by this business" in Ac 19:25 (the King James Version "by this craft").</p><p>Arthur J. Kinsella</p>
