The Hebrew verb sachar means to trade, traffic, go about as a merchant, or travel around for commerce. The related noun socher is a merchant or trader. The word appears in the context of international trade in Ezekiel's lament over Tyre, as well as in Proverbs' portrait of the capable woman who is likened to a merchant ship.
Commerce and trade in the Old Testament are morally complex domains. Sachar describes the legitimate activity of merchants and traders, but the prophets also condemn dishonest trading (false weights and measures, Leviticus 19:35-36). Tyre's maritime trading empire in Ezekiel 27-28 is portrayed as beautiful but ultimately corrupting — the abundance of trade led to pride and violence. The capable woman of Proverbs 31 'sees that her trading is profitable' — using commercial language to honor the virtuous woman. Jesus' cleansing of the temple addresses how sacred space had been turned into a house of commerce. Sachar thus invites reflection on the place of economic life within God's ordering of society.