Meaning
primarily "an assembly," or, in general, "an open space in a town" (akin to ageiro, "to bring together"), became applied, according to papyri evidences, to a variety of things, e.g., "a judicial assembly," "a market," or even "supplies, provisions" (Moulton and Milligan, Vocab.). In the NT it denotes "a place of assembly, a public place or forum, a market-place." A variety of circumstances, connected with it as a public gathering place, is mentioned, e.g., business dealings such as the hiring of laborers, Mat 20:3; the buying and selling of goods, Mar 7:4 (involving risk of pollution); the games of children, Mat 11:16, Luk 7:32; exchange of greetings, Mat 23:7, Mar 12:38, Luk 11:43, Luk 20:46; the holding of trials, Act 16:19; public discussions, Act 17:17. Mar 6:56 records the bringing of the sick there. The word always carries with it the idea of publicity, in contrast to private circumstances.
The RV always translates it "market-place" or in the plural. The AV sometimes changes the rendering to "markets" and translates it "streets" in Mar 6:56. See STREET.
