"Merchant", "Merchants of the Earth" is a symbol of deceitful religious leaders, shepherds of the peoples and spreaders of their beliefs, who "buy" and exchange the Word of God for their speculations and profitably "sell" to the peoples their false dogmas in return for giving them various honors and blind, fanatical obedience, deriving various benefits from the spiritual ignorance of the peoples who trust them.

"Merchants" is also an image of cunning political leaders, rulers, seducing and so "buying" people on promises of material prosperity, profitably "selling" their various promises.