Reference: Balance
Easton
occurs in Le 19:36; Isa 46:6, as the rendering of the Hebrew kanch', which properly means "a reed" or "a cane," then a rod or beam of a balance. This same word is translated "measuring reed" in Eze 40:3,5; 42:16-18. There is another Hebrew word, mozena'yim, i.e., "two poisers", also so rendered (Da 5:27). The balances as represented on the most ancient Egyptian monuments resemble those now in use. A "pair of balances" is a symbol of justice and fair dealing (Job 31:6; Ps 62:9; Pr 11:1). The expression denotes great want and scarcity in Re 6:5.
Illustration: Balance
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Just balances, just stones, a just ephah, and a just hin shall be to you: I Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
He shall weigh me in balances of justice, and God will know mine integrity.
Surely the sons of man vanity, the sons of man falsehood: to be brought up into the balances, they together of vanity.
Balances of deceit, an abomination of Jehovah: and a whole stone his delight
Squandering gold out of the bag and they will weigh silver in the balance, they will hire a founder, and he will make it a god: they will fall down, they will also worship
And he will bring me there, and behold, a man, his appearance as the appearance of brass, and a cord of flax in his hand, and a reed of measure; and he stood in the gate.
And behold a wall from without to the house round about, round about, and in the man's hand a reed of measure six cubits by the cubit, and a handbreadth: and he will measure the breadth of the building, one reed: and the height, one reed.
He measured the wind of the east with the reed of measure, five-hundred reeds, by the reed of measure round about He measured the wind of the north, five hundred reeds by the reed of measure round about read more. The wind of the south he measured five hundred reeds by the reed of measure.
Tekel; Thou shalt be weighed in the balances and be found wanting.
And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a black horse, and he sitting upon him having a balance in his hand.
Fausets
The emblem of justice (Job 31:6; Ps 62:9; Pr 11:1) the test of truth and honesty. The emblem of scarcity, food being weighed out Re 6:5). Mozenaim, "double scales" (Ge 23:16). Qaneh, "the beam of a balance" (Isa 46:6). Peles, "scales" (Isa 40:12): literally, "the beam", or else the aperture in which the tongue or beam moves.
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And Abraham will listen to Ephron, and Abraham will weigh to Ephron the silver, which he spake in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, passing for traffic.
And Abraham will listen to Ephron, and Abraham will weigh to Ephron the silver, which he spake in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, passing for traffic.
He shall weigh me in balances of justice, and God will know mine integrity.
He shall weigh me in balances of justice, and God will know mine integrity.
Surely the sons of man vanity, the sons of man falsehood: to be brought up into the balances, they together of vanity.
Surely the sons of man vanity, the sons of man falsehood: to be brought up into the balances, they together of vanity.
Balances of deceit, an abomination of Jehovah: and a whole stone his delight
Balances of deceit, an abomination of Jehovah: and a whole stone his delight
Who measured the water in his palm, and measured the heavens with a span, and held the dust of the earth in a third, and weighed the mountains in a balance and the bills in scales?
Who measured the water in his palm, and measured the heavens with a span, and held the dust of the earth in a third, and weighed the mountains in a balance and the bills in scales?
Squandering gold out of the bag and they will weigh silver in the balance, they will hire a founder, and he will make it a god: they will fall down, they will also worship
Squandering gold out of the bag and they will weigh silver in the balance, they will hire a founder, and he will make it a god: they will fall down, they will also worship
And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a black horse, and he sitting upon him having a balance in his hand.
And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a black horse, and he sitting upon him having a balance in his hand.
Hastings
The Hebrew balances probably differed but little from those in use in Egypt as described by Wilkinson (Anc. Egyp. [1878], II. 246 f.). The main parts were the beam with its support, and the scales which were hung by cords from the ends of the equal arms of the beam. The 'pair of scales' is used in OT by a figure for the balance as a whole; only once is the beam so used (Isa 46:6). The weights were originally of stone and are always so termed. The moral necessity of a just balance and true weights and the iniquity of false ones are frequently emphasized by the prophets, moral teachers, and legislators of Israel; see Am 8:5; Mic 6:11; Pr 11:1; 16:11 ('a just balance and scales are the Lord's') Pr 20:23; Le 19:36; De 25:13 ff.
A. R. S. Kennedy.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Just balances, just stones, a just ephah, and a just hin shall be to you: I Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
There shall not be to thee in thy receptacle a stone and a stone, great and small.
Balances of deceit, an abomination of Jehovah: and a whole stone his delight
Weighing and balances of judgment are to Jehovah, and his work all the stones of the bag.
An abomination of Jehovah stone and stone; and the balance of deceit is not good.
Squandering gold out of the bag and they will weigh silver in the balance, they will hire a founder, and he will make it a god: they will fall down, they will also worship
Saying, When will the month pass through, and we will sell grain? and the Sabbath, and we will open wheat to diminish the ephah, and to enlarge the shekel, and to make crooked the balance of deceit?
Shall I make clean with the balances of injustice, and with the bag of stones of deceit?