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
Ye shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie. In the balances they will go up. They are together lighter than vanity.
A FALSE balance is an abomination to LORD, but a just weight is his delight.
Such as lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, they hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god. They fall down, yea, they worship.
And he brought me there, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed. And he stood in the gate.
And, behold, a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed six cubits long, of a cubit and a handbreadth each. So he measured the thickness of the building, one reed, and the height, one ree
He measured on the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured on the north side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about. read more. He measured on the south side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
TEKEL, thou are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.
And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third being saying, Come and see. And behold, a black horse, and he who sits on it 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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Abraham hearkened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver that he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current [money] with the merchant.
And Abraham hearkened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver that he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current [money] with the merchant.
(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie. In the balances they will go up. They are together lighter than vanity.
Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie. In the balances they will go up. They are together lighter than vanity.
A FALSE balance is an abomination to LORD, but a just weight is his delight.
A FALSE balance is an abomination to LORD, but a just weight is his delight.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Such as lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, they hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god. They fall down, yea, they worship.
Such as lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, they hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god. They fall down, yea, they worship.
And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third being saying, Come and see. And behold, a black horse, and he who sits on it having a balance in his hand.
And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third being saying, Come and see. And behold, a black horse, and he who sits on it 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
Ye shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Thou shall not have in thy bag diverse weights, a great and a small.
A FALSE balance is an abomination to LORD, but a just weight is his delight.
A just balance and scales are LORD's. All the weights of the bag are his work.
Diverse weights are an abomination to LORD, and a FALSE balance is not good.
Such as lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, they hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god. They fall down, yea, they worship.
saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit,
Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?