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 weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall you have: I am the 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: if laid on the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and 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 bronze, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring rod; 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 rod of six cubits long by the cubit and a handbreadth: so he measured the width of the building, one rod; and the height, one rod.
He measured the east side with the measuring rod, five hundred rods, with the measuring rod all around. He measured the north side, five hundred rods, with the measuring rod all around. read more. He measured the south side, five hundred rods, with the measuring rod.
TEKEL; you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on it had a pair of balances 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 unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchants.
And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchants.
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: if laid on the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: if laid on the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and measured out heaven with the span, and known 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 measured out heaven with the span, and known the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he makes it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he makes it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on it had a pair of balances in his hand.
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on it had a pair of balances 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 weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall you have: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a great and a small.
A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
A just weight and balance are the LORD's: all the weights in the bag are his work.
Diverse weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and 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 falsifying the balances by deceit?
Shall I count those pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?