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
You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
let me be weighed in an even balance so that God may know my uprightness.
Surely the sons of men are vanity; the sons of men are a lie; they go up in the scales; they are altogether lighter than vanity.
False balances are hateful to Jehovah; but a just weight is His delight.
They pour gold out of the bag, and weigh silver out of the measuring rod, and hire a goldsmith; and he makes it a god; they fall down, yea, they bow down.
And He brought me there, and behold, a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, and 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 all around, and in the man's hand was a measuring reed, six cubits long, with a cubit and a span. And he measured the building's breadth, one reed; and the height, one reed.
He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed, all around. He measured the north side, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed all around. read more. He measured the south side, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
A SHEKEL, You are weighed in the balances and found wanting.
And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come and see. And I looked, and lo, a black horse. And he sitting on it had 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 listened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, which passes with the merchant.
And Abraham listened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, which passes with the merchant.
let me be weighed in an even balance so that God may know my uprightness.
let me be weighed in an even balance so that God may know my uprightness.
Surely the sons of men are vanity; the sons of men are a lie; they go up in the scales; they are altogether lighter than vanity.
Surely the sons of men are vanity; the sons of men are a lie; they go up in the scales; they are altogether lighter than vanity.
False balances are hateful to Jehovah; but a just weight is His delight.
False balances are hateful to Jehovah; but a just weight is His delight.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and measured out the heavens with a span? And who has shut up 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 the heavens with a span? And who has shut up the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
They pour gold out of the bag, and weigh silver out of the measuring rod, and hire a goldsmith; and he makes it a god; they fall down, yea, they bow down.
They pour gold out of the bag, and weigh silver out of the measuring rod, and hire a goldsmith; and he makes it a god; they fall down, yea, they bow down.
And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come and see. And I looked, and lo, a black horse. And he sitting on it had a balance in his hand.
And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come and see. And I looked, and lo, a black horse. And he sitting on it had 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
You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a great stone and a small.
False balances are hateful to Jehovah; but a just weight is His delight.
A just weight and balance are Jehovah's; all the weights of the bag are His work.
Different kinds of weights are hateful to Jehovah, and a false balance is not good.
They pour gold out of the bag, and weigh silver out of the measuring rod, and hire a goldsmith; and he makes it a god; they fall down, yea, they bow down.
saying, When will the new moon be gone so that we may sell grain? And the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small and the shekel great, and perverting the balances by deceit;
Shall I count those with the wicked scales pure, and those with the bag of deceitful weights?