Deuteronomy 25:13
in Deuteronomy 25You shall not have two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou shalt not have in thy bag diverse weights, a great and a small.
KJV
Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 25
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights,.... Or, "a stone and a stone" (y); it being usual, in those times and countries, to have their weights of stone, as it was formerly with us here; we still say, that such a commodity is worth so much per stone, a stone being of such a weight; now these were not to be different: a great and a small; great weights, to buy with them, and small weights, to sell with them, as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it. (y) אבן ואבן "lapis et lapis", Montanus, Vatablus, Piscator.
This site's exposition
When men strive together
on Deuteronomy 25:11-16
The hand cut off at verse 12 is the one mutilation the law of Moses prescribes on its own account, beside the like for like of Leviticus 24:19-20, and the formula thine eye shall not pity is the one this book keeps for cases it will not let a judge soften, at 13:8 and 19:13 and 19:21. The weights follow, a stone and a stone in the Hebrew, a heavy one to buy with and a light one to sell by. Leviticus 19:35-36 had already required just balances, and the prophets keep coming back to them at Amos 8:5 and Micah 6:10-11. The promise attached to honest scales is length of days in the land, which is the promise attached to honouring father and mother at Exodus 20:12.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They must not have a great weight and measure to buy by and a small one to sell by, for that was to cheat both ways, when either was bad enough; as we read of those that made the ephah small, in which they measured the corn they sold, and the shekel great, by which they weighed the money they received for it, Amos viii.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Honesty in trade, as a duty to our neighbor, is emphatically enforced once more (compare Lev 19:35-36). It is noteworthy that John the Baptist puts the like duties in the forefront of his preaching (compare Luk 3:12 ff); and that “the prophets” (compare Eze 45:10-12; Amo 8:5; Mic 6:10-11) and “the Psalms” Pro 16:11; Pro 20:10, Pro 20:23, not less than “the Law,” especially insist on them. Deu 25:13 Divers weights - i. e. stones of unequal weights, the lighter to sell with, the heavier to buy with.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Thou shalt not have . . . divers weights--Weights were anciently made of stone and are frequently used still by Eastern shopkeepers and traders, who take them out of the bag and put them in the balance. The man who is not cheated by the trader and his bag of divers weights must be blessed with more acuteness than most of his fellows [ROBERTS].
Divers weights - אבן ואבן eben vaaben, a stone and a stone, because the weights were anciently made of stone, and some had two sets of stones, a light and a heavy. With the latter they bought their wares, by the former they sold them. In our own country this was once a common case; smooth, round, or oval stones were generally chosen by the simple country people for selling their wares, especially such as were sold in pounds and half pounds. And hence the term a stone weight, which is still in use, though lead or iron be the matter that is used as a counterpoise: but the name itself shows us that a stone of a certain weight was the material formerly used as a weight. See the notes on Lev 19:35, Lev 19:36.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִהְיֶ֥ה | yihyeh | it will belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְךָ֛ | lekha | to <the> you | ||
| בְּכִֽיסְךָ֖ | bekhisekha | in bag your | H3599 → | |
| אֶ֣בֶן | ʾeven | a weight | H68 → | 273 times |
| וָאָ֑בֶן | vaaven | and a weight | H68 → | 273 times |
| גְּדוֹלָ֖ה | gedolah | large | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וּקְטַנָּֽה׃ ס | uketanah | and small | H6996 → | 101 times |
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִהְיֶ֥הit will belong
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
לְךָ֛to <the> you
lekha
בְּכִֽיסְךָ֖in bag your
bekhisekhaH3599 →
אֶ֣בֶןa weight
ʾevenH68 →273 times
וָאָ֑בֶןand a weight
vaavenH68 →273 times
גְּדוֹלָ֖הlarge
gedolahH1419 →526 times
וּקְטַנָּֽה׃ סand small
uketanahH6996 →101 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 11:1Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 25:13–16
You shall not have two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 20:23
Unequal weights are detestable to the LORD, and dishonest scales are no good.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 20:10
Differing weights and unequal measures—both are detestable to the LORD.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 16:11
Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are His concern.
- Leviticus 19:35–36
You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume.
- Deuteronomy 25:13–16
Through
Amos 8:5asking, “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, that we may market wheat? Let us reduce the ephah and increase the shekel; let us…
it leads to
- Hosea 12:7
A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Nehemiah 13:15–21
In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being…
- Hosea 12:7
Through
Proverbs 16:11Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are His concern.
it leads to
- Proverbs 11:1
Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.
- Proverbs 11:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.