Deuteronomy 25:15
in Deuteronomy 25You must maintain accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
A perfect and just weight shalt thou have; a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.
KJV
But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 25
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA 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].
This site's exposition
If two men are fighting
on Deuteronomy 25:11-16
The cut hand of verse 12 is the only mutilation the law prescribes outside the like for like of Leviticus 24:19-20. The weights follow, a heavy one to buy with and a light one to sell by, and Leviticus 19:35-36, Amos 8:5 and Micah 6:10-11 condemn the same fraud. Honest scales carry the promise of long life in the land, as honouring parents does at Exodus 20:12.
This site's exposition
accurate and honest weights and measures
The weights must be accurate and honest in the bag and in the house alike, and Henry observes that a false weight or measure cheats in every sale. Barnes adds that John the Baptist gave the same honesty first place at Luke 3:13. The LORD asks one standard for buying and selling.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But thou shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shall thou have,....
That which is the rule of justice must itself be just; if that be otherwise, it is a constant cheat. This had been taken care of before, Lev. xix. This law is enforced with two very good reasons:-- 1.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֶ֣בֶן | ʾeven | a weight | H68 → | 273 times |
| שְׁלֵמָ֤ה | shelemah | full | H8003 → | 28 times |
| וָצֶ֙דֶק֙ | vatzedek | and righteousness | H6664 → | 119 times |
| יִֽהְיֶה־ | yihyeh- | it will belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָּ֔ךְ | lakh | to <the> you | ||
| אֵיפָ֧ה | ʾeifah | a measure | H374 → | 40 times |
| שְׁלֵמָ֛ה | shelemah | full | H8003 → | 28 times |
| וָצֶ֖דֶק | vatzedek | and righteousness | H6664 → | 119 times |
| יִֽהְיֶה־ | yihyeh- | it will belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָּ֑ךְ | lakh | to <the> you | ||
| לְמַ֙עַן֙ | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| יַאֲרִ֣יכוּ | yaarikhu | they may be long | H748 → | 34 times |
| יָמֶ֔יךָ | yameikha | days your | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| עַ֚ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה | haadamah | the land | H127 → | 225 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| נֹתֵ֥ן | noten | [is] about to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָֽךְ׃ | lakh | to <the> you |
אֶ֣בֶןa weight
ʾevenH68 →273 times
שְׁלֵמָ֤הfull
shelemahH8003 →28 times
וָצֶ֙דֶק֙and righteousness
vatzedekH6664 →119 times
יִֽהְיֶה־it will belong
yihyeh-H1961 →3559 times
לָּ֔ךְto <the> you
lakh
אֵיפָ֧הa measure
ʾeifahH374 →40 times
שְׁלֵמָ֛הfull
shelemahH8003 →28 times
וָצֶ֖דֶקand righteousness
vatzedekH6664 →119 times
יִֽהְיֶה־it will belong
yihyeh-H1961 →3559 times
לָּ֑ךְto <the> you
lakh
לְמַ֙עַן֙so that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
יַאֲרִ֣יכוּthey may be long
yaarikhuH748 →34 times
יָמֶ֔יךָdays your
yameikhaH3117 →2304 times
עַ֚לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
הָֽאֲדָמָ֔הthe land
haadamahH127 →225 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
נֹתֵ֥ן[is] about to give
notenH5414 →2011 times
לָֽךְ׃to <the> you
lakh
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
Exodus 20:12Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
it leads to
- Ephesians 6:1–3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 5:16
Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 7:10
For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
- Proverbs 23:22–25
Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
- Ephesians 6:1–3
Through
Deuteronomy 5:16Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the…
it leads to
- Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
- Exodus 20:12
Through
Deuteronomy 6:18Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may be well with you and that you may enter and possess the good land that the LORD your…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:40
Keep His statutes and commandments, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD your…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 4:40
Through
Deuteronomy 4:40Keep His statutes and commandments, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD your…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:25
Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 12:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on 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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.