Balance, Balances — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Devices used to weigh an object by opposing it with a known weight. Balances or scales have been used to measure weight since at least the middle of the second millennium BC. Pictures and inscriptions in Egyptian tombs give us an idea of the appearance of the earliest scales. A pair of such balances found in Ugarit dates from about 1400 BC.

Balances usually consisted of four main parts: (1) an upright center standard, (2) a crossbar suspended from it, (3) two pans suspended from each end of the crossbar by cords, and (4) on the more elaborate models, a rod or pointer attached to the center of the crossbar at right angles to it. The rod moved in front of the standard so that when the two pans held equal weights the exact vertical position of the rod would be evident.

Scales or balances were used in the ancient world primarily to measure precious metals such as silver or gold. The “Story of the Eloquent Peasant,” dating from the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, however, mentioned the figurative measuring of a person’s heart and tongue.

Balances are mentioned frequently in the OT, with much emphasis on the use of just weights in commerce (Lv 19:36; Prv 11:1; 16:11; 20:23; Ez 45:10; Hos 12:7; Am 8:5; Mi 6:10-12). The weighing of silver with a balance is described (Is 46:6), as when Jeremiah weighed the money that he paid for his nephew’s field (Jer 32:8-10). In an acted-out prophecy, Ezekiel was told to cut off all his hair and beard and weigh it in balances to separate it into three equal parts (Ez 5:1-2). Job asked to be “weighed in a just balance,” that God might know his integrity (Jb 31:6). Daniel said that Belshazzar had been weighed in the balances (judged) and found wanting (Dn 5:27). One reference to scales or balances is found in the NT, in Revelation 6:5, which speaks of a rider (on a black horse) having a balance in his hand. The prophecy is of severe famine, when some foods can no longer be obtained, when inflation has driven up food prices, and when people check the scales carefully to be sure they are not cheated when buying even the cheapest grains, such as barley (Rv 6:6).

Show passage in OET: LEV 19:36

OET-RV LEV 19:36

36 your scales and weights and measuring containers must be honest. I am your god Yahweh who brought you all out of Mitsrayim.

OET-LV LEV 19:36

36 Balances _of righteousness weights _of righteousness an _ʼēyfāh _of righteousness and_a _hin _of righteousness it _will _belong to/for_you(pl) I am_YHWH god _of_your(pl) who I _brought _out you(pl) from_the _land _of Miʦrayim.

Show passage in OET: PRO 11:1

OET-RV PRO 11:1

11 Yahweh hates dishonest scales,
⇔ ^ but he delights in an accurate weight

OET-LV PRO 11:1

11 Balances _of deceit are_(the)_abomination _of YHWH and_stone _of perfect pleasure _of_is_his.

Show passage in OET: PRO 16:11

OET-RV PRO 16:11

11 Honest scales and balances come from Yahweh.
⇔ ≈ The weights in the bag are his work.

OET-LV PRO 16:11

11 Scale[s] and_balances _of justice to/for_YHWH work _of_are_his all _of the_weights _of the_bag.

Show passage in OET: PRO 20:23

OET-RV PRO 20:23

23 Fiddling with the weights is hated by Yahweh,
⇔ ≈ and deceitful scales aren’t good.

OET-LV PRO 20:23

23 Are_(the)_abomination _of YHWH a _weight and_a _weight and_balances _of deceit not are_good.

Show passage in OET: EZE 45:10

OET-RV EZE 45:10

10 You Israelis must use accurate scales and measuring containers.

OET-LV EZE 45:10

10 Balances _of righteousness and_an _ʼēyfāh _of righteousness and_a _bath _of righteousness let _it _belong to_you(pl).

Show passage in OET: HOS 12:7

OET-RV HOS 12:7

7 A merchant has false scales in his hands.
⇔ ≈ He loves to oppress.

OET-LV HOS 12:8

8  A _merchant in_his/its_hand balances _of deceit who_to_defraud he _loves.

Show passage in OET: AMO 8:5

OET-RV AMO 8:5

5 They say,
⇔ “When will the new moon celebrations be over, so we can sell grain again?
⇔ ≈ When will the Rest Day be over, so we can sell wheat?
⇔ We’ll make the measure small and increase the price,
⇔ ≈ as we cheat with false scales.

OET-LV AMO 8:5

5 To_say when the _new_moon will _it _pass so_that _we _may _sell _grain grain and_the_sabbath so_that _we _may _open grain to_make _small an _ʼēyfāh and_to_make _great a _shekel and_to_falsify balances _of deceit.

Show passage in OET: MIC 6:10–12

OET-RV MIC 6:10

10 There’s dishonest wealth in wicked people’s houses,
⇔ along with hated false weights and measures.

OET-RV MIC 6:11

11 Should I consider people to be innocent if they use fraudulent scales
⇔ or a bag of deceptive weights?

OET-RV MIC 6:12

12 The city’s rich men are full of violence,
⇔ the inhabitants have spoken lies,
⇔ and you can’t believe a word that they say.

OET-LV MIC 6:10

10 Still are_there house _of the_wicked treasures _of wickedness and_an _ʼēyfāh _of scantness accursed.

OET-LV MIC 6:11

11 Will_I _be _clean with_balances _of wickedness and_with_a _bag _of weights _of deceit.

OET-LV MIC 6:12

12 Which its _rich _of_people they _are _full violence and_inhabitants _of_its they _speak falsehood and_tongue _of_their is_deceit in_mouth _of_their.

Show passage in OET: ISA 46:6

OET-RV ISA 46:6

6 Those who pour gold out from a bag
⇔ ≈ and weigh their silver on a scale,
⇔ hire a metalsmith to make it into a god.
⇔ They kneel in front of it and worship it.

OET-LV ISA 46:6

6 Those_who_pour _out gold from_a _bag and_silver on_scale[s] they _weigh _out they _hire a _metalsmith and_he_makes _it a _god they _prostrate _themselves also they _bow _down.

Show passage in OET: JER 32:8–10

OET-RV JER 32:8

8 Then just as Yahweh had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the guards’ courtyard and he asked me, “Buy my field that is in Anatot in the Benyamin region, because you have the right to inherit it so the right to buy it belongs to you. Buy it for yourself.” Then I knew that this was Yahweh’s message.

OET-RV JER 32:9

9 So I bought the field in Anatot from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out seventeen shekels of silver for him.

OET-RV JER 32:10

10 Then I wrote in a scroll and sealed it, and had witnesses witness it and the weight of the silver on the scales.

OET-LV JER 32:8

8 And_he _came to_me Ḩₐnam^ʼēl the _son _of my _uncle _of_my according_to _the _message _of YHWH to the _courtyard _of the _guard and_he/it _said to_me buy please DOM field _of_my which is_at_ˊAnātōt which in_land of _Binyāmīn if/because to/for_yourself(m) the _right _of (the)_possession and_belongs_to_you the _right_redemption buy_it to/for_you(fs) and_I _knew if/because _that was_the _message _of YHWH it.

OET-LV JER 32:9

9 And_I _bought DOM the_field from_with Ḩₐnam^ʼēl the _son _of my _uncle _of_my which was_at_ˊAnātōt and_I_weighed _out for_him/it DOM the_silver was_seven shekels and_ten the_silver.

OET-LV JER 32:10

10 And_I _wrote on_document and_I _sealed_it and_I _caused _to _witness_it witnesses and_I _weighed _out the_silver on_balances.

Show passage in OET: EZE 5:1–2

OET-RV EZE 5:1

5 Then you, son of humanity, take a sharp sword as a barber’s razor for yourself, and use it to shave your head and beard, then get some scales so you can weigh your hair and divide it equally into three piles.

OET-RV EZE 5:2

2 Burn a third of it in the middle of the city when the days representing the siege have finished, and take the second pile of hair and hit it with the sword all around the city. Then scatter the final third to the wind, and I’ll draw out a sword to chase after the people.

OET-LV EZE 5:1

5 And_you(ms) Oh _son _of humankind take to/for_yourself(m) a _sword sharp (the)_razor _of (the)_barbers you_will _take _it (for)_yourself and_you _will _make_it_pass over head _of_your and_over beard _of_your and_you _will _take to/for_yourself(m) balances _of weight and_you_will _divide _them.

OET-LV EZE 5:2

2 A _third_part in_fire you _will _burn in _the_middle the_city just_ the _days _of the _siege _as _are _completed and_you _will _take DOM (the)_third_part you _will _strike_it with_sword around _of_it and _(the)_third_part you _will _disperse to_wind and_a _sword I _will _draw after_them.

Show passage in OET: JOB 31:6

OET-RV JOB 31:6

6 let him weigh me on his scales of justice,
⇔ and God will acknowledge my integrity.

OET-LV JOB 31:6

6 Let_him _weigh _me in_balances _of righteousness and_ god _let _him _acknowledge integrity _of_my.

Show passage in OET: DAN 5:27

OET-RV DAN 5:27

• 27 Weighed: You’ve been weighed on the scales and found deficient, and

OET-LV DAN 5:27

27 Teqel you _have _been _weighed in_the_scales and_you _have _been _found lacking.

Show passage in OET: REV 6:5

OET-RV REV 6:5

5 Then the lamb broke the third seal and I heard the third living creature say, “Come.” I looked, and wow, there was a black horse, and the one sitting on it held balancing scales in his hand.

OET-LV REV 6:5

5 And when he _opened _up the seal the third, I _heard from _the third living _creature saying:
Be _coming.
And I _looked, and see, a_horse black, and the one sitting on it, having a_scale in the hand of _him.

Show passage in OET: REV 6:6

OET-RV REV 6:6

6 Then I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures that said, “A kilo of wheat for a day’s pay, or three kilos of barley for the same price. But don’t harm the oil and wine supplies.”

OET-LV REV 6:6

6 And I _heard something like a_voice in the_midst of _the four living _creatures saying:
A_ⱪoinix_measure of _wheat three, for_a_daʸnarion_coin and ⱪoinix_measure of _barley for_a_daʸnarion_coin, but the olive _oil and the wine not you _may _injure.

Jump to OET LEV 19:36 section.

Jump to OET PRO 11:1 section.

Jump to OET PRO 16:11 section.

Jump to OET PRO 20:23 section.

Jump to OET EZE 45:10 section.

Jump to OET HOS 12:7 section.

Jump to OET AMO 8:5 section.

Jump to OET MIC 6:10–12 section.

Jump to OET ISA 46:6 section.

Jump to OET JER 32:8–10 section.

Jump to OET EZE 5:1–2 section.

Jump to OET JOB 31:6 section.

Jump to OET DAN 5:27 section.

Jump to OET REV 6:5 section.

Jump to OET REV 6:6 section.