“False scales are an abomination to Adonai, but accurate weights please him.“
In Hebrew ‘false’ is sheqer and means ‘deception, lies and fraud.’
The Hebrew word for ‘scales’ or ‘balances’ is mozenim and means ‘weigh.’ My grandfather had a simple balance or pair of scales. It has two pan dishes hanging on a balance; one on the right and one on the left. On one side an item is placed; on the other is placed weights. He had several weights from ounces to several pounds. When the item and the weights balance out, they are equal.
“You are not to have in your pack two sets of weights, one heavy, the other light. You are not to have in your house two sets of measures, one big, the other small” (Deuteronomy 25:13-14).
I have friend who went to the shuk or ‘market’ in Jerusalem and she watched someone weigh cheese who put their finger on the weight side of the balance thus bringing the price of the cheese higher.
The Hebrew word for ‘abomination’ is toebah and means ‘detestable and loathesome.’ This can be something that is morally disgusting, abhorrent like an idol or a custom like false weights in a market.
Adonai in this verse is the memorial name יהוה, yod-hey-vav-hey, Ehyeh Asher Ehyey, I Am as given to Moshe in Exodus 3:15-16.
The Hebrew word for ‘accurate’ is shelam and means ‘just.’ This word has the same ‘root’ as shalom and suggests ‘peace’ but also ‘perfect, complete, and whole.’
The Hebrew word for ‘weight’ is weben and means ‘stone’ as in ‘precious stone’ or ‘foundation stone.’
The Hebrew word for ‘please’ is and means ‘to delight in,’ and to ‘show favor.’
“Deceptive balances that lie are destestable and loathesome to Adonai, but just and perfect foundation stones he favorably accepts.“
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