Deuteronomy 25:13-16

(20) JUST WEIGHTS AND MEASURES (Deuteronomy 25:13-16)

13 Thou shalt not have in thy bag diverse weights, a great and a small. 14 Thou shalt not have in thy house diverse measures, a great and a small. 15 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. 16 For all that do such things, even all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 25:13-16

446.

There seems to have been a bureau of weights and measures long ago. How was it determined if a weight was too great or small?

447.

Proverbs has much to say about this. Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 16:11; Proverbs 20:10; Proverbs 23.

448.

How does the length of Israel's stay in the land relate to honest business transactions?

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 25:13-16

13 You shall not have in your bag true and false weights, a large and a small.
14 You shall not have in your house true and false measures, a large and a small.
15 But you shall have a perfect and just weight, and a perfect and just measure; that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
16 For all who do such things, and all who do unrighteously, are an abomination to the Lord your God.

COMMENT 25:13-16

See also Leviticus 19:35-37, Micah 6:11. A number of Proverbs (Proverbs 11:1, Proverbs 16:10, Proverbs 20:10; Proverbs 20:23) refer to the justice of this lawand the wickedness of being deceptive or deceitful in this all-important matter in the business world.

They must not only not use them [diverse weights], but they must not have them; not have them in the bag, not have them in the house; for if they had them they would be strongly tempted to use them. 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 epbah small, in which they measured the corn [grain] they sold, and the shekel great, by which they weighed the money they received for it (Amos 8:5). (Butler's Bible Work).