Leviticus 19:35-36
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This verse connects judicial fairness directly to everyday business transactions, highlighting that cheating with measurements is as serious as a judge passing a false sentence. It’s not just about what you do, but how you do it, emphasizing that integrity must permeate all aspects of life, not just legal proceedings.
“You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage continues God's instructions for holy living by expanding on the principle of justice. Just as judges must be fair (Leviticus 19:15), so too must merchants and tradespeople act with integrity in all their dealings. This means ensuring that measures of length, weight, and volume are accurate and honest, preventing any form of deceit in commercial transactions.
We often think of 'justice' as courtroom proceedings. But God's idea of fairness extends to the marketplace and everyday dealings. Leviticus broadens the scope of righteous living in a surprising way.
The Scope of "Judgment"
The verse begins by calling for "no unrighteousness in judgment." While this certainly applies to judges and legal proceedings, the context immediately broadens its meaning. It's not just about courtrooms, but about any situation where one person's actions affect another's.
Everyday Business as Sacred Duty
Leviticus 19:35 then specifically calls out:
God demands that these everyday transactions be conducted with absolute integrity. Cheating with weights and measures was considered as serious as a corrupt judge's verdict. It reveals that our honesty in small, seemingly insignificant dealings has immense spiritual weight.
Why would God care so much about honest scales and accurate measurements? It goes deeper than just preventing financial fraud. It touches on His very character.
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An Abomination to the Lord
The consequences for dishonesty in trade were severe. The commentaries point out that such practices were considered an 'abomination' to God. This isn't just about earthly laws; it's about offending the Creator.
Reflecting Divine Integrity
God is perfectly just and truthful. When we practice honesty in all our dealings, especially in the mundane acts of measuring and weighing, we reflect His character. Conversely, dishonesty, even in small matters, profanes God's name and shows a lack of respect for His perfect standard.
The Weight of Our Actions
This principle underscores that God is not distant from our daily lives. He sees the 'false balance' and the 'deceitful measure.' True worship isn't confined to religious services; it's lived out in the integrity of our actions, demonstrating that God's truth informs every aspect of our existence.
Understand the original words
mishpat · Hebrew Noun
A standard of legal and ethical righteousness used to determine truth, fairness, and the administration of justice between people, reflecting God’s own righteous nature.
tzedeq · Hebrew Adjective
A state of fairness, righteousness, and integrity. In a legal or commercial context, it refers to standards that are accurate, honest, and free from deceit, reflecting God's own character.
mozenayim · Hebrew Noun
An instrument for weighing, often symbolizing divine judgment or the requirement for integrity in human dealings. Biblically, it emphasizes the importance of honesty in all business and social transactions as a reflection of holiness.
eben · Hebrew Noun
Stones or metal pieces used as standards for measurement. In Scripture, using inaccurate weights is condemned as an abomination, while accurate weights represent moral uprightness and fairness before God.
ephah · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew unit of dry measure, roughly equivalent to a bushel. It served as a standard container for grain and other commodities; the command to have a 'just' ephah requires economic transparency and honesty.
hin · Hebrew Noun
A liquid measure used primarily for oil or wine. Like the ephah, it functioned as a standard of trade, and the requirement for a 'just' hin reinforces the biblical mandate for integrity in all aspects of life.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The covenant name of God (Yahweh), the personal, self-existent, and redeeming God of Israel. It denotes His authority as the one who establishes the Law and His relational commitment to His people.
Mitsrayim · Hebrew Noun
The state of bondage in Egypt from which God delivered Israel, serving as a powerful historical reminder of God's grace and a foundational reason for Israel's obedience to His commands.
This verse directly echoes the concern for honest dealings, stating that dishonest scales are detestable to the Lord, underscoring the gravity of fairness in all transactions, not just legal judgments.
Micah 6:10-11The prophet Micah highlights that dishonesty in trade, specifically with dishonest measures and weights, is a grave offense against God, showing this principle is a consistent theme throughout Scripture.
Ezekiel 45:10This passage calls for just balances, weights, and measures in a future, restored Israel, demonstrating that integrity in commerce is a divine expectation, even in prophetic visions of God's kingdom.
Deuteronomy 25:13-16Here, the command for just weights and measures is repeated with a strong theological reason: it is an abomination to the Lord, showing that such honesty is fundamental to living in the land God is giving them.
Luke 16:10-11Jesus applies the principle of faithfulness in earthly matters, including the 'unrighteous mammon' (often related to wealth and its management), teaching that integrity in seemingly small dealings reflects our character before God.
gillLeviticus 19:35: "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure."
Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment,.... This is repeated from Leviticus 19:15 ; and in order to lead on to some other laws and instructions; though Aben Ezra thinks this is said in connection with the preceding words, and in reference to the stranger, agreeably to Deuteronomy 1:16 ; but Jarchi refers it to what follows concerning weights and measures, and observes, that a measurer is a…
clarkeLeviticus 19:35: "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure."
Ye shall do no unrighteousness - Ye shall not act contrary to the strictest justice in any case, and especially in the four following, which properly understood, comprise all that can occur between a man and his fellow. 1. Judgment in all cases that come before the civil magistrate; he is to judge and decide according to the law. 2.-Mete-Yard, במדה bammiddah, in measures of length and surface,…
This verse connects judicial fairness directly to everyday business transactions, highlighting that cheating with measurements is as serious as a judge passing a false sentence. It’s not just about what you do, but how you do it, emphasizing that integrity must permeate all aspects of life, not just legal proceedings.
This passage continues God's instructions for holy living by expanding on the principle of justice. Just as judges must be fair (Leviticus 19:15), so too must merchants and tradespeople act with integrity in all their dealings. This means ensuring that measures of length, weight, and volume are accurate and honest, preventing any form of deceit in commercial transactions.
This passage continues God's instructions for holy living by expanding on the principle of justice. Just as judges must be fair (Leviticus 19:15), so too must merchants and tradespeople act with integrity in all their dealings. This means ensuring that measures of length, weight, and volume are accurate and honest, preventing any form of deceit in commercial transactions.
"“You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt." — This verse connects judicial fairness directly to everyday business transactions, highlighting that cheating with measurements is as serious as a judge passing a false sentence. It’s not just about *…
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Last reviewed October 2026
