Proverbs 11:1
A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse isn't just about literal scales and weights in ancient markets; it highlights God's deep concern for all forms of deception. The "false balance" points to any dishonesty, whether in business or relationships, that claims one thing while delivering another, and God finds such trickery utterly detestable. Conversely, "a just weight" signifies consistent integrity and truthfulness in every action, which is what truly delights Him.
This verse kicks off a series of contrasts in Proverbs 11, presenting fundamental principles of wisdom and righteousness. It immediately sets up a core theme: God cares deeply about the honesty and integrity we bring to our everyday dealings, not just our religious practices. The proverb highlights how deception in commerce, like using rigged scales, is fundamentally offensive to God, who desires fairness and truth in all relationships.
The Bible uses strong words for actions that displease God. 'Abomination' is one of them, and it points to something deeply offensive to His character.
What 'Abomination' Really Means
When Proverbs calls a false balance an 'abomination to the LORD,' it's not just saying God dislikes it. The Hebrew word often translated as 'abomination' carries a sense of something detestable, repulsive, or utterly contrary to God's nature and will. It's the kind of thing that goes against the very grain of who God is.
Why Honesty Matters to God
God is a God of truth, justice, and order. Cheating with weights and measures isn't just a financial crime against another person; it's a direct affront to God's character. It's a deliberate act of deception that undermines the trust and integrity God desires in all human interactions. It's practicing wickedness under the guise of legitimacy, which is particularly offensive to Him.
Just as God detests deception, He is also pleased by actions that reflect His own character. What brings Him delight?
God's Pleasure in Integrity
The flip side of 'abomination' is 'delight.' While a false balance is repulsive to God, a 'just weight' – meaning honest and accurate dealings – is something He takes pleasure in. This highlights that God isn't just about avoiding sin; He actively desires and delights in righteousness.
Foundations of Society
Honest weights and measures were crucial in ancient commerce. They were the bedrock of trust between merchants and customers. The repetition of this principle in Proverbs (and in the Law of Moses) shows its fundamental importance. It wasn't just about fairness; it was about establishing a society where people could trust each other, mirroring the trustworthiness of God.
Understand the original words
mizney mirmah · Hebrew Noun phrase
A deceptive tool used for cheating in commercial transactions, representing dishonesty and injustice. In Scripture, God demands honesty in all human dealings, viewing fraudulent practices as an affront to His own standard of truth.
toebah · Hebrew Noun
Something loathsome, detestable, or repulsive, especially to God. It frequently describes actions, objects, or practices that are contrary to God’s nature, holiness, or covenant requirements.
eben shelemah · Hebrew Noun phrase
An accurate, fair, or complete measure used for weight, symbolizing honesty, fairness, and adherence to divine standards of justice in daily life. God finds pleasure in those who reflect His character through integrity.
This passage directly commands 'You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or in weights or in volume. You shall have just balances; you shall have just weights.'
Deuteronomy 25:13-16This section provides a similar command against dishonest measures, emphasizing that 'a full and just weight you shall have,' linking it to the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Ezekiel 45:10The prophet Ezekiel condemns dishonest scales and measures, stating, 'You shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.'
Amos 8:5Amos denounces those who 'make the ephah small, and the shekel great, and deal falsely with balances of deceit,' showing how oppression through dishonest trade was a sin against God.
Matthew 7:12Jesus summarizes the Golden Rule: 'So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them,' which is the heart of the integrity demanded in honest weights and measures.
ellicottProverbs 11:1: "A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight."
XI. (1) A false balance is abomination to the Lord.—A similar proverb is found in Proverbs 20:23, and praise of just weights, Proverbs 16:11; Proverbs 20:10. The repetition suggests that this form of cheating had become common in the time of Solomon, when the commerce of Israel began to develop. If so, there would be good reason for these frequent warnings, for it would have been useless to raise the…
pulpitProverbs 11:1: "A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight."
Verse 1. - A false balance; literally, balances of deceit (Proverbs 20:23). The repetition of the injunctions of Deuteronomy 25:13, 14 and Leviticus 19:35, 36 points to fraud consequent on increased commercial dealings, and the necessity of moral and religious considerations to control practices which the civil authority could not adequately supervise. The standard weights and measures were deposited…
This verse isn't just about literal scales and weights in ancient markets; it highlights God's deep concern for all forms of deception. The "false balance" points to any dishonesty, whether in business or relationships, that claims one thing while delivering another, and God finds such trickery utterly detestable. Conversely, "a just weight" signifies consistent integrity and truthfulness in every action, which is what truly delights Him.
This verse kicks off a series of contrasts in Proverbs 11, presenting fundamental principles of wisdom and righteousness. It immediately sets up a core theme: God cares deeply about the honesty and integrity we bring to our everyday dealings, not just our religious practices. The proverb highlights how deception in commerce, like using rigged scales, is fundamentally offensive to God, who desires fairness and truth in all relationships.
This verse kicks off a series of contrasts in Proverbs 11, presenting fundamental principles of wisdom and righteousness. It immediately sets up a core theme: God cares deeply about the honesty and integrity we bring to our everyday dealings, not just our religious practices. The proverb highlights how deception in commerce, like using rigged scales, is fundamentally offensive to God, who desires fairness and truth in all relationships.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Proverbs 11:1 is available in the Sola app.
"A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight." — This verse isn't just about literal scales and weights in ancient markets; it highlights God's deep concern for all forms of deception. The "false balance" points to any dishonesty, whether in busi…
