Bible Strands
Leviticus 19:36
You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — YHWH addresses Israel in the wilderness covenant, placing this command immediately after the prohibition against dishonest measures (Leviticus 19:35) and before the closing charge to keep all statutes (Leviticus 19:37).
The words — The text repeatedly pairs commercial instruments with the Hebrew word צֶ֣דֶק (Tze.dek), meaning righteousness or integrity, to modify scales, weights, an ephah, and a hin.
The thread — The deliverance-based authority of Exodus 20:2 undergirds this command, which aligns with Deuteronomy 25:13’s ban on dual weights and anticipates Proverbs 11:1’s declaration that accurate weights please God.
Why it lands — The passage requires readers to treat commercial exactness as a binding covenant duty rather than a cultural preference. It demands measurable fairness in daily trade as a direct expression of obedience to the Redeemer.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Cross-references
- Exodus 20:2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
- Proverbs 11:1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.
- Deuteronomy 25:13 You shall not have two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light.
- Proverbs 20:10 Differing weights and unequal measures—both are detestable to the LORD.