Proverbs 16:11

Study note

Setting — The wisdom writer addresses rulers and citizens within a collection of instructional sayings focused on governance and divine order. The passage follows a warning about a king’s speech and precedes a statement on how righteousness establishes a throne.

The words — מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) translates to justice, and מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗הוּ (ma'asehu) means his work or care. These terms anchor the verse’s claim that commercial accuracy falls under divine jurisdiction.

The thread — The theme of God’s scrutiny over commercial scales appears in Proverbs 11:1, 20:10, and 20:23. These passages consistently condemn unequal weights and affirm that accurate measures align with divine standard.

Why it lands — The text demands transparent commerce and impartial judgment, noting that God monitors every standard used in trade. It requires readers to reject deceptive practices and acknowledge that all systems of measurement answer to a higher authority.

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.