H3976 H3976
Scales, balances — a dual-form noun for the weighing instrument used literally in commerce and figuratively for divine judgment
Always appearing in the dual form (מֹאזְנַיִם), this word pictures the two-pan balance that was the ancient world's standard weighing device. Leviticus 19:36 pairs 'just balances' (מֹאזְנֵי צֶדֶק) with honest weights, ephah, and hin — a full set of commercial integrity tools. Proverbs contrasts 'balances of deceit' with those the LORD approves (11:1; 16:11). The metaphorical reach is striking: Isaiah places the islands on God's scales as mere dust (40:12, 15), Job begs to be weighed in 'just balances' (31:6), and the Psalmist warns that mortals placed on the scales are 'lighter than a breath' (62:9). Arabic مِيزَان and Aramaic cognates confirm the root's broad Semitic currency.
Senses
1. scales for weighing — A pair of balances or scales (always dual: מֹאזְנַיִם) used as an instrument for weighing goods, money, or commodities in trade. Literally employed in Jeremiah 32:10 for weighing silver and Ezekiel 5:1 for weighing hair. Figuratively extended to divine and moral evaluation: 'just balances' (מֹאזְנֵי צֶדֶק) in Leviticus 19:36 and Ezekiel 45:10 represent economic righteousness, while 'balances of deceit' (מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה) in Proverbs 11:1 signify fraud. Isaiah 40:12–15 and Psalm 62:9 employ the image cosmically, measuring nations and human worth against the weightlessness of vanity. 15×
AR["المِيزَانِ","بِ-المَوَازِينِ","بِ-موازينِ","بِ-مَوَازِينِ","بِالْمَوَازِينِ","في-الميزانِ","موازينَ","موازينُ","مَوازينُ","مَوَازِينَ","مَوَازِينُ-","وَ-مَوازينُ"]·ben["-দাঁড়িপাল্লায়","এবং-তুলাদণ্ড","তুলাদণ্ড","তুলাদণ্ডে-","তুলাদন্ডে","দাঁড়িতে","দাঁড়িপাল্লা","দাঁড়িপাল্লা-","দাঁড়িপাল্লায়","দাঁড়িপাল্লায়-","দাঁড়িপাল্লাসমূহ"]·DE["[במאזני]","[במאזנים]","[ומאזני]","[מאזני]","[מאזנים]","balances-von","in-der-balances","von-Ohren-von"]·EN["and-scales-of","balances-of","in-a-balance","in-balances","in-scales-of","in-the-balances","on-scales","on-the-scales","scales-of","scales-of-","with-scales-of"]·FR["[במאזנים]","[מאזני]","[מאזנים]","balances-de","dans-balance","dans-les-balances","dans-במאזני","dans-במאזנים","et-ומאזני","מאזני"]·heb["ב-מאזני","ב-מאזניים","ו-מאזני","מאזני","מאזניים"]·HI["और-तराजू","और-तोल","तराज़ू","तराज़ू-के-साथ","तराज़ूओं-की","तराजू","तराजू-","तराजू-पर","तराजू-में","में-तराज़ूओं","में-तराजू"]·ID["Timbangan-timbangan","Timbangan-yang","dalam-timbangan","dan-timbangan","dengan-neraca","dengan-timbangan","dengan-timbangan-","neraca","neraca-"]·IT["[במאזני]","[במאזנים]","[מאזני]","[מאזנים]","balances-di","e-e-scales-di","in-in-balances","in-in-scales-di"]·jav["Timbangan-","ing-timbangan","ing-timbangan-ipun","kalayan-timbangan","lan-timbangan","timbangan","timbangan-","wonten-timbangan"]·KO["그리고-저울들은","에-저울들","에-천칭으로","저울-들-은","저울-에서","저울-위에","저울대들은","저울들-의","저울들로","저울들의-","저울들이니","저울에서","저울을","저울의"]·PT["Balanças-de","Balanças-de-","balanças","balanças-de","com-balanças","com-balanças-de","e-balanças-de","e-escalas-de","em-balanças","em-balanças-de","na-balança"]·RU["весы","весы-","и-весовые-чаши","и-весы","на-весах","на-весах-","на-чашах","с-весами"]·ES["Balanzas-de","balanza-de","balanzas-de","con-balanzas-de","con-pesas?","de-la-balanza","en-balanzas","en-balanzas-de-","las-balanzas-de","y-balanzas","y-pesas-de"]·SW["Mizani-ya","Mizani-ya-","juu-ya-mizani","katika-mizani","kwa-mizani","kwa-mizani-ya","mizani","mizani-ya","na-mizani","na-vipimo-vya"]·TR["tartilarda","terazide","terazide-","teraziler","terazilerde","terazileri","terazilerini","terazileriyle-o","terazisiyle-","ve-alacaksın","ve-terazi","ve-ölçüleri-"]·urd["اور-ترازو","اور-پلڑے","بَ-ترازو","ترازو","ترازو میں","ترازو-","ترازو-سے","ترازو-میں","ترازو-پر","ترازوہائے-ہیں","کانٹے-میں"]
Lev 19:36, Job 6:2, Job 31:6, Ps 62:9, Prov 11:1, Prov 16:11, Prov 20:23, Isa 40:12, Isa 40:15, Jer 32:10, Ezek 5:1, Ezek 45:10 (+3 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מאזן] n.[m.]du. balances, scales (Arabic مِيزَانٌ, Aramaic (Nasar.) ܡܘܙܰܢܶܐ )—מֹאזְנַיִם (־ָנ֑יִם) Is 40:15 + 4 times; cstr. מֹאזְנֵי Lv 19:36 + 9 times—balances, for weighing money Je 32:10 וָאֶשְׁקֹל הַכֶּסֶף בְּמ׳; hair Ez 5:1 (מ׳ מִשְׁקָל); שַׁחַק מ׳ Is 40:15 dust of bal., sim. of insignif. of nations bef. י׳; fig., calamity Jb 6:2; men ψ 62:10; hills Is 40:12 (שָׁקַל בַּפֶּלֶס הָרִים…