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…