H8254 H8254
To weigh out silver as payment; to weigh or assess worth; to be weighed (passive)
Before coins existed, commerce moved by the balance: silver weighed out on scales transferred ownership and sealed covenants. Abraham weighs four hundred shekels for the cave of Machpelah (Gen 23:16), and Jeremiah weighs seventeen shekels for a field in Anathoth (Jer 32:9). The same verb extends into moral evaluation: God weighs the heart (Prov 16:2), and Job begs to be weighed on a just balance (Job 31:6). German waegen and the cognate Aramaic teqal (whence the famous mene, teqel of Daniel 5:27) both illuminate the deep semantic link between physical weighing and divine judgment.
Senses
1. weigh out as payment — To weigh out silver or money on scales as a form of payment or commercial transaction, the standard means of exchange before minted coinage. Abraham's purchase of Machpelah (Gen 23:16), David's purchase of the threshing floor, and Ezra's entrusting of temple vessels (Ezra 8:25-26) all reflect this concrete mercantile sense. Spanish pesar and French peser confirm the physical action. 13×
AR["(وَ-وَزَنْتُ)", "[وَ-وَزَنْتُ]", "أَزِنُ", "تَزِنُوها", "فَ-وَزَنُوا", "فَيَزِنُ", "لِ-يَزِنَ", "وَ-وَزَنَ", "وَ-وَزَنْتُ", "وَوَزَنَ", "وَوَزَنْتُ", "وَوَزَنْتُ-", "يَزِنُ"]·ben["(আর-মাপলাম)", "[আর-মাপলাম]", "আর-আমি-মেপে-দিলাম-", "আর-মাপলাম", "আর-মেপে-দিলাম", "এবং-ওজন-করলেন", "এবং-চাপেছে", "এবং-তারা-তুলে-দিল", "এবং-তোলত", "দেবে", "মাপতে", "মাপবে", "মেপে-দেব"]·DE["[(ואשקלה)]", "[[ואשקולה]]", "[אשקול]", "[ואשקל]", "[ואשקלה]", "[וישקלו]", "[ושקל]", "[לשקול]", "[תשקלו]", "er-soll-wiegen-heraus", "und-er-weighed", "und-wog-dar"]·EN["I-will-weigh-out", "[and-I-weighed]", "and-I-weighed", "and-I-weighed-out", "and-he-weighed", "and-they-weighed", "and-weighed", "and-weighed-out", "he-shall-weigh-out", "to-weigh-out", "you-weigh"]·FR["et-il-pesa", "et-pesa-dehors", "et-peser", "il---peser-dehors", "peser"]·heb["אשקול", "ו-(ואשקלה)-ה", "ו-[ואשקולה]-ה", "ו-אשקול", "ו-אשקלה", "ו-אשקלה-ה", "ו-ישקל", "ו-ישקלו", "ו-שקל", "ישקול", "ל-שקול", "תשקלו"]·HI["और मैंने तौल दिया", "और-उन्होंने-तौला", "और-तौलता-था", "और-तौला", "और-मैंने-तौला", "और-मैंने-तौला-", "तुम तौल दो", "तौलने-को", "तौलेगा", "मैं-दूँगा"]·ID["Dan-aku-menimbang", "[kere]", "akan-kutimbang", "dan-aku-menimbang", "dan-aku-menimbang-", "dan-menimbang", "dan-mereka-menimbang", "ia menimbang", "kamu-menimbang", "untuk-menimbang"]·IT["[וישקלו]", "e-egli-pesò", "e-pesare", "e-weighed-fuori", "egli-shall-weigh-fuori", "pesare"]·jav["*", "Lan-nimbang", "kanggé-nimbang", "kula-nimbang", "lan-Kawula-nimbang", "lan-Kawula-nimbang-", "lan-kawula-nimbang", "lan-nimbang", "lan-nimbangi", "panjenengan-sedaya-nimbang", "piyambakipun-badhé-nimbang"]·KO["(그리고-내가-달았다)", "[그리고내가달았다]", "그가-달리라", "그리고-그들이-달아-주었다", "그리고-내가-달았다", "그리고-달아-주었다", "그리고-달았느뇨", "그리고-달았다", "그리고-달았다-", "너희가-달다", "달겠습니다", "달기-위해"]·PT["(e-pesei)", "E-pesaram", "E-pesou", "[e-pesei]", "e-pesava", "e-pesei", "e-pesei-", "e-pesou", "pesar", "pesardes", "pesarei", "pesará"]·RU["[кетив]", "И-отвесил", "взвесите", "и-взвесил", "и-взвешивал", "и-отвесил", "и-отвесил-", "и-отвесили", "отвесит", "отвесить", "отвешу"]·ES["[y-pesé]", "los-peséis", "pesar", "pesará", "pesaré", "y-pesaba", "y-pesaron", "y-pesé", "y-pesé-", "y-pesó", "¿Y-pesó"]·SW["Abraham", "[na-nikapima]", "atalipa", "hazina", "juu-ya", "mtakapopima", "na-akapima", "na-kupima", "na-nikampimia", "na-nikapima", "na-wakapima"]·TR["K", "Ve-tarttim", "tartacaksiniz", "tartacağım", "tartmak-için-", "tartılacak", "ve-tarti", "ve-tarttı", "ve-tarttılar", "ve-tarttım", "ve-tarttım-", "ve-tartıyordu"]·urd["(اور-میں-نے-تولا)", "[اور-میں-نے-تولا]", "اور-تولا", "اور-تولا-میں-نے", "اور-تولتا", "اور-تولے", "اور-میں-نے-تولا", "تم-تولو", "تولنا", "تولوںگا", "تولے"]
2. weigh, evaluate, assess — To weigh in the sense of evaluating, examining, or assessing true worth, often with God as the subject who tests hearts and motives. Proverbs 16:2 and 21:2 declare that the LORD weighs spirits, while Job 31:6 asks to be weighed on a balance of justice. Isaiah 40:12 extends the imagery to cosmic scales, asking who has weighed the mountains. 7×
AR["أَزِنُ", "الْوَازِنُ", "تَزِنُ", "تَزِنُونَ-", "وَزْنًا", "يَزِنُونَ", "يَزِنِّي"]·ben["ওজনকারী", "তারা-মাপে", "তুমি-দেবে", "তুলনায়-মাপা-যাক", "তোমরা-মাপ-কর", "তোলা-থাকতাম", "মাপুক-আমাকে"]·DE["[ישקלו]", "[ישקלני]", "[שקול]", "[שקל]", "[תשקלו]", "du-wird-weigh", "weighing"]·EN["do-you-weigh-", "is-the-one-weighing", "let-Him-weigh-me", "they-weigh", "weighing", "you-will-weigh"]·FR["peser", "peser-moi", "tu-fera-pèse", "weighing"]·heb["ישקולו", "ישקלני", "שוקל", "שקול", "תשקול", "תשקלו-"]·HI["तोलकर-", "तोलते-हैं", "तौल-रहा-होता", "तौलते-हो", "तौलनेवाला", "तौले-मुझे", "तौलेगा"]·ID["Biarlah Ia menimbangku", "ditimbang", "kamu-harus-membayar", "kamu-menimbang", "menimbang", "mereka-menimbang", "penimbang"]·IT["let-Lui-weigh-me-mio", "pesare", "tu-vorrà-weigh", "weighing"]·jav["Mugi-nimbang-kula", "ditimbang", "juru-timbang", "nimbang", "panjenengan-badhé-nimbang", "panjenengan-numbasi-", "piyambakipun-nimbang"]·KO["그가-달아라-나를", "다는-자가", "단다", "달아-주는가-", "달아라", "달아지는-것이", "달으며"]·PT["Pese-me", "o-que-pesa", "pesais-", "pesam", "pesando", "pesar", "pesarás"]·RU["весильщик", "взвешиваете-", "взвешивают", "взвешивающий", "если-бы-взвесить", "отвесишь", "пусть-взвесит-меня"]·ES["Me-pese", "el-que-pesa", "pesan", "pesando", "pesarás", "pesáis-"]·SW["anipime", "kupimwa", "mnapima-", "mpimaji", "ningeweka-kwenye-mizani", "utapima", "wanapima"]·TR["Tartarsın-beni", "tartacaksın", "tartan", "tartarlar", "tartiyorsunuz-", "tartsam", "tartılarak"]·urd["تولا", "تولتا-ہوتا", "تولتے-ہو", "تولتے-ہیں", "تولنے-والا", "تولے-گا", "وہ مجھے تولے"]
3. be weighed (Nifal passive) — The Nifal passive: to be weighed on the balance, whether literally of silver that cannot be weighed as payment for wisdom (Job 28:15) or in the famous judgment scene where Belshazzar is weighed and found wanting (Dan 5:27). The Aramaic cognate teqal in Daniel's inscription underscores the ancient connection between weight and verdict. 3×
AR["وُزِنَتْ", "يوزَنُ"]·ben["মাপা-যাবে", "মাপা-হত", "মাপা-হল"]·DE["[ישקל]", "[נשקל]"]·EN["is-weighed", "was-weighed", "were-weighed"]·FR["peser"]·heb["יישקל", "נשקל"]·HI["तोला-जाता", "तौली-गई", "तौली-जाएगी"]·ID["ditimbang"]·IT["is-weighed", "pesare", "were-weighed"]·jav["dipun-timbang", "dipuntimbang", "katimbang"]·KO["달아졌다", "달아졌으면", "달지-않는다"]·PT["foi-pesada", "fosse-pesado", "será-pesada"]·RU["взвесили", "взвешено", "отвешивается"]·ES["fue-pesada", "fuera-pesada", "se-pesará"]·SW["haipimwi", "ilipimwa", "kingepimwa"]·TR["tartildi", "tartılsaydı", "tartılır"]·urd["تولا-گیا", "تولی جائے گی", "جاتا"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H0702 1. four (cardinal number) (277×)G3956 2. every, each (distributive) (227×)H8337 1. six (cardinal number) (215×)G3956 3. all things, everything (substantive) (211×)G3956 4. (187×)H6235 1. ten (177×)G3173 1. great in size or extent (176×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† שָׁקַל vb. weigh (NH id.; Arabic ثَقُلَ be heavy, ثِقَلٌ heaviness, weight, ثَقَلٌ load, Old Aramaic תקל weigh, Aramaic תְּקַל, ܬܩܰܠ (weigh), pay, תִּקְלָא shekel, but also (Old Aramaic Zinj.) שקל, שקלן Lzb382; ܫܩܰܠ lift up; Assyrian šaḳâlu, weigh, šiḳlu (appar.) = שֶׁקֶל; Ethiopic ሰቀለ: hang up, weigh; Ph. משקל weight; cf. Frä202, also Gk. σίγλος (𝔊 σίκλος), LagM ii.357 LewyFremdw.118f.;—on…