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…