Proverbs 16:11
A just weight and balance are the LORD'S: all the weights of the bag are his work.
Original Language Analysis
מִ֭שְׁפָּט
A just
H4941
מִ֭שְׁפָּט
A just
Strong's:
H4941
Word #:
3 of 8
properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, ind
לַֽיהוָ֑ה
are the LORD'S
H3068
לַֽיהוָ֑ה
are the LORD'S
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
4 of 8
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗הוּ
are his work
H4639
מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗הוּ
are his work
Strong's:
H4639
Word #:
5 of 8
an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property
Cross References
Proverbs 11:1A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.Proverbs 20:10Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.Ezekiel 45:10Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.Hosea 12:7He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
Historical Context
Merchants carried stone weights in bags for measuring goods in transactions. Dishonest merchants used heavier weights when buying and lighter weights when selling. Mosaic law repeatedly condemned false weights (Leviticus 19:36, Deuteronomy 25:13-16).
Questions for Reflection
- Are you scrupulously honest in all business and financial dealings?
- How does viewing commerce as 'the LORD's work' change your approach to business ethics?
- What modern equivalents to false weights exist in your profession or industry?
Analysis & Commentary
God requires just weights and balances—'A just weight and balance are the LORD's: all the weights of the bag are his work.' The Hebrew 'mishpat' (just) emphasizes legal and ethical correctness. This verse establishes God as the source and guarantor of justice in commerce. Dishonest business practices violate God's character. Reformed theology sees all of life as coram Deo (before the face of God), including economic transactions. There is no secular sphere exempt from God's standards. Integrity in business reflects God's righteousness.