Deuteronomy 25:14
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Deuteronomy 25:14
14 Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.
Chapter Context
Deuteronomy 25 is a sermonic and legal chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of grace, prayer, worship. Written during the end of the wilderness wandering (c. 1406 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Moses delivered these speeches as Israel prepared to enter a land filled with different Canaanite city-states.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-19: Central message and teachings
This chapter is significant because it offers practical wisdom for godly living in a fallen world. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Deuteronomy and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Deuteronomy 25:14
14 Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.
Analysis
Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small—extending the prohibition from portable weights (bag) to household measures (containers for dry goods). The Hebrew ephah ve-ephah (אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה) literally means 'ephah and ephah,' referring to the standard dry measure (about 22 liters). Like the bag of diverse weights, multiple measures enabled fraud—large measures for receiving payment, small ones for delivering goods.
The home reference indicates many Israelites would operate small-scale businesses from their residences—baking, brewing, weaving, oil-pressing. The law reached into private enterprise, making commercial honesty a household obligation, not merely public marketplace standard. Proverbs 20:10 condemns both 'diverse weights and diverse measures,' calling them 'abomination to the LORD'—strong language equating fraud with idolatry and sexual immorality.
Historical Context
Spoken circa 1406 BC in preparation for settled economic life. The ephah (dry measure) and bath (liquid measure) were standard units, though regional variation existed. Without central authority standardizing measures, integrity depended on individual conscience and community enforcement. Israel's law made God the standard-setter and judge of commercial ethics, a radical concept in ancient markets where caveat emptor ruled and deities rarely concerned themselves with weights and measures.
Reflection
- Why does God care about weights and measures? How does commercial fraud connect to spiritual faithfulness?
- What 'divers measures' might Christians be tempted to use—different standards for themselves versus others?
- How does marketplace integrity witness to God's character in unbelieving communities?