Balances

Concise Bible Dictionary:

 
Jewelry Scales
Moznayim, ζυγός, a pair of balances or scales: such are seen on the Egyptian monuments, with the weights in one scale and the article to be weighed in the other. They were needful also in early days for weighing the money: when Abraham bought a burying place he “weighed to Ephron the silver” (Gen. 23:1616And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. (Genesis 23:16): Compare Jer. 32:1010And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. (Jeremiah 32:10)). Job asked to be weighed in an even balance, (Job 31:66Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. (Job 31:6): Compare Lev. 19:3636Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt. (Leviticus 19:36); Ezek. 45:1010Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath. (Ezekiel 45:10)), for men contrived to falsify the balance, as well as the weights, which was an abomination to the Lord (Prov. 11:11A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight. (Proverbs 11:1); Prov. 16:1111A just weight and balance are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are his work. (Proverbs 16:11); Hos. 12:77He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress. (Hosea 12:7); Amos 8:55Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? (Amos 8:5)). In Isaiah 46:66They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. (Isaiah 46:6) another Hebrew word is used, ganeh, which signifies a reed, rod or beam, which may refer to the beam of the scales, for it is not known that the steel-yard was then in use. In Revelation 6:55And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. (Revelation 6:5) the rider on the black horse had a pair of balances with which to weigh out the food, showing that great scarcity will be one of God’s judgments in the future.

Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Number:
3977 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)
Transliteration:
mo’zen
Phonic:
mo-zane’
Meaning:
(Aramaic) corresponding to 3976
KJV Usage:
balances