In biblical literature, the term "scales" is used both literally and metaphorically, appearing in various contexts throughout the Scriptures. The concept of scales is often associated with balance, justice, and discernment, reflecting the broader themes of righteousness and divine judgment.

Literal Use

1. Commerce and Trade: Scales were an essential tool in ancient commerce, used to weigh goods and ensure fair transactions. The Bible emphasizes the importance of honesty in trade, condemning dishonest scales as an abomination. Proverbs 11:1 states, "Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight." Similarly, Leviticus 19:35-36 instructs, "You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume. You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin."

2. Symbol of Justice: Scales are also a symbol of justice and equity. In the ancient Near East, scales were often associated with the administration of justice, reflecting the idea that actions and intentions are weighed by God. Job 31:6 expresses this sentiment: "let God weigh me with honest scales, and He will know my integrity."

Metaphorical Use

1. Spiritual Blindness: In the New Testament, scales are used metaphorically to describe spiritual blindness or the removal thereof. In Acts 9:18 , after Saul's encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, "immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again." This event signifies Saul's (later Paul) transition from spiritual ignorance to enlightenment and understanding of the truth of the Gospel.

2. Judgment and Accountability: The imagery of scales is also employed to convey the idea of divine judgment and accountability. Daniel 5:27 recounts the judgment against King Belshazzar: "TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient." This passage underscores the belief that God evaluates the moral and spiritual weight of individuals and nations.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient world, scales were a common sight in marketplaces and courts, symbolizing fairness and integrity. The biblical injunctions against dishonest scales reflect a broader concern for social justice and ethical conduct, principles that are deeply rooted in the character of God as depicted in Scripture.

Theological Implications

The use of scales in the Bible serves as a reminder of God's omniscience and His role as the ultimate judge. It calls believers to live lives of integrity, ensuring that their actions align with divine standards of righteousness. The metaphor of scales falling from one's eyes highlights the transformative power of divine revelation, leading individuals from darkness to light.

In summary, the concept of scales in the Bible encompasses themes of justice, integrity, and spiritual awakening, serving as a powerful symbol of God's righteous judgment and the call for His people to live justly.SCALES

skalz

(1) qasqeseth "fish-scales";

(2) meghinnah, maghen, "scales of the crocodile";

(3) lepis, with verb lepizo "scale away" (Tobit 3:17; 11:13)):

(1) The first Hebrew word qasqeseth means the imbricated scales of fish, which together with the dorsal fin were a distinguishing mark of all fish allowed as food to the Israelite (Leviticus 11:9 Deuteronomy 14:9 f). In the figurative sense the word is used of a coat of mail (1 Samuel 17:5, 38).

(2) Meghinnah from maghen, literally, "a buckler" or "small shield" (2 Chronicles 23:9 Jeremiah 46:3), is used in the description of the crocodile (see LEVIATHAN) for the horny scales or scutes imbedded in the skin, not imbricated upon it (Job 41:15 (Hebrew verse 7)).

(3) The Greek lepis, which in classical language has a much wider range of meaning than the above Hebrew words ("rind," "husk," "shell," "fish-scale," "scale of snake," "flake of metal and of snow," etc.), is found in the New Testament description of Paul's recovery from temporary blindness, "And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight" (Acts 9:18).

There is nothing in the words of the sacred text which compels us to think of literal scales. (In Tobit, however, a literal flaking-off of foreign substance is meant.) We have here rather a description of the sensation which terminated the three days' period of blindness which the apostle suffered after his meeting with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. The apostle himself does not use this expression in his own graphic description of the same experience: "In that very hour I looked upon him" (Acts 22:13). The phrase has, however, come into English, for we speak of "scales falling from one's eyes" when we mean a sudden illumination or remembrance or a dissipation of harassing doubt.

In Isaiah 40:12; the Revised Version (British and American) Proverbs 16:11 for peles, in the sense of "instrument for weighing."

See BALANCE.

H. L. E. Luering

2218. zugos -- a yoke
... yoke. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: zugos Phonetic Spelling:
(dzoo-gos') Short Definition: a yoke, heavy burden, pair of scales Definition: a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2218.htm - 7k

3013. lepis -- a scale (of a fish)
... Word Origin from lepo (to peel) Definition a scale (of a fish) NASB Word Usage
scales (1). fish scale. From lepo (to peel); a flake -- scale. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3013.htm - 6k

3976. mozen -- balances, scales
... 3975b, 3976. mozen. 3977 . balances, scales. Transliteration: mozen
Phonetic Spelling: (mo-zane') Short Definition: scales. Word ...
/hebrew/3976.htm - 6k

3977. mozanya -- a scale, balance
... 3976, 3977. mozanya. 3978 . a scale, balance. Transliteration: mozanya
Phonetic Spelling: (mo-zane') Short Definition: scales. Word ...
/hebrew/3977.htm - 6k

7193. qasqeseth -- scale (of fish)
... 7192, 7193. qasqeseth. 7194 . scale (of fish). Transliteration: qasqeseth
Phonetic Spelling: (kas-keh'-seth) Short Definition: scales. ...
/hebrew/7193.htm - 6k

6425. peles -- a balance, scale
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition a balance, scale NASB Word Usage
balance (2). scales, weight. From palac; a balance -- scales, weight. ...
/hebrew/6425.htm - 6k

5927. alah -- to go up, ascend, climb
... 2), raised (1), raises (1), reached (1), reaches (1), recorded (1), restore (1),
restored (1), rise (10), rises (7), rising (1), rose (4), scales (1), set (1 ...
/hebrew/5927.htm - 8k

4043. magen -- a shield
... Word Origin from ganan Definition a shield NASB Word Usage armed (2), buckler (1),
large (1), rulers (1), scales (1), shield (41), shields (16). ...
/hebrew/4043.htm - 6k

239. azan -- to weigh, test, prove
... ponder. A primitive root (rather identical with 'azan through the idea of scales
as if two ears); to weigh, ie (figuratively) ponder -- give good head. ...
/hebrew/239.htm - 6k

The Scales of Judgment
... The Scales of Judgment. A Sermon ... Though they escape the scales on earth, they must
surely be tried at the bar of God. For nations there is a weighing time. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the scales of judgment.htm

Whether There was any Reasonable Cause for the Ceremonial ...
... In like manner certain fish lacking fins and scales were prohibited on account
of their excessive moisture; such as eels and the like. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether there was any reasonable.htm

Of all the Parts of the Body.
... situation, and covered them with skin drawn over them, which He either adorned with
beauty only, or covered with thick hair, or fenced with scales, or adorned ...
/.../lactantius/on the workmanship of god/chap vii of all the parts.htm

Jesus Heals a Leper and Creates Much Excitement.
... been popularly so called then. The word "leprosy" comes from "lepo," which
means to peel off in scales. It is hereditary for generations ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxiv jesus heals a leper.htm

Illusive Appearance of the Stars.
... But the scales of fishes"for instance, the seahorse"cause the stars to appear to
be; the scales being steeped in a mixture of water and gum, and fastened ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxxviii illusive appearance of the.htm

Letter xvii. --To Eustathia, Ambrosia, and Basilissa . To the Most ...
... thee and him." Since wickedness is a complicated and multifarious thing, the Word
allegorizes it by the Serpent, the dense array of whose scales is symbolic of ...
/.../letter xvii to eustathia ambrosia and.htm

Moreover, if the Law of Moses had Contained Nothing which was to ...
... out of Thy law." And who is there that, on reading of the dragon that lives in the
Egyptian river, [3919] and of the fishes which lurk in his scales, or of the ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter l moreover if the.htm

Argument. --And Thus Unclean Animals are not to be Reproached ...
... [5319] For that in fishes the roughness of scales is regarded as constituting their
cleanness; rough, and rugged, and unpolished, and substantial, and grave ...
/.../novatian/on the jewish meats/chapter iii argument and thus unclean.htm

On the Different Kinds of Voluntary Actions, and the Sins Thence ...
... Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly;" as the fishes go
down to the depths in darkness; for those which have not scales, which Moses ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xv on the different kinds.htm

Eighth Commandment
... you. GOD'S WEIGHTS. Extortioner, are you ready to step into the scales? What
will ... you say? Let the merchant step into the scales. See ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/eighth commandment.htm

Scales (33 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia SCALES. skalz (1) qasqeseth "fish-scales";
(2) meghinnah, maghen, "scales of the crocodile"; (3) lepis ...
/s/scales.htm - 18k

Fins (5 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 11:9 "'These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins
and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that you may eat. ...
/f/fins.htm - 7k

Balance (12 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) Equipoise between the weights in opposite scales. ... 19. (vi) To have equal
weight on each side; to be in equipoise; as, the scales balance. 20. ...
/b/balance.htm - 18k

Scaly (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Covered or abounding with scales; as, a
scaly fish. 2. (a.) Resembling scales, laminae, or layers. ...
/s/scaly.htm - 7k

Scaled (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (imp. & pp) of Scale. 2. (a.) Covered with scales,
or scale like structures; -- said of a fish, a reptile, a moth, etc. ...
/s/scaled.htm - 7k

Dishonest (33 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Proverbs 11:1 Scales of deceit are hated by the Lord, but a true weight is
his delight. ... (DBY YLT). Hosea 12:7 A merchant has dishonest scales in his hand. ...
/d/dishonest.htm - 16k

Detestable (121 Occurrences)
... in the Scriptures to that which is ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 7:21), creatures
forbidden as food, as water animals without fins or scales in Leviticus 11 ...
/d/detestable.htm - 39k

Mail (11 Occurrences)
... "a corselet of scales," a cuirass formed of ... 7. (n.) Any hard protective covering
of an animal, as the scales and plates of reptiles, shell of a lobster, etc. ...
/m/mail.htm - 11k

Scale (38 Occurrences)
... 8. (n.) A small appendage like a rudimentary leaf, resembling the scales of a fish
in form, and often in arrangement; as, the scale of a bud, of a pine cone ...
/s/scale.htm - 22k

Measured (91 Occurrences)
... Binnui, the Levites; (BBE). Job 6:2 If only my passion might be measured,
and put into the scales against my trouble! (BBE). Job 7:4 ...
/m/measured.htm - 35k

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