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balance, bone, branch, calamus, cane, reed, X spearman, stalk

“Calamus” From Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(reed). (Ex. 30:23²³Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, (Exodus 30:23), Song of Sol. 4:14¹⁴Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: (Song of Solomon 4:14), Ezek. 27:19¹⁹Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market. (Ezekiel 27:19)), identified with the lemon-grass, or sweet-flag. “Sweet cane” (Isa. 43:24²⁴Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. (Isaiah 43:24), Jer. 6:20²⁰To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. (Jeremiah 6:20)).

“Reed” From Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(rod). Used generically for the tall grasses, sedges, flags, or rushes which grow in marshy soils. Applied to various uses by Hebrews, and source of frequent metaphor (2 Kings 18:21²¹Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. (2 Kings 18:21); Job 40:21²¹He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. (Job 40:21); Isa. 19:6⁶And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither. (Isaiah 19:6); Ezek. 29:6⁶And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. (Ezekiel 29:6); Matt. 11:7; 12:20; 27:29⁷And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? (Matthew 11:7)
²⁰A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. (Matthew 12:20)
²⁹And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! (Matthew 27:29)).

“Balances” From Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(two scales). Were in general use among the ancients for weighing gold and silver, and in traffic (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); Mic. 6:11¹¹Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? (Micah 6:11); Hos. 12:7⁷He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress. (Hosea 12:7)).

“Calamus” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

The word is qaneh, and is often translated “reed.” It was one of the ingredients of the holy anointing oil (Ex. 30:23²³Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, (Exodus 30:23)). It is mentioned among a list of spices and was brought to the market of Tyre (Song of Sol. 4:14¹⁴Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: (Song of Solomon 4:14); Ezek. 27:19¹⁹Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market. (Ezekiel 27:19)). It is the calamus odoratus, a reed growing in India and Arabia, and which is said to have been found in the valley of Lebanon. It has a fragrant smell, and when dried and pounded forms a valuable ingredient for rich perfumes.

“Reed” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

See WEIGHTS and MEASURES.

“Balances” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

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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:

7070 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Transliteration:

qaneh

Phonic:

kaw-neh’

Meaning:

from 7069; a reed (as erect); by resemblance a rod (especially for measuring), shaft, tube, stem, the radius (of the arm), beam (of a steelyard)

KJV Usage:

balance, bone, branch, calamus, cane, reed, X spearman, stalk