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Weights.

From: The New Topical Textbook

By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 1 min. read • grade level: 14

Generally regulated by the standard of the sanctuary. Ex. 30:24²⁴And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: (Exodus 30:24).

Sometimes regulated by the king's standard. 2 Sam. 14:26²⁶And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight. (2 Samuel 14:26).

Were frequently used in scales or balances. Job 31:6⁶Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. (Job 31:6). Isa. 40:12¹²Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? (Isaiah 40:12).

MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE

Gerah. Ex. 30:13¹³This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord. (Exodus 30:13). Ezek. 45:12¹²And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh. (Ezekiel 45:12).

Bekah or half-shekel. Gen. 24:22²²And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; (Genesis 24:22).

Shekel. Ex. 30:13¹³This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord. (Exodus 30:13). Ezek. 45:12¹²And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh. (Ezekiel 45:12). Dram. Neh. 7:70, 71⁷⁰And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests' garments. ⁷¹And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver. (Nehemiah 7:70‑71).

Maneh or pound. Neh. 7:71⁷¹And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver. (Nehemiah 7:71). Ezek. 45:12¹²And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh. (Ezekiel 45:12).

Talent. 2 Sam. 12:30³⁰And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance. (2 Samuel 12:30). Rev. 16:21²¹And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. (Revelation 16:21).

Value of money estimated according to. 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). Gen. 43:21²¹And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. (Genesis 43:21). Jer. 32:9⁹And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. (Jeremiah 32:9).

All metals were given by. Ex. 37:24²⁴Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof. (Exodus 37:24). 1 Chron. 28:14¹⁴He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service: (1 Chronicles 28:14).

Provisions were sold by, in times of scarcity. Lev. 26:26²⁶And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. (Leviticus 26:26). Ezek. 4:10, 16¹⁰And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it. (Ezekiel 4:10)
¹⁶Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment: (Ezekiel 4:16).

THE JEWS

Forbidden to have divers. Deut. 25:13, 14¹³Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. ¹⁴Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. (Deuteronomy 25:13‑14).

Forbidden to have unjust. Lev. 19:35, 36³⁵Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. ³⁶Just 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 19:35‑36).

Frequently used unjust. Mic. 6:11¹¹Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? (Micah 6:11).

ILLUSTRATIVE

Of sins. Heb. 12:1¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1).

Of the restraints put on the elements. Job 28:25²⁵To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. (Job 28:25).

(Heavy,) of the exceeding glory reserved for saints. 2 Cor. 4:17¹⁷For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (2 Corinthians 4:17).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Waiting Upon God.

• Warfare of Saints.

• Watchfulness.

• Wave-Offering.

• Weights.

• Wicked, the, Are Compared to.

• Wisdom of God, the.

• Witness of the Holy Ghost.

• Works, Good.