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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 25:13-19

Here is, I. A law against deceitful weights and measures: they must not only not use them, but they must not have them, not have them in the bag, not have them in the house (Deut. 25:13, 14); for, if they had them, they would be strongly tempted to use them. They must not have a great weight and measure to buy by and a small one to sell by, for that was to cheat both ways, when either was bad enough; as we read of those that made the ephah small, in which they measured the corn they sold, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 25:13

Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights ,.... Or, "a stone and a stone" F25 אבן ואבן "lapis et lapis", Montanus, Vatablus, Piscator. ; it being usual, in those times and countries, to have their weights of stone, as it was formerly with us here; we still say, that such a commodity is worth so much per stone, a stone being of such a weight; now these were not to be different: a great and a small ; great weights, to buy with them, and small weights, to sell with them, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 25:14

Thou shall not have in thine house divers, measures ,.... Or, "an ephah and an ephah"; which was one sort of measure in use with the Jews, and held above a bushel; and is put for all others, which should be alike, and not a great and a small ; one to buy with, and another to sell by, as before observed; which would be to cheat both seller and buyer in their turns; see Amos 8:5 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 25:15

But thou shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shall thou have ,.... That is, full weights, and full measures; and such as are alike, and everywhere used, according to the standard of the country; See Gill on Leviticus 19:36 , that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee ; long life was always reckoned a blessing, and is frequently promised to, obedience, and particularly long life in the land of Canaan; which was a most... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 25:16

For all that do such things ,.... Keep, different weights and measures, and make use of them to defraud their neighbours in buying and selling: and all that do unrighteously ; what is not just and right between man and man, in any other instance whatever: are an abomination unto the Lord thy God ; both they and their actions; he is a righteous God, and loves righteousness, and hates injustice of every kind. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 25:13

Divers weights - ואבן אבן eben vaaben , a stone and a stone, because the weights were anciently made of stone, and some had two sets of stones, a light and a heavy. With the latter they bought their wares, by the former they sold them. In our own country this was once a common case; smooth, round, or oval stones were generally chosen by the simple country people for selling their wares, especially such as were sold in pounds and half pounds. And hence the term a stone weight, which is... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 25:14

Divers measures - Literally, an ephah and an ephah; one large, to buy thy neighbor's wares, another small, to sell thy own by. So there were knaves in all ages, and among all nations. See the notes on Exodus 16:16 , and Leviticus 19:35 ; (note). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 25:11-16

Honesty the best policy. We have first a law of purity, which needs no exposition, but in its holy severity ( Deuteronomy 25:11 , Deuteronomy 25:12 ) was fitted to check all tendency to lewd practices among the women of Israel. Then Moses passes on to speak of the crime of having divers weights and measures, and the effort to make money by dishonest practices. No blessing from God can rest upon such willfully dishonest ones; if his blessing is to be experienced, it must be by a policy... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 25:13

Diverse weights ; literally, a stone and a stone—a large one for buying, and a small one for selling (cf. Amos 8:5 ). Both weights and measures were to be "perfect," i . e . exactly correct, and so just. (On the promise in Deuteronomy 25:15 , see Deuteronomy 4:26 ; Deuteronomy 5:16 .) read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 25:13-16

Rectitude and integrity in trade are here anew inculcated (cf. Le 19:35, etc.). read more

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