Proverbs 20:10

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:10

See here, 1. The various arts of deceiving that men have, all which evils the love of money is the root of. In paying and receiving money, which was then commonly done by the scale, they had divers weights, an under-weight for what they paid and an over-weight for what they received; in delivering out and taking in goods they had divers measures, a scanty measure to sell by and a large measure to buy by. This was done wrong with plot and contrivance, and under colour of doing right. Under... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:10

Divers weights, and divers measures ,.... Or, "a stone and a stone, and an ephah and an ephah" F4 So Montanus, Schulteus. . Stones being in old time used in weighing, and an "ephah" was a common measure among the Jews; and these ought not to be different; one stone or weight for buying, and another for selling; and one measure to buy goods in with, and another to sell out with; the one too heavy, the other too light; the one too large, and the other too scanty; whereby justice is not... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:10

Divers weights and divers measures - A peise and a peise; - Old MS. Bible: from the French pois, weight. Hebrew: "A stone and a stone; an ephah and an ephah." One the standard, the other below it; one to buy with, the other to sell by. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:6-11

The frailty of mankind I. THE RARITY OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP . ( Proverbs 20:6 .) Many are ready to promise, few willing to perform. Many eager to say, "Lord, Lord!" comparatively few to do the will of the Father in heaven. There is no want of good notions in the world; but, according to the Italian proverb, many are so good that they are good for nothing. The spirit may be willing, the flesh is weak. Inclination to good needs to be fortified by faith in God. II. THE JUST ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:10

Divers weights, and divers measures; literally, stone and stone, ephah and ephah. The stones were used for weighing: dishonest traders kept them of different weights, and also measures of different capacities, substituting one for the other in order to defraud unwary customers. The Septuagint makes this plain by rendering, "A weight great and small, and measures double" (see on Proverbs 11:1 and Proverbs 16:11 ; and comp. Proverbs 16:23 ). The ephah was a dry measure, being... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:10

(See homily on Proverbs 16:11 .)—C. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:1-30

Honesty (20:1-30)Wise people will not become drunkards, will not needlessly anger those in authority, will avoid quarrelling and will work to support themselves (20:1-4). They will also have the ability to draw out the deepest feelings and intentions of those with whom they deal (5). Many people boast of their loyalty but few practise it. To live honestly is the best way to guarantee a good future for one’s children (6-7). A king learns by experience to discern between right and wrong in cases... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Proverbs 20:10

weights . . . measures. Hebrew "a stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah". Ephah put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species), App-6 , for all kinds of weights and measures. There is no word for "divers" = diverse. abomination, &c. Compare Proverbs 20:23 , and Proverbs 11:1 ; Proverbs 16:11 , &c. See note on Proverbs 3:32 , and compare Deuteronomy 25:13 , &c. the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 20:10

"Diverse weights, and diverse measures, Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah."We have already studied several proverbs in this same line of thought. The diversity of the weights and measures was a device used by dishonest traders who used one set of standards when buying, another when selling. The simple meaning of the proverb is that God hates dishonest traders. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Proverbs 20:10

10. Various measures, implying that some are wrong (compare Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 16:11). read more

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