Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 19:36
Just 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.
Verse 36. Just balances] Scales, steel-yard, &c. Weights, abanim, stones, as the weights appear to have been originally formed out of stones. Ephah, hin, &c., see before.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A just ephah, and a just hin; these two measures are named as most common, the former for dry, the latter for moist things; but under them he manifestly comprehends all other measures.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Just balances, just weights,…. Which were for such sort of things as were bought and sold by weight, and these were to be according to the custom and usage which universally obtained among them, or were fixed and settled by them; they were to be neither lighter nor heavier; they were not to have one sort to buy with, and another to sell with, which was not just, and was an abomination to the Lord, Pr 11:1; for “weights”, it is in the original text “stones”, for those were formerly used in weighing, and were with us: hence it is still in use to say, so much by the stone. And according to Maimonides w, the Jews were not to make their weights neither of iron, nor of lead, nor of the rest of metals, lest they should rust and become light, but of polished rock, and the like;
a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have; the first of these was the measure of things dry, as corn, and the like, the latter of things liquid, as oil and wine; the one held three seahs or pecks, or ten omers, Ex 16:36; or, according to a nicer calculation, the ephah held seven gallons, two quarts, and half a pint; and the other, according to some, held three quarts; but, as more exactly calculated, it held a wine gallon, and a little more than a quart, [See comments on Ex 30:24]. Some Jewish writers x refer this to words, promises, and compacts, expressed by yea and nay, which they were to abide by; that their yea should be yea, and their nay, nay, Mt 5:37; that their affirmation should be just, and so their negation:
I [am] the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt; and therefore were under great obligations to observe his commands, as follows.
w Hilchot Genibah, c. 8. sect. 4. x Torath Cohanim apud Yalkut in loc. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Sheviith, c. 10. sect. 9.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
36. I am the Lord your God. In these first four passages he treats of the same points which we have observed in the preface to the Law; for he reasons partly from God’s authority, that the law should be reverently obeyed, because the Creator of heaven and earth justly claims supreme dominion; and, partly, he sets before them the blessing of redemption, that they may willingly submit themselves to His law, from whom they have obtained their safety. For, whenever God calls Himself Jehovah, it should suggest His majesty, before which all ought to be humbled; whilst redemption should of itself produce voluntary submission. At the beginning he repeats the same words which he had lately used; and thence exhorts them to observe His statutes and judgments, i.e., treasure them diligently in their minds. Afterwards he reminds them wherefore they ought attentively to observe the Law, viz, that they may perform the works which God therein requires. Nor is it without a reason that at the end of the second verse He declares Himself to be Jehovah, because it is not easy either to subdue rebellious minds or to retain fickle ones in the fear of God. In the next verse, the qualification “which sanctify you” is added, to arouse them earnestly to prove their gratitude to God, who has by peculiar privilege separated them from the rest of mankind.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(36) Just balances, just weights.That is, they were to be the same for buying as for selling.
Just ephah.The ephah is the dry measure, and contained ten omers. (See Lev. 14:10.) It is the same measure as the bath is for liquids.
A just hin.The hin, which was a measure for liquids, contained as much as seventy-two hens eggs. These two measures are here used as representative, including all other measures.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
36. Balances are found on Egyptian monuments as early as the time of Joseph, and they are alluded to in the story of the purchase of the cave of Machpelah, Gen 23:16. Before coinage they were necessary to all payments of money. The weights at first were “stones,” which gave to them their name in later times, when lead was used. A parallel is found in England. The weights were carried in a bag suspended from the girdle. The habit of carrying a set of large weights to buy with and of smaller to sell with, sprang up very early. Inasmuch as there was a “shekel of the sanctuary” it is probable that The standard weights and measures were sacredly kept in the tabernacle by the priests. Num 3:47, note.
Ephah This measure is the same as the bath, and according to Josephus it contains about eight and a half gallons; according to the rabbins less than four and a half.
Hin This is estimated, in like manner, at about one and a half, or at about three quarters of a gallon. Since the dealings of man with his fellow in the marts of trade constitute a school for the development and discipline of moral character, they are not matters of indifference to the holy and just One. True holiness shines out in the measuring of tape and in the weighing of sugar more convincingly than in prayer and praise and conspicuous acts of beneficence. See Mat 5:16; and Php 2:15. “A book which talks in this language is a book which ought to be carefully preserved by the people. The Bible is not a sentimental book, dealing with abstract emotion, or confining itself to metaphysical mysteries. A religion that examines the balances and weights is a religion that may be trusted to attach a true value to praise and prayer. This is the strength of biblical doctrine.” Joseph Parker.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Handfuls of Purpose”
For All Gleaners
“Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have.” Lev 19:36
A book which talks in this language is a book which ought to be carefully preserved by the people. The Bible is not a sentimental book, dealing with abstract emotion, or confining itself to metaphysical mysteries. It has its deep places which cannot be plombed, and its great heights which dazzle the most daring eye, but again and again it comes upon the common ground and insists that everything between man and man shall be done healthily, honestly, and lovingly. A religion that examines the balances and weights is a religion that may be trusted to attach a true value to praise and prayer. This is the strength of Biblical doctrine. Many a man would be glad to accept the metaphysical mysteries of the Bible if he could escape its practical criticism. There would be no difficulty in making theologians if they could be allowed to do as they liked with the common practices of daily life. The Bible will not allow of any trifling with right and wrong, and therefore it is the terror of the bad man, and not likely to be a favourite in any circle whose worship is bounded by compromise or calculation. Just balances and just weights can only come out of a just creed. For a man to adjust his balances and his weights for fear of the penalty of the law is by no means to be honest. His care simply implies that he is afraid of punishment, otherwise he would gladly avail himself of the wages of unrighteousness. All these strict moral demands on the part of the Bible should make the acceptance of the spiritual mysteries, and even of miracles the more easy. We need not begin with the miracles, and because we cannot understand them reject the morality; we should begin at the other end, saying thankfully: A book which is so true, upright, and wholly just in all its views of social relations is a book which will not trifle with pro-founder mysteries and more distant truths, and though we cannot now understand these we will begin, by the grace of God, at all accessible and practical points. The just balances were not to be used only as amongst the children of Israel themselves. The Israelites were to be just to all men. When Christian nations are just to Pagan people, the Pagan people may begin to inquire the more carefully into the religion of such honest nations. We may astound men by our metaphysics; we can only conciliate them by our temper and conduct. Whilst it is well to reject the doctrine of works as between ourselves and God as constituting in any sense a ground of justification, we should cultivate that doctrine as between man and man and prove the reality of our faith by the genuine goodness of our actions.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
Lev 19:36 Just 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.
Ver. 36. Just balances. ] See Pro 11:1 ; Pro 16:11 ; Pro 20:10 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Just balances = Hebrew balances of justice. Genitive of character. So with the other measures in this verse. Compare Deu 25:13-16. Pro 11:1; Pro 16:11; Pro 20:10, Pro 20:23.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Just balances: Pro 11:1
weights: Heb. stones
I am: Exo 20:2
Reciprocal: Exo 30:24 – hin Lev 22:33 – General Deu 25:13 – in thy bag 2Sa 14:26 – two hundred shekels 1Ch 23:29 – for all manner of measure Pro 16:11 – just Eze 45:10 – General Hos 12:7 – the balances Hos 12:9 – I that Amo 8:5 – making Mic 6:10 – and 1Co 6:9 – unrighteous
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 19:36. A just ephah and a just hin These two measures are named as most common, the former for dry, the latter for moist things, but under them he manifestly comprehends all other measures.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
19:36 Just balances, just weights, a just {p} ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I [am] the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.
(p) By these two measures he means all other. Of Ephah, read Exo 16:36 and of Hin, Exo 29:40.