Commentary - Proverbs 20:10

Bird's-eye view

Proverbs 20:10 delivers a sharp, concise condemnation of commercial dishonesty. At its core, this proverb is an application of the eighth commandment, "You shall not steal." It addresses the practice of using two sets of weights and measures: one for buying and another for selling, a method of systematic theft common in the ancient world. But the principle extends far beyond literal scales. It is a prohibition against any form of duplicity, misrepresentation, or fraud in the marketplace. The force of the proverb lies in its conclusion: this practice is not merely a social ill or a minor ethical lapse; it is an "abomination to Yahweh." God, who is the ultimate standard of truth and justice, detests the creation of false standards in the world He has made. This verse places business ethics squarely in the realm of worship, reminding us that our conduct in the marketplace is a direct reflection of our view of God.

This is not simply about being a "good person." It is about recognizing the Lordship of Jesus Christ over every square inch of creation, including the checkout counter and the boardroom. The world operates on the principle of getting an edge, of caveat emptor, let the buyer beware. The kingdom of God operates on the principle of integrity, where a man's word is his bond and his scales are true, because the God he serves is true. This proverb is a call for Christians to be the most honest and trustworthy people in any given industry, not to earn salvation, but because they have already been saved by a God of perfect integrity.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

This proverb does not stand alone. The book of Proverbs is intensely practical and repeatedly addresses the topic of honesty in financial and commercial dealings. It is part of a cluster of sayings that establish a biblical theology of economics. For example, Proverbs 11:1 says, "A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight." Proverbs 16:11 states, "A just balance and scales are the LORD's; all the weights in the bag are his work." These verses teach that God is not an absentee landlord. He is intimately concerned with the details of the marketplace. He claims ownership over the very standards of measurement. Therefore, to tamper with weights and measures is to defy God's established order and claim an autonomy that belongs to no man. The context makes it clear that wealth obtained through deceit is cursed (Prov 10:2, 21:6), while integrity leads to blessing and stability (Prov 10:9, 28:20).

Key Issues

The Liturgy of the Lie

Every transaction is a form of liturgy; it is a structured interaction that reveals what we truly worship. When a baker uses an honest scale, he is, in that moment, acting out his belief in a God of justice and truth. His actions are a small sermon, a testimony to the character of the God he serves. But when a merchant uses differing weights, he is also engaged in worship. His liturgy, however, is a liturgy of the lie. He is worshipping at the altar of Mammon, and the sacrament of that religion is deceit. He is bearing false witness in stone and metal.

The Bible's condemnation of this is so severe because it recognizes that this is not just about money. It is an attack on the fabric of reality. God created the world with fixed laws and standards. A pound is a pound. A foot is a foot. To introduce a "differing weight" is to create a private, false reality for your own gain. It is to play God. It is to say, "The public standard of truth does not apply to me; I will create my own." This is the essence of the Edenic sin, and it is why God hates it with such a perfect hatred. It is a lie made tangible, a theft disguised as a transaction.

Verse by Verse Commentary

Differing weights and differing measures,

The Hebrew here is literally "a stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah." In the ancient world, commerce was conducted with balance scales. A merchant would place the goods on one side and a set of certified stones, or weights, on the other. The "differing weights" refers to the fraudulent practice of having two sets of stones. One set was heavier than the standard; the merchant would use this set when buying from a farmer, thus receiving more grain or wool than he paid for. The other set was lighter than the standard; he would use this set when selling to a customer, thus giving less than the customer paid for. It was a simple, effective, and wicked way to steal. The "differing measures" refers to the same principle applied to volume, like an ephah, which was a standard dry measure. He would have one basket for measuring out what he bought and a smaller one for measuring out what he sold. This is institutionalized, premeditated theft. It is not a crime of passion, but a calculated business model built on a lie.

Both of them are an abomination to Yahweh.

This is the hammer blow. The word for "abomination" is toebah. This is one of the strongest words of condemnation in the entire Old Testament. It is the word used to describe idolatry, perverse sexual acts, and child sacrifice. To place commercial fraud in this same category is shocking to our modern sensibilities. We tend to rank sins, and we usually place "white collar crime" somewhere down the list. But God does not. Why is this an abomination? First, because it is a direct assault on the character of God. God is a God of truth, justice, and equity. He does not have two sets of books. His standards are immutable. A false scale is therefore a blasphemy in physical form; it is a material representation of a reality contrary to God's own nature. Second, it is an abomination because it is a sin that preys upon the community. It destroys the trust that is essential for a society to flourish. It often harms the poor and the naive most of all. It is a sin against one's neighbor, and therefore a sin against the God in whose image that neighbor is made. God takes this personally. He is not a detached observer of our economic lives; He is the Judge, and He finds this practice utterly detestable.

Application

The principle of this proverb is timeless. While we may not use literal balance scales, the temptation to have "differing weights" is ever present. It is the temptation to fudge the numbers on a tax return. It is the mechanic who charges for a repair he did not perform. It is the corporation that uses deceptive language in its advertising. It is the employee who bills for hours he did not work. It is any situation where we present one reality to the world while operating by another in private for our own advantage.

For the Christian, the application must go deeper than simply "be honest." Our honesty must be rooted in the gospel. We are honest not because it is good business practice, though it usually is. We are honest because our God is a God of truth who has saved us through the ultimate true transaction. On the cross, a great exchange took place. Our sin was placed on Christ's account, and His perfect righteousness was placed on ours. This was a true and just transaction, paid in full by the blood of the Son. God did not use a false scale. He did not cut corners. He satisfied His own perfect justice.

Because we have been saved by such a God, we should delight in reflecting His character in our own dealings. A Christian's business ought to be a place where customers know, without a doubt, that the scales are true. Our integrity in the marketplace is one of our most potent forms of evangelism. It declares to a watching world that we serve a God who is not like the crooked gods of this age. We serve Yahweh, the God of the just weight, and it is His delight.