The theme of this saying is honesty in business dealings.

“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord“: “A false balance” is literally “scales of deceit,” referring to false weights used by merchants to cheat their customers. For prohibitions against this practice see Lev 19.35-36; Deut 25.13-16; Micah 6.10-11. “An abomination to the Lord” was first used in 3.32. See there for comments.

In some languages it is more natural to reorder this line to say, for example, “The Lord hates false scales” or “The Lord hates anyone who cheats when weighing things.” The “balance” or “scales” are known wherever markets are found. If scales are unfamiliar, however, it is better to be more general and say, for example, “The Lord hates anyone who cheats in selling” or “. . . who cheats in exchanges.”

“But a just weight is his delight”: “A just weight” is literally “a perfect stone,” that is, a weight that is correct or weighs things honestly. Revised Standard Version has used the word “delight” in 1.22; 2.14; 7.18; 8.30, 31 to translate a variety of words; the Hebrew term rendered “delight” in this verse has not been used in any of the above verses. However, the sense is the same as that in 8.30. See there for comments. This line may be rendered as in Good News Translation, or, for example, “But the Lord is pleased when people use honest weights,” “. . . when people weigh things correctly,” or, more generally, “But he likes everyone who is honest” (Contemporary English Version).

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .