Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.

DEUTERONOMY 25:14KJV
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Deuteronomy 25:14 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 25:14 mean?

Deuteronomy 25:14 warns against keeping different sets of measuring tools—one large and one small—in your house, which would allow someone to cheat others in trade or business. The verse is a clear command not to use dishonest standards when dealing with others.

In this part of Deuteronomy, Moses is speaking to the people of Israel as they prepare to live in the land God is giving them. The command addresses everyday business practices, making it clear that honesty and fairness are expected in all dealings. The verse assumes a setting where people might be tempted to use a larger measure when buying and a smaller one when selling, and it forbids this kind of deceit.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 25:14

  • "house" (בַּיִת, bayit): This word refers to a person's home or household, highlighting that the command covers private as well as public life—honesty is required even when no one is watching.
  • "measures" (אֵיפָה, 'eifah): This term means a unit of measure, often for grain or dry goods. The repetition in the verse stresses the idea of having more than one set, which could be used to cheat.
  • "great" (גָּדוֹל, gadol): This word means "large" or "great." Here, it refers to a larger-than-standard measure, which could be used to a person's advantage in dishonest trade.
  • "small" (קָטֹן, qaton): This word means "small" or "lesser." In this context, it refers to a smaller measure, which would cheat the other party in a transaction.

Why Deuteronomy 25:14 matters

  • Deuteronomy 25:14 clarifies that God's concern for honesty goes beyond public actions and includes what people keep in their own homes, emphasizing personal integrity.
  • The verse highlights that cheating in business was a real temptation and problem in the ancient world, just as it can be today, and God’s law directly addresses it.
  • This command fits into a larger section of Deuteronomy focused on justice and fairness in community life, showing that ethical behavior is foundational for a healthy society.

Where else these words appear

“measures” Hebrew H374 · used in 29 verses

  • Exodus 16:36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
  • 1 Samuel 1:24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.
  • Ezekiel 46:7 And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah.

“small” Hebrew H6996 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
  • 1 Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
  • 2 Chronicles 34:30 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.