Deuteronomy 25:14 Meaning and Explanation
“Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Do not keep two different measuring vessels for the same deceptive purpose at home.
The Context of Deuteronomy 25:14
Parallel prohibition against false measuring vessels.
What Does Deuteronomy 25:14 Mean?
Just as weights could be manipulated, so could measures—the containers used to measure grain, oil, or other commodities. A merchant with two different measures could claim he was selling generously while actually shortchanging the buyer. The tools of fraud were carried into his own house, making dishonesty his household practice.
The law prohibited not just the act of cheating once, but the possession of the very apparatus. To have divers measures in your house was to maintain a system of lying. The law treated this as a character issue: you either equipped yourself for honesty or for fraud. There was no middle ground.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deuteronomy 25:14
What does Deuteronomy 25:14 mean?
Do not keep two different measuring vessels for the same deceptive purpose at home.
What is the context of Deuteronomy 25:14?
Parallel prohibition against false measuring vessels.