שָׁקַל (sha.qal)
sha.qal
to weigh
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 20 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb shaqal means to weigh, often with the specific sense of weighing out a price or payment. Its core image is that of suspending an object on a balance scale, a practice central to ancient commerce and valuation. This physical action appears in narratives where precise measurement matters, such as when Abraham weighs silver to buy a burial plot for Sarah (Genesis 23:16) or when officials carefully count out gold and silver for the temple return (Ezra 8:25).
Beyond trade, the word carries significant metaphorical weight. In Job 6:2, Job asks God to weigh his grief in a balance, illustrating how the term describes the careful examination of intangible qualities like sorrow or character. Similarly, Job 31:6 uses it as a plea for divine justice, asking God to weigh his integrity. The sources note that this figurative usage highlights a process of judgment and assessment rather than simple arithmetic.
Translators typically render shaqal as "weigh," "pay," or "receive" depending on the context. While the literal sense involves metal coins or precious stones, the underlying concept is one of value and accountability. Whether measuring land prices or evaluating a person’s life, the word consistently points to a standard of truth that cannot be faked.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word shaqal brings to mind the steady, deliberate motion of a balance scale. In ancient markets, this was not just about commerce; it was about truth. When Abraham weighed silver for Sarah’s burial plot, he did so according to the standard merchants recognized. This act showed that value matters and that agreements are binding. It reminds us that God honors honesty and precision in our dealings with others.
Yet the word stretches beyond coins and weights. In Job, we see a man asking God to weigh his grief and his integrity. Here, shaqal becomes a prayer for divine assessment. It suggests that our inner lives—our sorrow, our motives, our character—are known to God with perfect accuracy. We do not need to hide or exaggerate when we come before Him.
This understanding offers deep comfort. Whether you are navigating complex financial decisions or wrestling with personal guilt, the same God who values fair trade also weighs your heart with justice and mercy. You can trust that He sees the full picture of your life, far more clearly than any human scale ever could.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 20 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ I weighed out/ !3×
- you will weigh out1×
- you will weigh [them] out1×
- to/ weigh out1×
- they weigh out1×
- let him weigh/ me1×
- it will be weighed out1×
- it will be weighed1×
- it was weighed out1×
- do you weigh out1×
- certainly [if] <to weigh>1×
- and/ they weighed out1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תִּשְׁקֽוֹל\׃1×
- תִּשְׁקְל֡וּ1×
- תִשְׁקְלוּ\־1×
- שֹׁקֵ֤ל1×
- שֹׁקֵ֔ל1×
- שָׁק֣וֹל1×
- נִשְׁקַ֣ל1×
- לִ֠/שְׁקוֹל1×
- יִשָּׁקֵ֣ל1×
- יִשְׁקֹ֑לוּ1×
- יִשְׁקְלֵ֥/נִי1×
- יִ֝שָּׁקֵ֗ל1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 23:16
Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants’ standard.
This verse establishes the baseline meaning of shaqal as a formal, legally binding transaction using standard weights.
-
Job 6:2
“Oh that my anguish were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!
Here the verb shifts from physical metal to emotional anguish, showing God’s capacity to measure intangible suffering.
-
Job 31:6
(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
Job uses this word as a plea for divine justice, asking God to evaluate his personal integrity rather than just his actions.
-
Ezra 8:25
and weighed to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, his counselors, his princes, and all Israel there present, had offered.
This occurrence highlights the careful stewardship required when handling sacred resources dedicated to God’s house.
-
Zechariah 11:12
I said to them, “If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them.” So they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
The weighing of thirty pieces of silver serves as a poignant, prophetic act representing the rejection of true leadership.