### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **shâqal**, represented by `{{H8254}}`, is a primitive root meaning to **weigh**, suspend, or poise, especially in the context of trade. It is also used to mean pay, receive, spend, or, idiomatically, throughly. It appears **22 times** across **21 unique verses**, establishing its role in both literal transactions and figurative evaluations.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H8254}}` is frequently used to describe the literal act of weighing money or goods for a transaction. Abraham **weighed** four hundred shekels of silver to purchase a burial plot [[Genesis 23:16]]. Similarly, Jeremiah **weighed** money in balances as part of a witnessed land purchase [[Jeremiah 32:10]]. The word also appears figuratively. God's creative power is described as having **weighed** the mountains in scales [[Isaiah 40:12]]. In a plea for justice, Job asks to be **weighed** in an even balance so God may know his integrity [[Job 31:6]]. The term is also used for spending money on that which does not satisfy [[Isaiah 55:2]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a fuller context for the actions of weighing and payment:
* `{{H3976}}` **môʼzên** (balances): This word, meaning "a pair of scales," is the instrument used for the act of weighing. It is often used in conjunction with `{{H8254}}` to describe a formal or precise measurement, as when God weighed the hills in a **balance** [[Isaiah 40:12]] or when Job desired to be weighed in an even **balance** [[Job 31:6]].
* `{{H3701}}` **keçeph** (silver, money): As the common medium of exchange, **money** or **silver** is the object frequently being weighed. This is seen when Abraham weighed **silver** [[Genesis 23:16]], when Haman promised to pay **silver** into the king's treasuries [[Esther 3:9]], and when the prophet's price was weighed in thirty pieces of **silver** [[Zechariah 11:12]].
* `{{H8505}}` **tâkan** (to balance, ponder, weigh): This word is closely related, meaning to measure out by weight or to estimate figuratively. While `{{H8254}}` often describes the physical act, `{{H8505}}` is used when the LORD **weighs** the spirits [[Proverbs 16:2]] or **pondereth** the hearts [[Proverbs 21:2]], highlighting a divine assessment.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H8254}}` is significant, moving from simple commerce to divine judgment.
* **Transactional Integrity:** The use of `{{H8254}}` in legal and commercial exchanges, such as Abraham's purchase and Jeremiah's sealed deed, underscores a biblical standard for fairness and precision in human dealings ([[Genesis 23:16]], [[Jeremiah 32:10]]).
* **Divine Sovereignty:** The act of weighing is attributed to God Himself, who **weighed** the mountains as part of His creation, demonstrating His absolute power and meticulous order over the physical world [[Isaiah 40:12]].
* **Moral and Spiritual Valuation:** The concept is elevated to a metaphor for divine judgment. Job's cry to be **weighed** reflects a desire for his moral character to be assessed by God [[Job 31:6]]. His grief is also described as something to be "throughly **weighed**" [[Job 6:2]].
* **Determining Worth:** The word is central to understanding value. The price of wisdom cannot have silver **weighed** for it [[Job 28:15]], while a prophet's value is insultingly **weighed** in silver [[Zechariah 11:12]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H8254}}` **shâqal** is a term rich with meaning. It begins with the fundamental, physical act of weighing valuables like silver but expands into a powerful metaphor for justice, value, and divine authority. From the marketplace to the cosmic scale of creation and the moral balance of a person's heart, this word illustrates how a concrete action can represent the profound spiritual truths of integrity, sovereignty, and judgment.
TRV