A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
but a just weight is his delight.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with the humble is wisdom.Proverbs 11:1-2
The down-to-earth, ethical content of true spiritual life underlined in the previous chapter is continued in the emphasis of chapter 11. This is not the only place in Scripture where dishonesty and falsity in business is condemned (cf Deuteronomy 25:13-15, Leviticus 19:36, Proverbs 20:10, 23). Two things should be noted here - one is that the condemnation is made on the highest grounds, for God's sake. Dishonesty is first of all an offence and an affront to God, as well as being bad for society. Absolute integrity is what is pleasing to Him. Here, as elsewhere, we see how central and basic is the idea of the fear of the Lord where He is reverenced. His standards will become ours. The other consideration is that the idea of the false balance can be applied in other than literal ways. The whole question of giving value for money, for example, in one's daily work is a case in point: wasting time at work, shoddy workmanship, questionable business methods - these are all variations of the 'false balance', and must be shunned. 'Pride' in 2 (a word 'used of the arrogance of those who must have everything their own way, and will not be 'kicked around'' - Kidner) is essentially anti-God, this is why it always comes to grief. It contains the seeds of its own fall within itself, and shame (or disgrace) is inevitably the result. For God resisteth the proud. 'Lowly' is the word that we have in the famous statement in Micah 6:8: 'What doth the Lord require of thee but....to walk humbly with their God'. This is wisdom indeed!