8:5 You say,
“When will the new moon festival 1 be over, 2 so we can sell grain?
When will the Sabbath end, 3 so we can open up the grain bins? 4
We’re eager 5 to sell less for a higher price, 6
and to cheat the buyer with rigged scales! 7
1 sn Apparently work was prohibited during the new moon festival, just as it was on the Sabbath.
2 tn Heb “pass by.”
3 tn The verb, though omitted in the Hebrew text, is supplied in the translation from the parallel line.
4 tn Heb “sell grain.” Here “grain” could stand by metonymy for the bins where it was stored.
5 tn Here and in v. 6 the words “we’re eager” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
6 tn Heb “to make small the ephah and to make great the shekel.” The “ephah” was a unit of dry measure used to determine the quantity purchased, while the “shekel” was a standard weight used to determine the purchase price. By using a smaller than standard ephah and a heavier than standard shekel, these merchants were able to increase their profit (“sell less for a higher price”) by cheating the buyer.
7 tn Heb “and to cheat with deceptive scales”; NASB, NIV “dishonest scales”; NRSV “false balances.”