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Integrity Leads to Honesty

Proverbs 11:1 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
11 Scales of deceit are detestable to Jehovah,
but a perfect stone^[1] is his delight.

Scales of deceit are detestable to Jehovah: A set of scales (מֹאזְנַ֫יִם mōznayim) is an instrument used to measure something where you have two balance pans with the standard weight in one pan and the product in the other pan. Scales of deceit are a reference to dishonest business practices where corrupt merchants would cheat their customers by using inaccurate sets of weights to steal extra profit. The merchant could have inaccurate scales by altering the arms’ length, making them unequal. Then again, they could be made less sensitive by altering the arms so they are relatively short or by having a thicker and heavier beam. The deceitful merchant would use inaccurate weights, one for buying and the other for selling. This practice was detestable (תּוֹעֵבָה toebah or תֹּעֵבָה toebah) to God, for it was an abomination that repulsed him and caused him to be disgusted in the one being deceitful.

but a perfect stone is his delight: The perfect stone was a just weight that weighed what it was supposed to weigh, making the merchant honest in his business dealings with others. Delight (Heb. ratson) here in this verse is honest business practices and an honest merchant that provides a source of happiness, pleasure, or joy.

Here in Proverbs 11:1 is the first of four places in the book of Proverbs where scales and weights are used to help us appreciate just how much God hates dishonest business practices but finds great delight in worshipers who are honest in their dealings with others. (See 16:11; 20:10, 23) It might be tempting to make a tiny adjustment so as to prosper dishonestly in our business dealings. However, we would at the same time be forsaking God’s standards of good and bad by being involved in wrong business practices. We need to be guided by integrity. We avoid dishonesty because a perfect stone (just weight) tells God of our honesty, which delights him.

[1] Or just weight