Revelation 6:5 — Scales or Yoke or Beam?
Revelation 6:5 has the figure riding the black horse carrying a ζυγον (zygon). It literally translates as a ‘yoke’ — yes, the same thing that’s used to pull a pair of oxen together.
However, the same word is used for other beams that joins two equal things together, such as the bar that connects two sides of a scale.
This may seem unimportant, but when people make artwork of Revelation, they’ll often depict the figure holding up a modern-looking pair of scales with a set of two dangling plates or bowls on each side, but:
- That’s not what these ancient scales looked like.
- That’s not the type you’d use for weighing grain.
- That’s not what the text says, it just says he’s holding a beam.
The type of ancient scales being described here were primarily made from a prominent metal beam with a fixed weight attached and dangling from one end. You would then hang whatever you were measuring from the other side.
The beam’s centre would be balanced from a metal pole or some other object (perhaps one fixed into the ground) to balance it out. Different beams may be swapped out to weigh different things, since the weights were permanently attached.
So, to weigh grain:
- On the side with the fixed weight, you would attach an empty bag.
- On the other side, you would attach an identical empty bag, and fill it with whatever you are selling (e.g. grain).
When the two balance perfectly, both buyer and seller know they’ve got a fair deal.
That’s why this ‘weighing scale’ is literally called a ‘yoke’, because that’s basically what it is, a long metal beam with two equal things on each side. And, yes, it’s something people would routinely pick up and hold in their hands when swapping out the beam to weigh different things.
You can see one of these scales as an ancient artifact at this blog entry.