Therefore, the use of false weights and measures is a form of theft and a violation of the Eighth Commandment against stealing from our neighbor. On the other hand, the use of a false weight or measure constitutes fraud and theft, and, hence, the user acts unrighteously because he violates God's law. The biblical law of weights and measures calls for righteousness in all our economic transactions and dealings. It commands us to protect our neighbor's wealth by doing nothing that would deprive him of it through fraud or deceit. Two areas where the law of just weights and measures needs to be applied are those of money and banking.
Money is a commodity of value that is accepted and used as a medium of exchange in the marketplace.
Historically, precious metals, particularly gold and silver, have served as money because they are valuable, durable, and portable. It is easy to see how a false weight would involve the theft of money in that system. In time, it became convenient for men to coin their precious metals according to set weights, e.g. , a shekel of silver. Evil men defrauded their neighbors, and thus violated the law of just weights and measures, by shaving the coins, or by producing coins that were mixed with baser metals. In either instance, the coins were debauched, and they were not worth the stated value.