hold the scales even

H

hold the scales even (metaphor)
/hoʊld ðə skeɪlz ˈiːvən/

Meanings

• To maintain fairness or impartiality in judgment or decision-making.
• To balance opposing interests or forces equitably.
• To administer justice fairly without favoritism.
• (Rare) To literally hold a balance scale steady, ensuring equal weight on both sides.

Synonyms: act impartially; remain impartial; be unbiased; stay neutral; maintain fairness; ensure balance; show fairness; uphold justice; be equitable.

Example Sentences

1. She strove to hold the scales even when mediating the dispute between her colleagues.
2. The judge aimed to hold the scales even by considering all evidence impartially.
3. In the dispute between the workers and the management, the arbitrator tried to hold the scales even.
4. The masked judge vowed to hold the balance even, though both sides feared the outcome. (variant)
5. He tried to hold the scales even by carefully measuring equal portions for both sides. (literal)

Variants

1. hold the balance even
2. keep the scales even
3. keep the scales balanced
4. hold the scales fairly
5. maintain even scales
6. hold the scales of justice

Origin and History

The idiom hold the scales even conveys the idea of maintaining impartiality, fairness, or balance in judgment, especially when weighing conflicting interests. Its imagery stems from the balance scale, a universal emblem of equality and justice, evoking the necessity that neither side should gain undue advantage. This metaphor has been used in legal, political, and ethical discourse to emphasize neutrality and unbiased decision-making.

Theories of origin

Several overlapping theories and beliefs trace the conceptual roots of the idiom:

1. Ancient justice symbolism.
   The scales of justice were central to multiple civilizations. Egyptian mythology presents Maat weighing souls against a feather as a test of truth and order. Greek Themis and Roman Justitia also held scales as emblems of balanced judgment. These traditions fed into the Western iconography of blindfolded Justice with scales, shaping later figurative English expressions.
2. Medieval trade practices.
   A practical derivation suggests that merchants using balance scales to ensure honest trade exchanges provided a metaphorical bridge toward ideas of moral or judicial fairness.
3. Biblical influence.
   Verses such as Proverbs 11:1 (“A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight”) reinforced the moral association of scales with fairness, though the precise idiom does not appear in scripture.
4. Enlightenment ideals.
   In the 17th and 18th centuries, amid Britain’s legal reforms, parliamentary debates, and translations of classical works, the idiom took root. The Enlightenment emphasis on rational equity and balancing individual rights against collective needs lent new resonance to the expression.
5. Cross-cultural parallels.
   While the idiom crystallized in English, broader philosophical traditions also valued balance: Confucian notions of harmony and Indian conceptions of dharma reflect parallel ideals of just and balanced governance, though they did not directly supply the English phrase.

Linguistic evolution and variants

Historical texts reveal variant forms such as hold the balance even, keep the scales even, or maintain even scales. The word “balance” derives from Latin bilanx (“two pans”), and earlier English usage often alternated between “balance” and “scales.” Over time, “scales” gained idiomatic prominence, though both variants persisted in literature.

Country of origin

The idiom, in its fixed English form, originated in England. Its emergence coincided with late 17th-century developments in English law, commerce, and translations of classical texts. While the imagery itself is millennia older, the specific English expression is a product of Anglophone linguistic and cultural contexts.

Earliest printed record

The earliest known printed appearance of a closely related form, hold the Balance even, occurs in the 1698 English translation of Cornelius Tacitus’s Annals and History, published in London. The passage reads:

“As he is a common Father, he ought to hold the Balance even, especially when he is to Revenge the Death or Complaints of the former.”

This translation, attributed to Monsieur Amelot de la Houssaye and Sir Henry Savile among others, marks the first documented use in English print. Later uses appear in 18th-century works such as John Adams’s Defence of the Constitutions (1787). No earlier printed examples are currently confirmed, though manuscript or oral precedents may have existed.

Origin Conclusion

The idiom hold the scales even crystallized in late 17th-century England, shaped by ancient symbols of justice, medieval commercial practices, biblical imagery, and Enlightenment ideals. Its earliest documented print record dates to 1698, but its resonance draws on a much older, cross-cultural association between fairness and the balance of scales.

Duty

Last update: August 26, 2025 1:25 AM