Difference between revisions of "Biblical weights and measures"

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| [[Matthew, Chapter 4|Matt 4:21]], [[Matthew, Chapter 5|Matt 5:15]], [[Luke, Chapter 11|Luke 11:33]]
 
| [[Matthew, Chapter 4|Matt 4:21]], [[Matthew, Chapter 5|Matt 5:15]], [[Luke, Chapter 11|Luke 11:33]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
!colspan="5" align="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #808000 no-repeat scroll top left;"|Money
+
!colspan="5" align="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #808000 no-repeat scroll top left;"|Money<ref>Exchange rates listed here are based upon 1st century rates and their modern equivalent.</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
 
! width="200" | Type of money
 
! width="200" | Type of money
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| <center>£ 0.01<ref>usually a sixth of this amount</ref></center>
 
| <center>£ 0.01<ref>usually a sixth of this amount</ref></center>
 
| [[Matthew, Chapter 5|Matt 5:26]]
 
| [[Matthew, Chapter 5|Matt 5:26]]
 +
|-
 +
| Farthing (2)
 +
| <center>Greek: ''assarion''<br/>8 lepta<ref>2 of the mites, [[Mark, Chapter 12|Mark 12:42]]</ref></center>
 +
| <center>$ 0.01</center>
 +
| <center>£ 0.01<ref>usually 2 thirds of this amount</ref></center>
 +
| [[Matthew, Chapter 10|Matt 10:29]], [[Luke, Chapter 12|Luke 12:6]]
 +
|-
 +
| Mite
 +
| <center>Greek: ''lepton''<br/>0.5 of a ''kodrantes''/farthing<ref>2 of the mites, [[Mark, Chapter 12|Mark 12:42]]</ref></center>
 +
| <center>$ 0.01<ref>1/8 of this amount</ref></center>
 +
| <center>£ 0.01<ref>1/12 of this amount</ref></center>
 +
| [[Mark, Chapter 12|Mark 12:42]], [[Luke, Chapter 12|Luke 12:59]], [[Luke, Chapter 21|Luke 21:2]]
 +
|-
 +
| Pence
 +
| <center>Greek: ''denaria''<br/><ref>16 assaria farthings in [[Matthew, Chapter 10|Matt 10:29]]</ref></center>
 +
| <center>$ 0.20</center>
 +
| <center>£ 0.13</center>
 +
| [[Matthew, Chapter 18|Matt 18:28]], [[Mark, Chapter 14|Mark 14:5]], [[Luke, Chapter 7|Luke 7:41]], [[John, Chapter 12|John 12:5]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}

Revision as of 02:37, July 23, 2025

Old Testament Weights and Measures
Weights
Type of Weight Old Testament Measure
(approximate equivalent) 		Imperial Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Metric Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Biblical References
Bekah
Half-shekel, 10 gerahs
0.22 oz
6.2 g
 Exodus 38:26
Dram
Hebrew: adarkon
lit, a handful of drachmae or darics
0.31 oz
8.8 g
 1st Chr 29:7, Ezra 2:69, Ezra 8:27, Ne 7:70-72
Gerah
1/20 of a shekel
0.022 oz
0.62 g
 Exodus 30:13, Lev 27:25, Num 3:47, Num 18:16 Eze 45:12
Gerah
1/20 of a shekel
0.022 oz
3 kg
 Ex 30:13, Lev 27:25, Num 3:47, Num 18:16 Eze 45:12
Pound
Heb. mnah
300 shekels
6.6 lbs
0.62 g
 1 King 10.17, Ezra 2:69, Neh 7:71-72
Shekel
20 gerahs
2 bekahs
0.44 oz
12.4 g
 Gen 23:15-16, Exo 21:32
Shekel of the sanctuary
0.5 oz
14.2 g
 Exodus 38:24-25, Lev 27:3-7, Num 7:13-14, Num 18:16
Shekel after the king's weight
Unk; entire weight estimated to have been about 6 lbs / 2.7 kg.
 2 Sam 14:26
Talent
Heb. kikar
3,000 shekels
66 lbs.
30 kg
 Exodus 25:39, Exodus 37:24, Exodus 38:24-25, 1 King 9:14, 28, 2 King 5:5, 22-23
Lengths
Type of Length Old Testament Measure
(approximate equivalent) 		Imperial Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Metric Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Biblical References
Cubit[1]
Heb. ammah
2 spans
from elbow to fingertip
17.5 inches
445 mm
 Gen 6:15-16, Exo 26:28
Royal cubit
2 spans
plus 1 handbreadth
20.5 inches
521 mm
 2 Chr 3:3, Eze 40:5
Handbreadth
Heb. tophach
width of hand at the base
3 inches
76 mm
 Exo 37:12, 2 Chr 4:5, Ps 39:5
Reed
Heb. qaneh
6 cubits
105 inches
2.67 meters
 Eze 40:3, 5-8, Eze 41:8, Eze 42:16-19
Span[2]
Heb. zereth
width of outstretched hand
3 handbreadths
9 inches
229 mm
 Exo 28:16, Exo 39:9, 1 Sam 17:4, Isa 40:12
Liquid Measures
Type of liquid measure Old Testament Measure
(approximate equivalent) 		Imperial Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Metric Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Biblical References
Bath
6 hins
9 gallons
34 liters
 1 Ki 7:26, 38, 2 Chr 2:10, 2 Chr 4:5, Ezr 7:22, Isa 5:10, Eze 45:10-11, 14
Hin
12 logs
1.5 gallons
5.7 liters
 Exo 29:40, Exo 30:24, Lev 19:36, Num 15:7, Eze 46:5
Homer
10 baths
90 gallons
340 liters
 Eze 45:11, 14
Log
less than 1 pint
0.5 liter
 Lev 14:10, 12, 15, 21, 24
Dry Measures
Type of dry measure Old Testament Measure
(approximate equivalent) 		Imperial Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Metric Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Biblical References
Cab
4 logs
3.5 pints
2 liters
 2 Ki 6:25
Ephah
10 omers
0.95 bushels
34 liters
 Exo 16:36, Lev 5:11, Lev 6:20, Lev 19:36, Num 5:15, Num 28:5, Ruth 2:17
Homer
10 ephahs
9.5 bushels
340 liters
 Lev 27:16, Num 11:32, Isa 5:10, Ruth 45:11,13, Hos 3:2
Measure
Heb: seah
6 cabs
20 pints
11 liters
 2 Ki 7:1,16,18
Omer
7 logs
10% of an ephah
6.5 pints
3.6 liters
 Exo 16:16,18,32,33,36
Money
Type of money Hebrew name used U.S. dollar value
(approx. equivalent) 		British pound value
(approx. equivalent) 		Biblical References
Piece of money
Heb: qsitah[3]
$ 0.64
£ 0.43
 Gen 33:19, Jos 24:32
Piece of silver
Heb: keseph
$ 0.26
£ 0.17
 Gen 20:16
Shekel
Heb: shekel
$ 0.16
£ 0.11
 Exo 30:15, Lev 5:15
Talent
Heb: kikar
"circle"[4]
substantial[5]
substantial
 Exo 25:39, 1 Kings 9:14
New Testament Weights and Measures
Weights
Type of Weight New Testament Measure
(approximate equivalent) 		Imperial Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Metric Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Biblical References
Pound
Greek: litra
12 oz
34 kg
 Rev 16:21, John 19:39
Talent
Greek: talanton
75 lbs
340 g
 John 12:3, John 19:39
Length
Type of length New Testament Measure
(approximate equivalent) 		Imperial Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Metric Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Biblical References
Cubit
Greek: pechus
elbow to fingertip, or 2 spans
18 in
450 mm
 Matt 6:27, Luke 12:25
Fathom
Greek: orguia
6 feet
1.83 m
 Acts 2:28
Furlong
Greek: stadion
660 feet
200 m
 Luke 24:13, John 6:19, Rev 14:20, Rev 21:16
Mile
Greek: milion
Roman mile
4,986 feet[6]
1,520 m
 Luke 24:13, John 6:19, Rev 14:20, Rev 21:16
Liquid Measures
Type of liquid measure New Testament Measure
(approximate equivalent) 		Imperial Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Metric Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Biblical References
Firkin
Greek: metretes
Heb: bath
9 gallons
34 liters
 John 2:6
Dry Measures
Type of dry measure New Testament Measure
(approximate equivalent) 		Imperial Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Metric Measure
(approx. equivalent) 		Biblical References
Bushel
Greek: modios
2 dry gallons
8.8 liters
 Matt 4:21, Matt 5:15, Luke 11:33
Money[7]
Type of money Greek name used U.S. dollar value
(approx. equivalent) 		British pound value
(approx. equivalent) 		Biblical References
Drachme[8]
Greek: drachme[9]
$ 0.16
£ 0.11
 Luke 15:8
Farthing
Greek: kodrantes
2 lepta[10]
$ 0.01[11]
£ 0.01[12]
 Matt 5:26
Farthing (2)
Greek: assarion
8 lepta[13]
$ 0.01
£ 0.01[14]
 Matt 10:29, Luke 12:6
Mite
Greek: lepton
0.5 of a kodrantes/farthing[15]
$ 0.01[16]
£ 0.01[17]
 Mark 12:42, Luke 12:59, Luke 21:2
Pence
Greek: denaria
[18]
$ 0.20
£ 0.13
 Matt 18:28, Mark 14:5, Luke 7:41, John 12:5

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Goliath's height is provided in cubits in the 1 Samuel 17:4, putting his height at 9.5 feet.
  2. ↑ In addition to cubits, the "span" is also used in the measurement of Goliath's height, as provided in the 1 Samuel 17:4.
  3. ↑ called "pieces of silver" in Job 42:11
  4. ↑ a reference to the shape of the talent itself, and not the weight
  5. ↑ Both dollar and pound amounts are unknown due to the approximate weight of the talent, which was estimated to be about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  6. ↑ or 0.944 length of a modern mile
  7. ↑ Exchange rates listed here are based upon 1st century rates and their modern equivalent.
  8. ↑ a day's wage
  9. ↑ known also as the drachma or denarius
  10. ↑ 2 of the mites, Mark 12:42
  11. ↑ usually a quarter of this amount
  12. ↑ usually a sixth of this amount
  13. ↑ 2 of the mites, Mark 12:42
  14. ↑ usually 2 thirds of this amount
  15. ↑ 2 of the mites, Mark 12:42
  16. ↑ 1/8 of this amount
  17. ↑ 1/12 of this amount
  18. ↑ 16 assaria farthings in Matt 10:29
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