In the Old Testament money was weighed. The first recorded transaction in scripture is that of Abraham buying the field of Ephron the Hittite for four hundred shekels of silver, which Abraham “weighed” to Ephron (Gen. 23:15-16). The shekel here was a weight. Judas Maccabaeus, about B. C. 141, was the first to coin Jewish money, though there existed doubtless from of old pieces of silver of known value, which passed from hand to hand without being always weighed. Herod the Great coined money with his name on it; and Herod Agrippa had some coins; but after that the coins in Palestine were Roman.
The following tables must be taken approximately only: the authorities differ.
WEIGHTS.
The principal weights in use were as follows with their approximate equivalents:—
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Avoirdupois
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Pounds
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Ounces
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Drams
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Gerah (1/20 of a shekel)
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0.439
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Bekah (½ of a shekel)
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4.390
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Shekel
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|
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8.780
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Maneh or pound (60 shekels)
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2
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0
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14.800
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Talent, kikkah (50 maneh)
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102
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14
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4.000
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Talent of lead (Zech. 5:7), "weighty piece" (margin)
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Talent (Rev. 16:21): if Attic = about 55 lbs.
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Pound, λίτρα (John 12:3; 19:39): about 12 oz. avoirdupois
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900006
It must be noted that there are two shekels mentioned in the Old Testament: one according to the “king’s weight,” probably the standard shekel used for all ordinary business (Ex. 38:29; Josh. 7:21; 2 Sam. 14:26; Amos 8:5); and another called the “shekel of the sanctuary,” of which it is said in Exodus 30:13; Leviticus 27:25; Numbers 3:47 and Numbers 18:16, “the shekel is 20 gerahs,” implying perhaps that the common shekel was different. Michaelis says that the proportion was as 5 to 3, the business shekel being the smaller.
This seems confirmed by the word maneh in the following passages. By comparing 1 Kings 10:17 with 2 Chronicles 9:16 it will be seen that a maneh equals 100 shekels (probably, for the word “shekels” has been added by the translators); whereas in Ezekiel 45:12 The maneh equals 60 shekels, because the latter would be shekels of the sanctuary. The passage in Ezekiel is obscure, but the sense appears to be that three weights (20, 25, and 15 shekels) should be their maneh, which makes, as in the above table, a maneh = 60 shekels. Some modern tables give the maneh as equal to 50 shekels, from the supposition that this is what is meant in Ezekiel 45:12 in the LXX. The maneh is translated “pound” “1 Kings 10:17; Ezra 2:69; Neh. 7:71-72).
The word bekah occurs in Exodus 38:26: it signifies “half,” and is “half shekel” in Exodus 30:13.
MONEY.
If the weights in the foregoing list be approximately correct, and silver be taken at 5/- per ounce, and gold at £4 per ounce Troy, the money value will be about
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£
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s.
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d.
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Gerah (1/20 of a shekel)
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0
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0
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1.5
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Ex. 30:13
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Bekah, beqa (½ of a shekel)
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0
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1
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3
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Gen. 24:22
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Shekel
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0
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2
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6
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Gen. 23:15
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Dram (daric, a Persian gold coin) about
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1
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2
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0
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1 Chron. 29:7
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Maneh or pound, 60 shekels
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7
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10
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0
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Ezek. 45:12
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Talent of Silver
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375
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0
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0
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Ezra 7:22
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Talent of Gold
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6000
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0
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0
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Ex. 25:39
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900007
With respect to “Piece of money” (Gen. 33:19; Job 42:11) and “Piece of silver” (Josh. 24:32) qesitah, Gesenius compares Genesis 33:19 with Genesis 23:16 and supposes the weight to equal 4 shekels.
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£
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s.
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d.
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Mite, λεπτόν
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0
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0
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3/32
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Mark 12:42
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Farthing, κοδράντης
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0
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0
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3/16
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Matt. 5:26
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Farthing, άσσάριον
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0
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0
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¾
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Matt. 10:29
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Penny, δηνάριον
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0
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0
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7¾
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Matt. 20:2
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Piece of silver, δραχμή
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0
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0
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7¾
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Luke 15:8-9
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Tribute money, δίδραχμον
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0
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1
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3½
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Matt. 17:24
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Piece of money, στατήρ
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0
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2
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7
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Matt. 17:27
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Pound, μνά
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3
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4
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7
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Luke 19:13-25
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Talent (Roman), τάλαντον
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193
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15
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0
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Matt. 18:24
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Piece of silver, άργύριον
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0
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2
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6
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Matt. 26:15
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Money, άργύριον
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indefinite
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Matt. 25:18
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900008
The Greek word ἀργύριον is the common word for “silver,” and “money,” as l’argent in French. “Piece of silver” in the AV is always ἀργύριον, except in Luke 15:8-9, where it is δραχμή.
The above gives no idea of the purchasing value of these sums, which often varied. A penny (δννάριον) was the usual daily wages of a working man: its purchasing value then must have been considerably more than it is now.
Liquid Measure
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Measure
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Conversion
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Example
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Caph
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0.552
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pints
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Log (1.3 caphs)
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0.718
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pints
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Lev. 14:10-24
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Cab (4 logs)
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2.872
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pints
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2 Kings 6:25
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Hin (12 logs)
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1.077
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gallons
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Ex. 29:40
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Bath, Ephah (72 logs)
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6.462
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gallons
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1 Kings 7:26
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Cor, Homer (720 logs)
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64.620
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gallons
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Ezek. 45:14
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Pot, ξέστης
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0.960
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pints
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Mark 7:4,8
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Measure, βάτος
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7.500
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gallons
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Luke 16:6
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Firkin, μετρητής
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8.625
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gallons
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John 2:6
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Measure, κόρος
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64.133
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gallons
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Luke 16:7
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900009
Dry Measure
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Measure
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Conversion
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Example
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Log
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0.718
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pints
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|
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Cab (4 logs)
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2.872
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pints
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2 Kings 6:25
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Omer (1.8 cabs)
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5.169
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pints
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Ex. 16:16,36
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Tenth deal (tenth of an Ephah)
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5.169
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pints
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Ex. 29:40
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Measure, seah (6 cabs)
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2.154
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gallons
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1 Sam. 25:18
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Ephah (18 cabs)
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6.462
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gallons
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Lev. 5:11
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Half Homer, lethek (90 cabs)
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4.040
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bushels
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Hos. 3:2
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Homer, chomer (180 cabs)
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8.081
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bushels
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Lev. 27:16
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Measure, χõινιξ
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2.000
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pints
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Rev. 6:6
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Bushel, μόδιος
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2.000
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gallons
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Matt. 5:15
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Measure, σάτον
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2.875
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gallons
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Matt. 13:33
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900010
Long Measure
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Measure
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Conversion
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Example
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Finger or Digit, etsba
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0.7584
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inches
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Jer. 52:21
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Handbreadth or Palm (4 digits), tephach
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3.0337
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inches
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1 Kings 7:26
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Span, zereth (3 palms)
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9.1012
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inches
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Ex. 28:16
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Cubit, ammah, πήχυς (2 spans)
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18.2025
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inches
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Gen. 6:15
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Fathom, όρυιά (4 cubits)
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6.0675
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feet
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Acts 27:28
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Reed, qaneh (6 cubits)
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9.1012
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feet
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Ezek. 40:3-8
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Furlong, στάδιον (400 cubits)
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606.7500
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feet
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Luke 24:13
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Sabbath-day's journey (2000 cubits)
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3033.7500
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feet
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Acts 1:12
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Mile, μίλιον (3200 cubits)
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4854.0000
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feet
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Matt. 5:41
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Acre: as much land as a yoke of oxen would plow in a day
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1 Sam. 14:14
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900011
The above measures are calculated from the cubit being the same as the Hebrew ammah and the Greek πῆχυς, which latter is found in Matthew 6:27; Luke 12:25: John 21:8; Revelation 21:17. This may be called the short cubit (perhaps not the shortest: See CUBIT). In Ezekiel 41:8 is the expression, “a full reed of six great cubits.” The “great cubit” is supposed to be a cubit and a handbreadth. This would make Ezekiel’s reed to be about 10.618 feet. By adding a sixth to any of the above measurements they will correspond to the great cubit. There can be no doubt, however, that the “furlong” and the “mile” were Greek measures.
Though all these reckonings are only approximate, they help to throw light upon many passages of scripture. Thus Isaiah 5:10 shows that there is a curse resting upon the fields of a covetous man. In Revelation 6:6 the quantities prove that the time then spoken of will be one of great scarcity.