Dictionary of Bible Themes – 5616 weights and measures, dry
Resources chevron-right Dictionary of Bible Themes chevron-right 5000 Humanity chevron-right 5200 Human civilisation chevron-right 5613 weights and measures chevron-right 5616 weights and measures, dry
5616 weights and measures, dry

5616 weights and measures, dry

These terms derive originally from the containers used, which held a fixed amount. Measures are given in ascending order, with their approximate imperial and metric equivalents.

Cab (1/18 ephah): about 2 pints (about 1 litre)

2Ki 6:25 This is the only mention in Scripture of this measure.

Omer (1/10 ephah): about 4 pints (about 2 litres)

Ex 16:16-22 This incident records the only mention in Scripture of this measure. See also Ex 16:32,36

Seah (1/3 ephah): about 13 pints (about 7.3 litres)

Ge 18:6 The seah was a measure used for flour and cereals. See also 1Sa 25:18; 1Ki 18:32; 2Ki 7:1

Ephah: about 3/5 bushel (about 22 litres)

Ru 2:17 The ephah was used only for flour and cereals, and had subdivisions of 1/6 and 1/10. See also Lev 5:11; Lev 24:5; Nu 15:4-9; Jdg 6:19; 1Sa 17:17; Eze 45:10-11; Zec 5:6-8 The word for “measuring basket” in the Hebrew is “ephah”.

Lethek (5 ephahs or 1/2 homer): about 3 bushels (about 110 litres)

Hos 3:2 Possibly a Phoenician measure, this is the only mention in Scripture of this measure.

Cor (10 ephahs): about 6 bushels (about 220 litres)

1Ki 4:22 The cor was used for measuring flour and cereals, and also appears to have been used for measuring oil. See also 1Ki 5:11; 2Ch 2:10; 2Ch 27:5; Ezr 7:22; Eze 45:14

Homer (10 ephahs): about 6 bushels (about 220 litres)

Lev 27:16 The homer is an older word than the cor, but is equivalent to it. It originally meant “a donkey load” and was widely used throughout the ancient Near East from the second millennium B.C. as a measure for cereals. See also Nu 11:32; Isa 5:10; Eze 45:11,13-14; Hos 3:2

Other dry measures found in the NT

Quart (choinix): about 1 1/2-2 pints (about 1 litre) Rev 6:6 The word translated “quart” is “choinix”, a Greek measure.

Saton (equivalent to the OT seah) Mt 13:33 pp Lk 13:21 The “large amount” referred to is “three sata” in the Greek.

Bowl (modius): about 15 1/2 pints (about 8.75 litres) Mt 5:15 pp Mk 4:21 pp Lk 11:33 The word translated “bowl” is the Roman measure “modius”.

Koros (equivalent to the OT cor) Lk 16:7 The measure translated as “a thousand bushels” is “one hundred korous” in the Greek.

See also

4456grain
4542wheat
5558storing
7435sacrifice, in OT

Bible Gateway Recommends

Useful Thesaurus of English - eBook
Useful Thesaurus of English - eBook
Retail: $5.99
Our Price: $4.79
Save: $1.20 (20%)
Useful Dictionary of English - eBook
Useful Dictionary of English - eBook
Retail: $5.99
Our Price: $4.79
Save: $1.20 (20%)
Useful Charles Dickens - eBook
Useful Charles Dickens - eBook
Retail: $5.99
Our Price: $4.79
Save: $1.20 (20%)
Useful Dictionary of Verbs with Prepositions - eBook
Useful Dictionary of Verbs with Prepositions - eBook
Retail: $5.99
Our Price: $4.79
Save: $1.20 (20%)
Ephesians: Word Come Alive - eBook
Ephesians: Word Come Alive - eBook
Retail: $5.99
Our Price: $4.79
Save: $1.20 (20%)