Measures of area in the Bible

The Bible measures land by work and by seed: a yoke is what a pair of oxen ploughs in a day, and a field is named after the measure of grain sown on it.

Converter

Amount

Enter a non-negative number up to 1 000 000: 2, 0.5 or 1/4.

From

= 1/30 Homer of sowing (0.0333)

In metric units: ≈ 484–689 m², typically 495 m²

Area

Unit	Equals	Size	Scripture
Seah of sowing OT בֵּית סְאָה beit se'ah Land sown with a seah of seed. By the Mishnah it is 50 by 50 cubits, about 500 m².		≈ 484–689 m² typically 495 m² ^[1][2]	1 Kings 18:32
Homer of sowing OT זֶרַע חֹמֶר zera homer Land sown with a homer of seed; the price of a field was set by it. A homer is thirty seahs.	= 30 × Seah of sowing	≈ 14 520–20 670 m² typically 14 850 m²	Leviticus 27:16
Yoke of land OT צֶמֶד tsemed The land a yoke of oxen ploughs in a day, like the Roman iugerum. A rough measure, estimates vary.		≈ 1 000–4 000 m² typically 2 500 m² ^[1]	1 Samuel 14:14, Isaiah 5:10

Sums and measures in Scripture

Passage	Scripture	Amount	Equivalent
Half a yoke of land	1 Samuel 14:14	1/2 × Yoke of land	≈ 500–2 000 m²
Ten yokes of vineyard yield one bath	Isaiah 5:10	10 × Yoke of land	≈ 10 000–40 000 m²
The trench around Elijah's altar	1 Kings 18:32	2 × Seah of sowing	≈ 968–1 378 m²

Sources

Marvin A. Powell. Weights and Measures // The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. D. N. Freedman. Vol. 6. New York: Doubleday, 1992
Мишна, трактат Эрувин 2:5: двор скинии 100 × 50 локтей — «место посева двух сеа»