Measures of capacity in the Bible
Grain was measured by the ephah and the homer, oil and wine by the bath and the hin; the ephah and the bath are the same size. The New Testament adds the Greek and Roman measures: the choinix, the modius and the metretes.
Omrekenaar
Capacity
| Eenheid | Gelijk aan | Grootte | Bijbelplaatsen |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ephah
OT
אֵיפָה eyfah
The basic dry measure, equal to the liquid bath. About 22 l by jars marked «bath»; Josephus gives a larger value, about 39 l.
|
≈ 21–40 l doorgaans 22 l
[1][2]
|
Exodus 16:36, Ruth 2:17, Ezechiël 45:11 | |
|
Bath
OT
בַּת bat
The basic liquid measure, equal to the ephah (Ezekiel 45:11).
|
= 1 × Ephah |
≈ 21–40 l doorgaans 22 l
|
1 Koningen 7:26, Jesaja 5:10, Ezechiël 45:14 |
|
Homer
OT
חֹמֶר homer
Ten ephahs, a donkey's load.
|
= 10 × Ephah |
≈ 210–400 l doorgaans 220 l
|
Leviticus 27:16, Ezechiël 45:11, Hosea 3:2 |
|
Kor
OT
כֹּר kor
Equal to the homer, ten baths (Ezekiel 45:14).
|
= 1 × Homer |
≈ 210–400 l doorgaans 220 l
|
Ezechiël 45:14, Ezra 7:22 |
|
Lethek
OT
לֶתֶךְ letekh
Traditionally half a homer; the word occurs once.
|
≈ 1/2 × Homer |
≈ 105–200 l doorgaans 110 l
|
Hosea 3:2 |
|
Seah
OT
סְאָה seah
A third of an ephah.
|
= 1/3 × Ephah |
≈ 7–13,3 l doorgaans 7,33 l
|
Genesis 18:6, 1 Samuel 25:18, 2 Koningen 7:1 |
|
Omer
OT
עֹמֶר omer
A tenth of an ephah, the daily portion of manna for one person.
|
= 1/10 × Ephah |
≈ 2,1–4 l doorgaans 2,2 l
|
Exodus 16:16, Exodus 16:36 |
|
Tenth deal
OT
עִשָּׂרוֹן issaron
A tenth of an ephah, the measure of flour for offerings; the same amount as the omer.
|
= 1/10 × Ephah |
≈ 2,1–4 l doorgaans 2,2 l
|
Exodus 29:40, Numeri 15:4 |
|
Kab
OT
קַב qav
A sixth of a seah, about 1.2 l.
|
= 1/6 × Seah |
≈ 1,17–2,22 l doorgaans 1,22 l
|
2 Koningen 6:25 |
|
Hin
OT
הִין hin
A sixth of a bath, the measure of wine and oil for offerings.
|
= 1/6 × Bath |
≈ 3,5–6,67 l doorgaans 3,67 l
|
Exodus 29:40, Ezechiël 45:24 |
|
Log
OT
לֹג log
The smallest liquid measure, a twelfth of a hin, about 0.3 l.
|
= 1/12 × Hin |
≈ 0,292–0,556 l doorgaans 0,306 l
|
Leviticus 14:10 |
|
Pot (xestes)
NT
ξέστης xestēs
The Roman sextarius, about half a litre; also a jug of that size.
|
≈ 0,5–0,55 l doorgaans 0,54 l
[1]
|
Markus 7:4 | |
|
Choinix
NT
χοῖνιξ choinix
Two xestai, about a litre of grain, a day's ration for a man.
|
= 2 × Pot (xestes) |
≈ 1–1,1 l doorgaans 1,08 l
|
Openbaring 6:6 |
|
Bushel (modios)
NT
μόδιος modios
The Roman modius of sixteen sextarii, about 8.7 l; the «bushel» under which no one puts a lamp.
|
= 16 × Pot (xestes) |
≈ 8–8,8 l doorgaans 8,64 l
|
Matteüs 5:15, Markus 4:21, Lukas 11:33 |
|
Measure (metretes)
NT
μετρητής metrētēs
The Attic liquid measure of 72 xestai, about 39 l.
|
= 72 × Pot (xestes) |
≈ 36–39,6 l doorgaans 38,9 l
|
Johannes 2:6 |
|
Measure (saton)
NT
σάτον saton
The Hebrew seah in Greek form.
|
= 1 × Seah |
≈ 7–13,3 l doorgaans 7,33 l
|
Matteüs 13:33, Lukas 13:21 |
|
Measure (batos)
NT
βάτος batos
The Hebrew bath in Greek form, a measure of oil.
|
= 1 × Bath |
≈ 21–40 l doorgaans 22 l
|
Lukas 16:6 |
|
Measure (koros)
NT
κόρος koros
The Hebrew kor in Greek form, a measure of wheat.
|
= 1 × Kor |
≈ 210–400 l doorgaans 220 l
|
Lukas 16:7 |
Bedragen en maten in de Schrift
| Plaats | Bijbelplaatsen | Hoeveelheid | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| An omer of manna for each person | Exodus 16:16 | 1 × Omer | ≈ 2,1–4 l |
| Ruth's ephah of barley | Ruth 2:17 | 1 × Ephah | ≈ 21–40 l |
| A quarter of a kab in the siege of Samaria | 2 Koningen 6:25 | 1/4 × Kab | ≈ 0,292–0,556 l |
| The bronze sea | 1 Koningen 7:26 | 2 000 × Bath | ≈ 42 000–80 000 l |
| The water jars at Cana, two or three measures each | Johannes 2:6 | 2 × Measure (metretes) | ≈ 72–79,2 l |
| Leaven in three measures of flour | Matteüs 13:33 | 3 × Measure (saton) | ≈ 21–40 l |
| A hundred measures of oil | Lukas 16:6 | 100 × Measure (batos) | ≈ 2 100–4 000 l |
| A hundred measures of wheat | Lukas 16:7 | 100 × Measure (koros) | ≈ 21 000–40 000 l |
Bronnen
- Marvin A. Powell. Weights and Measures // The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. D. N. Freedman. Vol. 6. New York: Doubleday, 1992
- R. B. Y. Scott. Weights and Measures of the Bible // The Biblical Archaeologist 22, no. 2 (1959)