God has already given us all the units of measurement we need in the Bible.

 

Biblical units of measurement

Who knew you could have so much fun with the Bible’s units of measurement?

But seriously, here’s a list of biblical units of measurement:

In case you’re interested, here’s the list of biblical measurements, along with some notes on what they might be equivalent to today. I pulled these from Wilmington’s The Complete Book of Bible Lists (a really helpful resource to me*).

Unit of measurementEquivalentScriptural example
Bath6 gallons1 Kings 7:26
Bekah¼ ounce;  a bekah is also equal to one homeschooling curricula ;-)Exod. 38:26
Bushel1 peckMatt. 5:15; Mark 4:21; Luke 11:33
Cab2 quarts2 Kings 6:25
CubitLength from elbow to hand, about 18 inchesGen. 6:15; 1 Sam. 17:4; Esther 5:14; Dan. 3:1
Cor 6½ bushels of dry measure, or 61 gallons of liquidEzek. 45:14
Daric (dram)$5Neh. 7:70; Ezra 2:69
Day’s journey20 milesLuke 2:44
Denarius (penny)1 day’s wagesMatt. 20:2; 22:19; Luke 10:35
Didrachmon (didrachma)32 cents; Jewish half-shekel of silverMatt. 17:24
Drachme (drachma)16 centsLuke 15:8–9
Ephah1 bushel; 6 gallons of grainRuth 2:17; 1 Sam. 17:17
Farthing¼ centMatt. 10:29; Mark 12:42
Fathom6 feetActs 27:28
Finger span (digit)¾ inchJer. 52:21
Firkin (metretes)9 gallonsJohn 2:6
Furlong1/8 mileLuke 24:13; John 6:19; Rev. 14:20; 21:16
Gerah1/40 ounceExod. 30:13
Handbreadth3 inches1 Kings 7:26; Ps. 39:5
Hin6 quartsExod. 29:40
Homer90 gallons; 11 bushelsNum. 11:32; Hosea 3:2
Log1 pintLev. 14:10
Measure1 peckGen. 18:6; Matt. 13:33
Maneh2 poundsEzek. 45:12
Mile4,880 feetMatt. 5:41
Minavaries1 Kings 10:17
Mite1/8 centMark 12:42
Omer7 pintsExod. 16:22
Pace1 meter2 Sam. 6:13
Quadrans¼ centMatt. 5:26; Mark 12:42
Reed11 feetEzek. 42:16; Rev. 21:15
Sabbath day’s journey½ mileActs 1:12
Seah1 gallon and 5 pintsGen. 18:6; 1 Sam. 25:18
ShekelVaries, used for currency and weight
Span9 inchesExod. 28:16
Stater (tetradrachma)64 centsMatt. 17:27
TalentVaries, used for currency and weightMatt 18:24

H.L. Willmington, Willmington’s Book of Bible Lists (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1987), 195–197.

* Amazon gives me a small kickback for the shoppers I send their way. So if you buy this book, you’re not only getting a cool Bible-study resource—you’re helping me write more Bible-study material for the world. =)