Biblical Weights, Measures & Money
Conversion tables for the units of weight, length, volume, currency, and time used in Scripture, with their modern equivalents.
The values below represent the best modern reconstruction from archaeological weights, cross-references in Scripture (Exodus 30:13; Ezekiel 45:10–14), the Mishnah, and Greco-Roman sources. Ancient standards varied across periods (patriarchal, monarchic, post-exilic, Herodian) and even between the “royal” and “common” cubit, so equivalents are approximate and should be read as a guide rather than a ruler.
Where Scripture fixes a ratio (“a shekel is twenty gerahs,” Exodus 30:13; “the ephah and the bath shall be of one measure,” Ezekiel 45:11), that ratio is exact. Where only a metric equivalent is given, it is an estimate.
Weights
Hebrew weights (standard sanctuary shekel ≈ 11.4 g)
| Unit |
Hebrew |
In shekels |
Metric |
Imperial |
Reference |
| Gerah |
gerah |
1⁄20 shekel |
≈ 0.57 g |
≈ 0.02 oz |
Ex 30:13; Ezek 45:12 |
| Beka |
beqa |
1⁄2 shekel |
≈ 5.7 g |
≈ 0.2 oz |
Gen 24:22; Ex 38:26 |
| Pim |
pim |
2⁄3 shekel |
≈ 7.6 g |
≈ 0.27 oz |
1 Sam 13:21 |
| Shekel |
sheqel |
1 shekel |
≈ 11.4 g |
≈ 0.4 oz |
Ex 30:13; Gen 23:15 |
| Mina (maneh) |
maneh |
50 shekels (OT); 60 (NT/Greek) |
≈ 570 g (OT) / 680 g (Gk) |
≈ 1.25 lb / 1.5 lb |
Ezek 45:12; Luke 19:13 |
| Talent |
kikkar |
3,000 shekels (60 minas) |
≈ 34 kg (OT) / 41 kg (Gk) |
≈ 75 lb / 90 lb |
Ex 38:25–27; Matt 18:24 |
The Ezekiel standard (Ezek 45:12) sets 60 shekels to the mina; elsewhere the OT mina is 50 shekels. The Babylonian/Greek talent was 60 minas; a "royal" or "heavy" shekel (about 13 g) is sometimes found in archaeological weights.
Measures of Length
Linear measure (common cubit ≈ 44.5 cm / 17.5 in; royal cubit ≈ 52.5 cm / 20.6 in)
| Unit |
Hebrew / Greek |
In cubits |
Metric |
Imperial |
Reference |
| Fingerbreadth |
etzba |
1⁄24 cubit |
≈ 1.85 cm |
≈ 0.73 in |
Jer 52:21 |
| Handbreadth (palm) |
tefach |
1⁄6 cubit (4 fingers) |
≈ 7.4 cm |
≈ 2.9 in |
Ex 25:25; 1 Kings 7:26 |
| Span |
zeret |
1⁄2 cubit (3 handbreadths) |
≈ 22 cm |
≈ 9 in |
Ex 28:16; 1 Sam 17:4 |
| Cubit (common) |
ammah |
1 cubit |
≈ 44.5 cm |
≈ 17.5 in |
Gen 6:15; Deut 3:11 |
| Cubit (royal/long) |
ammah (+ handbreadth) |
1 + 1⁄6 cubit |
≈ 52.5 cm |
≈ 20.6 in |
Ezek 40:5; 2 Chr 3:3 |
| Fathom |
orguia (Gk) |
4 cubits |
≈ 1.85 m |
≈ 6 ft |
Acts 27:28 |
| Reed |
qaneh |
6 cubits (royal) |
≈ 3.15 m |
≈ 10.3 ft |
Ezek 40:5; Rev 21:15 |
| Stadion (furlong) |
stadion (Gk) |
≈ 400 cubits |
≈ 185 m |
≈ 607 ft (1⁄8 mi) |
Luke 24:13; John 6:19 |
| Sabbath day's journey |
— |
2,000 cubits |
≈ 900 m |
≈ 0.55 mi |
Acts 1:12 |
| Roman mile |
milion (Gk) |
≈ 8 stadia |
≈ 1,480 m |
≈ 0.92 mi |
Matt 5:41 |
| Day's journey |
derek yom |
(traveling) |
≈ 30–40 km |
≈ 20–25 mi |
Gen 30:36; Jonah 3:4 |
The “royal” cubit (Ezek 40:5) is a common cubit plus one handbreadth. Estimates for the common cubit range from about 17.5 in (Siloam tunnel) to 18 in; the royal cubit from about 20.5 to 21 in.
Measures of Volume
Dry measure (homer = 10 ephahs; ephah ≈ 22 L / 5.8 US gal)
| Unit |
Hebrew |
In ephahs |
Metric |
US measure |
Reference |
| Handful |
qomets |
— |
— |
— |
Lev 2:2 |
| Kab |
qab |
1⁄18 ephah |
≈ 1.2 L |
≈ 1.3 dry qt |
2 Kings 6:25 |
| Omer |
omer |
1⁄10 ephah |
≈ 2.2 L |
≈ 2 dry qt |
Ex 16:16, 36 |
| Seah |
se'ah |
1⁄3 ephah |
≈ 7.3 L |
≈ 7 dry qt (1.9 gal) |
Gen 18:6; 1 Sam 25:18 |
| Ephah |
ephah |
1 ephah |
≈ 22 L |
≈ 5.8 US gal (20 dry qt) |
Ex 16:36; Ezek 45:11 |
| Lethech |
lethekh |
5 ephahs (1⁄2 homer) |
≈ 110 L |
≈ 29 US gal |
Hos 3:2 |
| Homer (cor) |
homer / kor |
10 ephahs |
≈ 220 L |
≈ 58 US gal (6.25 bu) |
Lev 27:16; Ezek 45:14 |
An “omer” (Ex 16:36) is explicitly 1⁄10 of an ephah. Do not confuse the omer (volume) with the homer (ten ephahs).
Liquid measure (bath = ephah ≈ 22 L / 5.8 US gal)
| Unit |
Hebrew / Greek |
In baths |
Metric |
US measure |
Reference |
| Log |
log |
1⁄72 bath |
≈ 0.3 L |
≈ 0.67 US pt |
Lev 14:10 |
| Hin |
hin |
1⁄6 bath |
≈ 3.7 L |
≈ 1 US gal |
Ex 29:40; Ezek 45:24 |
| Bath |
bath |
1 bath |
≈ 22 L |
≈ 5.8 US gal |
1 Kings 7:26; Ezek 45:11 |
| Cor (kor) |
kor |
10 baths |
≈ 220 L |
≈ 58 US gal |
1 Kings 5:11; Ezek 45:14 |
| Metretes (firkin) |
metretes (Gk) |
≈ 1 1⁄2 baths |
≈ 39 L |
≈ 10.3 US gal |
John 2:6 |
| Batos (NT bath) |
batos (Gk) |
1 bath |
≈ 22 L |
≈ 5.8 US gal |
Luke 16:6 |
| Koros (NT cor) |
koros (Gk) |
10 baths |
≈ 220 L |
≈ 58 US gal |
Luke 16:7 |
Ezekiel 45:11 — “the ephah and the bath shall be of one measure.” The dry ephah and the liquid bath were equal in volume, both 1⁄10 of a homer/cor.
Currency
Old Testament (weighed metal, not coined until post-exilic period)
| Unit |
Hebrew |
Relation |
Metric weight |
Notes |
Reference |
| Gerah |
gerah |
1⁄20 shekel |
≈ 0.57 g silver |
Smallest OT unit. |
Ex 30:13 |
| Beka |
beqa |
1⁄2 shekel |
≈ 5.7 g |
The half-shekel temple tax. |
Ex 38:26 |
| Shekel of silver |
sheqel kesef |
1 shekel |
≈ 11.4 g silver |
Roughly 4 days' wages for a laborer. |
Gen 23:16; Jer 32:9 |
| Mina (maneh) |
maneh |
50 shekels |
≈ 570 g |
About 200 days' wages. |
1 Kings 10:17; Ezra 2:69 |
| Talent of silver |
kikkar kesef |
3,000 shekels |
≈ 34 kg |
About 20 years' wages — a vast sum. |
Ex 38:25–27; 2 Kings 5:5 |
| Daric |
darkemon |
Persian gold coin |
≈ 8.4 g gold |
Post-exilic; introduced under Darius. |
Ezra 8:27; Neh 7:70 |
New Testament (Greco-Roman coinage, 1st century A.D.)
| Coin |
Greek / Latin |
Relation |
Value |
Notes |
Reference |
| Lepton (mite) |
lepton |
1⁄2 quadrans |
1⁄128 denarius |
Smallest Jewish copper coin; the widow's two mites. |
Mark 12:42; Luke 21:2 |
| Quadrans (farthing) |
kodrantes |
2 lepta |
1⁄64 denarius |
Smallest Roman copper coin. |
Matt 5:26; Mark 12:42 |
| Assarion (farthing) |
assarion |
4 quadrantes |
1⁄16 denarius |
Price of two sparrows. |
Matt 10:29; Luke 12:6 |
| Denarius (penny) |
denarion |
1 denarius |
One day's wage |
Silver coin, tribute to Caesar; laborer's daily pay. |
Matt 20:2; Matt 22:19 |
| Drachma |
drachme |
≈ 1 denarius |
One day's wage |
Greek silver coin; the lost coin. |
Luke 15:8–9 |
| Didrachma |
didrachmon |
2 drachmas |
Half-shekel |
The temple tax. |
Matt 17:24 |
| Stater / Tetradrachma |
stater |
4 drachmas |
One shekel |
Coin in the fish's mouth; paid temple tax for two. |
Matt 17:27 |
| Shekel (Tyrian) |
sheqel |
4 denarii |
≈ 14 g silver |
Thirty of these were paid to Judas. |
Matt 26:15; Zech 11:12 |
| Mina (pound) |
mna |
100 drachmas |
≈ 100 days' wages |
The parable of the ten minas. |
Luke 19:13 |
| Talent |
talanton |
60 minas / 6,000 drachmas |
≈ 20 years' wages |
Parable of the talents; the unforgiving servant owed 10,000. |
Matt 18:24; Matt 25:15 |
| Aureus |
aureus (L) |
25 denarii |
≈ 8 g gold |
Standard Roman gold coin (not named in NT by this term, but "gold" in Matt 10:9). |
Matt 10:9 |
In Matthew 20:2 a denarius is a full day's wage for a field laborer. Modern “dollar” conversions are misleading because the purchasing power of a day's labor varies greatly — the denarius is best compared to a day's pay, not a fixed currency amount.
Time
The day (sunset to sunset) and night watches
| Division |
Hebrew / Greek |
Approx. modern |
Reference |
| First watch (evening) |
opse |
sunset – 9 p.m. |
Lam 2:19; Mark 13:35 |
| Second watch (midnight) |
mesonyktion |
9 p.m. – midnight |
Judg 7:19 (middle watch); Mark 13:35 |
| Third watch (cockcrow) |
alektorophonia |
midnight – 3 a.m. |
Mark 13:35 |
| Fourth watch (morning) |
proi |
3 a.m. – sunrise |
Matt 14:25; Ex 14:24 (morning watch) |
The OT and early Jewish reckoning knew three night watches (Judg 7:19; Ex 14:24; 1 Sam 11:11); the Romans divided the night into four (Mark 13:35). The biblical day begins at sundown (Gen 1:5; Lev 23:32).
Daylight hours (sunrise to sunset, twelve equal “hours”)
| Biblical hour |
Modern time (equinox) |
Notes / Reference |
| 1st hour | ≈ 6–7 a.m. | Dawn; counted from sunrise. John 11:9 |
| 3rd hour | ≈ 9 a.m. | Crucifixion begins. Mark 15:25; Acts 2:15 |
| 6th hour | ≈ noon | Darkness over the land. Matt 27:45; John 4:6 |
| 9th hour | ≈ 3 p.m. | Christ dies; hour of prayer. Matt 27:46; Acts 3:1 |
| 11th hour | ≈ 5 p.m. | Last laborers hired. Matt 20:6 |
| 12th hour | ≈ sunset | End of the working day. |
Hebrew-Roman “hours” (sha'ah, hora) were seasonal: daylight was always divided into twelve parts, so an hour was longer in summer and shorter in winter. John 19:14 uses a different reckoning (likely Roman civil time) than the Synoptics for the trial of Jesus.
Longer periods
| Unit |
Hebrew / Greek |
Length |
Reference |
| Week |
shavua |
7 days |
Gen 29:27; Dan 9:24 (a “week” of years) |
| Month |
chodesh / yerach |
29–30 days (lunar) |
Gen 7:11; 1 Kings 4:7 |
| Year |
shanah |
12 lunar months + intercalary (Adar II) as needed |
Ex 12:2 |
| Sabbatical year |
shemittah |
every 7th year — land rests |
Lev 25:1–7 |
| Jubilee |
yovel |
every 50th year — liberty proclaimed |
Lev 25:8–13 |
| Generation |
dor / genea |
≈ 40 years (often); 100 in Gen 15:13,16 |
Num 32:13; Ps 95:10; Matt 1:17 |
| Age |
olam / aion |
an age; lifetime; indefinite long period |
Ps 90:2; Eph 2:7 |
Equivalents above reflect widely used reconstructions (e.g. R. B. Y. Scott, “Weights and Measures of the Bible,” BA 22; the ESV Study Bible tables; and archaeological weights from Lachish, Arad, and Khirbet el-Qom). For precise exegesis, the ratios given in Scripture are more reliable than absolute conversions.