Dry measures

Modern Equivalent

1 log = 1/4 cab .56 dry pint (.31 liter)

1 cab = 4 logs 2.2 dry pints (1.22 liters)

1 omer = 1 4/5 cabs 2 dry quarts (2.2 liters)

1 seah = 3 1/3 omers .21 bushel (7.33 liters)

1 ephah = 3 seahs .62 bushel (22 liters)

1 homer = 10 ephahs 6.2 bushels (220 liters)

Other dry and liquid measures

The Hebrew word ʽis·sa·rohnʹ, meaning “tenth,” often denotes a tenth of an ephah. (Ex. 29:40; Lev. 14:10; 23:13, 17; Num. 15:4) According to rabbinical sources, the “six measures of barley” (literally, “six of barley”) mentioned at Ruth 3:15 are six seah measures. On the authority of the Mishnah and the Vulgate, the Hebrew term leʹthekh is understood to designate a half homer. (Hos. 3:2; AS, AV, Da, JP, Le, NW) The Greek terms me·tre·tesʹ (appearing in the plural at John 2:6 and rendered “liquid measures” [NW]) and baʹtos (found in the plural at Luke 16:6) are equated by some with the Hebrew bath measure. The Greek khoiʹnix (“quart,” NW) is commonly thought to be slightly more than a liter or a little less than a U.S. dry quart.—Rev. 6:5, 6.

WEIGHTS

Archaeological evidence suggests that a shekel weighed about .4 ounce avoirdupois (c. .367 ounce troy; c. 11.4 grams). Using this as a basis, the chart that follows sets forth the relationship of the Hebrew weights and their approximate modern equivalent.

Modern Equivalent

1 gerah = 1/20 shekel .02 ounce avdp. (.57 gram)

1 bekah = 10 gerahs .2 ounce avdp. (5.7 grams)

(half shekel)

1 shekel = 2 bekahs .4 ounce avdp. (11.4 grams)

1 mina = 50 shekels 1.25 pounds avdp. (570 grams)

(maneh)

1 talent = 60 minas 75 pounds avdp. (34 kilograms)

The Greek word liʹtra is generally equated with the Roman pound (c. 11.4 ounces avdp.; c. 327 grams). The mina of the Christian Greek Scriptures is reckoned at 100 drachmas. (See DRACHMA.) This would mean that the Greek mina weighed about 11.9 ounces avoirdupois (340 grams) and the Greek talent, about 45 pounds avoirdupois (20.4 kilograms).—See GERAH; MINA; MONEY; SHEKEL; TALENT.

AREA

The Hebrews designated the size of a plot of land either by the amount of seed needed to sow it (Lev. 27:16; 1 Ki. 18:32) or by what a span of bulls could plow in a day.—1 Sam. 14:14, NW, 1955 ed., ftn.; see ACRE.

WELL

This translates the Hebrew word b^eʼerʹ, which usually designates a pit or hole sunk into the ground to tap a natural supply of water. The term b^eʼerʹ appears in such place-names as Beer-lahai-roi (Gen. 16:14), Beer-sheba (Gen. 21:14), Beer (Num. 21:16-18) and Beer-elim. (Isa. 15:8) This word may also mean “pit” (Gen. 14:10) and, at Psalms 55:23 (“pit”) and 69:15 (“well”), seems to denote the grave. It is used metaphorically to refer to a wife or a beloved woman. (Prov. 5:15 [“cistern”]; Song of Sol. 4:15 [“well”]) And Proverbs 23:27, where the foreign woman is likened to a narrow well, may allude to the fact that obtaining water from such a well often involves difficulties, and earthenware jars break readily on its sides.—See FOUNTAIN, SPRING.

In lands having a long dry season, particularly wilderness regions, from earliest times wells have been of great importance. Anciently, the unauthorized use of wells appears to have been viewed as an invasion of property rights. (Num. 20:17, 19; 21:22) The scarcity of water and the labor entailed in digging wells made them valuable property. Not infrequently did the possession of wells give rise to violent disputes and strife. For this reason the patriarch Abraham, on one occasion, formally established his ownership of a well at Beer-sheba. (Gen. 21:25-31; 26:20, 21) However, after his death the Philistines disregarded the rights of his son and heir Isaac and stopped up the very wells that Abraham’s servants had dug.—Gen. 26:15, 18.

Wells were frequently surrounded by low walls and kept covered with a large stone, doubtless to keep out dirt and to prevent animals and persons from falling into them. (Gen. 29:2, 3; Ex. 2:15, 16) Near some wells there were drinking troughs or gutters for watering domestic animals. (Gen. 24:20; Ex. 2:16-19) Throughout the hills of Palestine, wells were dug in the limestone, and steps, leading down to the water, were often cut in the rock. In some wells, after descending, the one drawing water simply dipped a vessel directly into it. However, from very deep sources water was commonly drawn up by means of a leather bucket (Num. 24:7) or an earthenware jar (Gen. 24:16) suspended from a rope.—See JACOB’S FOUNTAIN.

WEST

The Hebrews indicated direction from the viewpoint of a person facing E. Thus the west was behind them and might be implied by the Hebrew word ʼa·hhohrʹ, meaning “behind.”—Isa. 9:12.

Most often “west” (or “westward, western”) is denoted by the Hebrew word yam (meaning “sea,” as at Joshua 1:4), evidently because the Great or Mediterranean Sea lay in that direction from the Promised Land. (Gen. 28:14; Ex. 10:19; 38:12; Num. 34:6; Zech. 14:4) The context must be considered to determine whether yam means “sea” or denotes the west.—Josh. 15:8-12; 2 Chron. 4:2-4, 15.

Another Hebrew word (ma·ʽaravʹ) is used to denote either the sunset (Isa. 43:5; 59:19) or the west. (1 Chron. 26:30; 2 Chron. 32:30) It is used to help convey the thought of great distance in the comforting assurance of Jehovah’s mercy toward imperfect humans: “As far off as the sunrise is from the sunset, so far off from us he has put our transgressions.”—Ps. 103:12.

When Jesus said that many would come “from eastern parts and western parts” to recline at the table in the Kingdom with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Greek text at Matthew 8:11 says literally “from risings and settings.” Here the Greek word dy·smeʹ relates to the direction of the sunset, that is, the west. (Kingdom Interlinear Translation) Dy·smeʹ is also used elsewhere to denote the west.—Matt. 24:27; Luke 12:54; 13:29; Rev. 21:13.

WHEAT

An important cereal crop that has long supplied man with a valuable item of diet and has at times even in recent years, as anciently, been sold at a price double or triple that of barley. (Compare 2 Kings 7:1, 16, 18; Revelation 6:6.) Wheat, either by itself or mixed with other grains, was commonly made into bread. (Ex. 29:2; Ezek. 4:9) This cereal could also be eaten raw (Matt. 12:1) and was made into grits by crushing its kernels. Especially the green ears of wheat were prepared by roasting. (Lev. 2:14; 2 Sam. 17:28) Wheat was exacted as tribute from defeated tribes or nations (2 Chron. 27:5), and figured in offerings made to Jehovah.—1 Chron. 23:29; Ezra 6:9, 10.

The plant itself, when young, resembles grass and is bright green. Mature wheat, however, may measure from two to five feet (.6 to 1.5 meters) in height and is golden brown. Its leaves are long and slender, and the central stem terminates in a head of kernels.