Cubit — Meaning in the Bible
A unit of length based on the forearm, from elbow to fingertip, roughly 45 centimetres (about 18 inches). Noah's ark and the tabernacle are measured in cubits.
Modern equivalents are approximate estimates: ancient units varied by time and place, and Scripture does not give modern values. Common estimates put the standard cubit around 44–46 cm; the long cubit was longer.
What it means
The ark was 300 cubits long, 50 wide and 30 high; Goliath's height is given as six cubits and a span. Genesis 6:151 Samuel 17:4
Ezekiel mentions a longer cubit ("a cubit and a handbreadth"), which shows that more than one cubit was in use. Ezekiel 40:5Ezekiel 43:13
Key passages
- Genesis 6:15 — The ark's measurements.
- Exodus 25:10 — The ark of the covenant.
- 1 Samuel 17:4 — Goliath's height.
- Ezekiel 40:5 — A long cubit.
Original language
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
How translations differ
- Some modern versions convert cubits into metres or feet in the text or footnotes; others keep "cubits". Genesis 6:15
For children
A cubit is the length from your elbow to the tip of your middle finger. Noah's ark was 300 cubits long. Genesis 6:15