⚖️ Weights, Measures & Money

Convert the cubits, ephahs, shekels, and talents of Scripture into modern units — and see what a day's wage actually bought. Figures are scholarly approximations; ancient units varied by era and region.

Most biblical lengths derive from the cubit - the distance from the elbow to the fingertip, about 18 inches. Larger distances used the reed, the stadion (furlong), and the Roman mile.

45.7 cm
1.50 ft
1 Cubit (ammah) equals
24.05Finger (etzba)Jeremiah 52:21
6.01Handbreadth (tefah)Exodus 25:25
2Span (zeret)Exodus 28:16
1Cubit (ammah)Genesis 6:15
0.25Fathom (orguia)Acts 27:28
0.17Reed (qaneh)Ezekiel 40:5
0Sabbath day's journeyActs 1:12
0Furlong (stadion)Luke 24:13
0Mile (Roman milion)Matthew 5:41

Money & wages

Coins are about value, not a tidy conversion. Everything is anchored to the denarius — one full day's wage for a labourer.

Mite (lepton)≈ 1/128 of a day's wage

The smallest coin. The widow gave two - “all her living.”

Mark 12:42
Farthing (quadrans)≈ 1/64 of a day's wage

Two sparrows were sold for a farthing.

Matthew 10:29
Penny (denarius)1 day's wage

The standard daily wage of a labourer or soldier.

Matthew 20:2
Tribute penny1 denarius

“Render unto Caesar” - the coin bore Caesar's image.

Matthew 22:19
Shekel / stater≈ 4 denarii

The coin found in the fish's mouth paid the temple tax for two.

Matthew 17:27
Thirty pieces of silver≈ 120 denarii

The price of a slave - and of Judas' betrayal.

Matthew 26:15
Pound (mina)≈ 100 denarii

Each servant in the parable was entrusted with one pound.

Luke 19:13
Talent (money)≈ 6,000 denarii

~20 years of wages - the scale of the unforgiving servant's debt was 10,000 of these.

Matthew 18:24