Cubit Measurement

II. אַמָּה246 n.f. ell, cubit (SI אמה; so Sab. DHMZMG 1865, 613; Aramaic ܐܰܡܳܐ, אַמָּא; Assyrian ammatu Nor280; Ethiopic እመት etym. dub.; Thes al. mater brachii, i.e. length of fore-arm; others from √ ii. אמם, أَمَّ precede, be in front, & hence fore-arm cf. Di Is 6:4; DlPr 109 MV der. immediately from √ אמם be wide (v. supr.), אַמָּה = distance, & hence a particular distance, ell, cubit)—א׳ abs. Gn 6:15 +; cstr. אַמַּת Dt 3:11 Je 51:13; du. אַמָּתַיִם Ex 25:10 +; pl. אַמּוֹת Ex 26:16 +;— 1. cubit, so אַמַּת־אִישׁ i.e. ordinary cubit, Dt 3:11 (cf. Is 8:1); in Ez 40:5; 43:13 is a cubit one hand-breadth longer, cf. 2 Ch 3:3 א׳ בַּמִּדָּה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה; absol. length dub., cf. SmithDict. Bib., art. Weights and Measures; LepsiusLängenmaasse der Alten, SBAk 1883, 1195 f. identif. with Egyptian, longer cubit.525 m., shorter.450 m.; v. also Id.Bab.-Assyrian Längenmaasse 1877; MBAk 1877, 741 OppertGGA 1878, 1055; Rev. d’Assyrian i. 124 (also on the Bab. ‘half-cubit’ =.270 m. HptAJPh 1888, 419 HomSemiten i. 501); on א׳ אַצִּילָה Ez 41:8 cf. Sm & Co (Co del.); חֲמֵשׁ אמות קָנִים Ez 42:16 Kt, read מֵאוֹת so Qr Co; chiefly in Ex 25–27. 36–38 (56 times) 1 K 6.7 (45 times) 2 Ch 3.4 (21 times) Ez 40–43 (86 times); a (one) cubit = אַמָּה Gn 6:16 Ex 25:10, 23 +; הָאַמָּה Ez 43:14; א׳ אַחַת Ez 40:12(×2), 42(×3); 42:4; 43:14; two cubits = אַמָּתַיִם Ex 25:10, 17, 23; 30:2; 37:1, 6, 10, 25 Nu 11:31; שְׁתַּיִם אַמּוֹת Ez 40:9; 41:3, 22; 43:14; c. num. 1–10 א׳ mostly pl. after num. Ex 26:16; 27:1(×3) 1 K 6:10 Je 52:22 Ez 40:5, 7, 9 +; c. num. 11–1000 +, it mostly foll. num. in sing. Gn 6:15(×3) Ex 27:12, 13; 38:13, 14, 15 Nu 35:4 Jos 3:4 1 K 6:2(×2), 3; 7:15(×2) Je 52:21 Ez 40:49(×2) +; seld. foll. in pl. Ez 40:11 (del. Co) v 27 (Co sg.) 42:2; so also עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת Ez 40:13, 29 but חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים אֵמָּה Ez 40:25, 30, 33, 36; (late) also in pl. precedes all num. 2 Ch 3:3(×2), 4, 8(×2) +; 6:13 Ez 42:2; also often בָּאַמָּה foll. all num. Ex 26:2(×2), 8(×2); 27:9, 18; 36:9(×2), 15 Nu 35:5(×4) 1 K 6:6(×3); 7:23(×3) 2 Ch 4:2(×3) Ez 40:21; 47:3 Zc 5:2(×2) +, cf. חָמֵשׁ" dir="rtl" >לְאַמּוֹת חָמֵשׁ 2 Ch 3:11; often א׳ וָחֵצִי Ex 25:10(×3), 17(×2) +, also א׳ וַחֲצִי הָא׳ Ex 26:16; 36:21 1 K 7:31, 32, 35 etc.; cf. שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת וָזָ֑רֶת 1 S 17:4; sq. בַּמִּדָּה in measurement Jos 3:4 2 Ch 3:3. 2. †measure, full measure, limit, only אַמַּת בִּצְעֵךְ the measure of thy gain-making Je 51:13 (‖ קִצֵּךְ).

πῆχυς (Aeolic dialect πᾶχυς Refs 7th c.BC+, ὁ, genitive πήχεος LXX+5th c.BC+: genitive plural πήχεων Refs 3rd c.BC+; later contraction πηχῶν Refs 5th c.BC+, Moer.p.327 P.:—forearm, from wrist to elbow, Refs 5th c.BC+; opposed to βραχίων, Refs 5th c.BC+: in Poets, generally, arm, ἀμφὶ δ᾽ ἑὸν φίλον υίὸν ἐχεύατο πήχεε λευκώ Refs 8th c.BC+; λευκὸν ἀντείνασα π. Refs 5th c.BC+; λαιὸν ἔπαιρε π. Refs __2 Anatomy texts, ulna, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __II centrepiece, which joined the two horns of the bow, τόν ῥ᾽ [ὀϊστὸν] ἐπὶ πήχει ἑλὼν ἕλκεν νευρήν Refs 8th c.BC+ __III in plural, horns of the lyre, opposed to ζυγόν (the bridge), Refs 5th c.BC+ __III.2 also, ={ζυγόν}, crosspiece or bridge in which the horns were fitted, Refs __IV in the balance, beam, Refs __V as a measure of length, distance from the point of the elbow to that of the middle finger, = 6 παλασταί = 24 δάκτυλοι, Refs 5th c.BC+; π. ἰδιωτικός, κοινός, Refs 5th c.BC+; for later measurements, Refs 2nd c.BC+ __V.2 cubit-rule, as we say 'foot-rule', Refs 5th c.BC+; as epithet of Nemesis, Refs __V.3 metaphorically of any small amount (compare πήχυιος), NT; κατὰ πῆχυν little by little, Refs 5th c.AD+ __VI πήχεις, οἱ, the cubits (of inundation), represented in pictures as children one cubit high playing round the Nile, Refs 2nd c.AD+. (Cf. Sanskrit bāhú-, Avest. bāzu- (masculine) 'arm', ONorse bógr 'shoulder'.)

† [אַמָּה K§ 51, 2, Anm. 2] n.f. Dn 3:1 cubit (= BH id.; v. p. 52; Egyptian Aramaic (pl.) אמן RÉS246 S-C C 44);—pl. אַמִּין (so 𝔗 Syriac) Dn 3:1(×2); Ezr 6:3(×2).

† גֹּ֫מֶד n.m. shortcubit (from elbow to knuckles of clenched (contracted) hand; Aq on Ez 27:11, Ra al.; Gk. πυγμή; NH גּוֹמֶד cubit; so Aramaic גַּרְמִידָא ChWB 1. 155, ܓܰܪܡܺܝܕܳܐ (lexx.))—Ju 3:16 of Ehud’s sword ג׳ אָרְכָּהּ (v GFM).