H2239 H2239
A span — the distance from thumb-tip to little-finger-tip of an outstretched hand, about half a cubit.
The span (zeret) is an ancient unit of linear measurement equaling roughly half a cubit, approximately 22–23 centimeters, defined by stretching the hand from thumb to little finger. It serves as a concrete, human-scale measure: God measures the heavens by spans (Isa 40:12), Goliath's height is given as six cubits and a span (1 Sam 17:4), and the priestly breastpiece is described as a span square (Exod 28:16; 39:9). Spanish palmo and French empan both preserve the hand-based imagery of this measurement.
Senses
1. span (unit of measurement) — A span — the linear measure from the tip of the outstretched thumb to the tip of the little finger, approximately half a cubit (about 22–23 cm). Used both for divine cosmic measurement, as when God spans the heavens with his hand (Isa 40:12), and for precise human construction, as in the dimensions of the priestly breastpiece (Exod 28:16; 39:9) and the altar ledge (Ezek 43:13). The multilingual evidence is illuminating: Spanish palmo and French empan both derive from words for 'palm/hand-spread,' mirroring the Hebrew's anatomical origin. Goliath's height — six cubits and a span (1 Sam 17:4) — uses it as an exact surplus measure beyond the round cubit figure. 7×
AR["بِ-الشِّبْرِ", "شِبراً", "شِبْرٌ", "وَ-شِبراً", "وَ-شِبْرٌ"]·ben["এবং-এক-বিত্তা", "এবং-বিঘত", "বিঘত", "বিঘতে"]·DE["Spanne", "[בזרת]", "[זרת]", "und-Spanne", "und-ein-span"]·EN["and-a-span", "and-span", "span", "with-a-span"]·FR["[בזרת]", "empan", "et-empan", "et-un-span", "nombre"]·heb["ב-ה-זרת", "ו-זרת", "זרת"]·HI["और-एक-बलिशत", "और-बालिश्त", "और-बित्ता", "बालिश्त", "बित्ता", "से-बालिश्त"]·ID["dan-sejengkal", "dengan-jengkal", "sejengkal"]·IT["[בזרת]", "[זרת]", "e-span", "e-un-span", "span"]·jav["jengkal", "kalayan-jengkal", "lan-jengkal", "lan-sajengkal", "sajengkal"]·KO["그리고-뷘", "그리고-뾰", "그리고-한-뼘", "뷘", "뼘으로", "뾰", "한-물의"]·PT["com-o-palmo", "e-palmo", "e-um-palmo", "palmo"]·RU["и-пядь", "пядь", "пядью"]·ES["con-el-palmo", "palmo", "y-palmo", "y-un-palmo"]·SW["kwa-shubiri", "na-shibiri", "na-shubiri", "shibiri", "shubiri"]·TR["karisle", "karış", "ve-bir-karış", "ve-karış"]·urd["اور-ایک-بالشت۔", "اور-بالشت", "بالشت", "بالشت-سے"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† זֶ֫רֶת n.f. span (NH id. (𝔗 זַרְתָּא, Syriac ܙܰܪܬܳܐ; appar. from Heb.), etym. dub.; Thes and most der. from √ זרה, vid. Ol§ 146 b but also Sta§ 187 a; Ba ZMG 1887, 607 proposes √ זרה measure off, determine, cf. p. 280)—span, as standard of measurement, שָׁמַיִם בַּז׳ תִּכֵּן Is 40:12; elsewhere of actual size, a span, distance between ends of thumb and little finger of spread hand; = ½ cubit…