H4488 H4488
mina, maneh — a unit of weight and monetary value equal to 50 or 60 shekels
The maneh or mina was a standard ancient Near Eastern unit of weight used for measuring precious metals. Equal to one-sixtieth of a talent, it weighed roughly 800-980 grams depending on the period — about two pounds by the older Babylonian standard, or approximately 1⅔ pounds by Ezekiel's reckoning of 50 shekels per mina (Ezek 45:12). Solomon's golden shields each required three minas of gold (1 Kgs 10:17), while returning exiles donated minas of silver for temple reconstruction (Ezra 2:69; Neh 7:71-72). Every major translation renders it consistently: Spanish 'minas,' French 'minas,' German 'Minas.'
Senses
1. sense 1 — A unit of weight and monetary value used for gold and silver. In Solomon's temple economy, three minas of gold covered each shield (1 Kgs 10:17). Returning exiles contributed thousands of minas of silver toward rebuilding (Ezra 2:69; Neh 7:71-72). Ezekiel standardizes the mina at 50 shekels (Ezek 45:12). French adds the gloss 'poids' (weight), underscoring that this is fundamentally a measure of mass applied to precious metals. 5×
AR["الْ-مَنَا", "مَناَتٍ", "مَنًا", "مِناً"]·ben["মনা", "মানা", "মিনা"]·DE["[המנה]", "[מנים]", "minas"]·EN["minas", "the-mina"]·FR["[מנים]", "minas", "poids"]·heb["ה-מנה", "מָנִים", "מנים"]·HI["मानें", "मानेह", "मिना"]·ID["mina"]·IT["[המנה]", "[מנים]", "minas"]·jav["mina"]·KO["그-마네", "마네"]·PT["a-mina", "minas"]·RU["мин", "мина", "минами", "мины"]·ES["la-mina", "minas"]·SW["mane", "mina"]·TR["mina", "minalar"]·urd["مانہ", "مانے", "منا", "پونڈ"]
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
† מָנֶה n.m. maneh, mina, a weight (perhaps orig. a specific part; NH id.; Assyrian manû DlHWB 417; Aramaic ܡܰܢܝܳܐ, מַנְיָא);—מ׳ Ez 45:12; מָנִים 1 K 10:17 + 3 times;=50 shekels Ez 45:12 (on חֲמִשִּׁים for חֲמִשָּׁה v. Hi Co); of gold 1 K 10:17; of silver Ezr 2:69 Ne 7:71, 72.—The weight of the mina was 1/60 of talent; i.e. according to older (Bab.) standard, 982.2 grammes (=60 shekels at c.…