Cubit (Heb. and Aram. ‘ammâh and gômed ; Ac. ammatu; ugar. ‘mt; Gr. pejus). Originally these words meant “elbow” (joint of the arm), but they also meant “forearm”. But since the forearm, from the elbow to the tip of the extended middle finger, was used as an approximate linear measure, its name was later adopted as the standard measure of length. A measure of length used throughout the ancient East. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Mesopotamian cubit was 49.3 to 49.8 cm long, and the Egyptian royal cubit was 52.32 cm. Since the Hebrews probably used Egyptian during their long stay in the country, it is reasonable to assume that it is the norm they used in the construction of the sanctuary (Exo 25:10, 17, 23; etc.). However, it appears that the length of the cubit was not uniform throughout Israel’s history. The Siloam inscription, from the time of Hezekiah, states that the tunnel was 1,200 cubits long. Although the starting point for the measurement cannot be precisely determined, the distance that was measured is 533 m. This would give a cubit of approximately 17.5 inches, which is about the same as the Egyptian cubit, although that measurement varied from place to place. The mention of an “ancient measure” (2Ch 3:3, JB) implies the existence of a measure at the time of the compilation of the Chronicles (probably the 5th century BC). The new measure would have been the long cubit (“cubit and span less” of Eze 40:5; 43:13), which was one cubit plus one span, or about 50.8 cm long (if the ordinary cubit was of 44.45 cm). The “cubit” of Jdg 3:16 is a translation of a Hebrew word that appears only here in the OT; its actual length is unknown (perhaps 2/3 of a cubit, or the short cubit of 5 spans). The NT cubit (Joh 21:8; Rev 21:17) was generally considered to be 17.5 inches, because Josephus’s writings give the impression that the Hebrew cubit of his day did not differ substantially from the Attic-Roman cubit of the NT. s I, which had a length of 44.37 cm. An unusual use of “cubit” appears in Mat 6:27 and Luk 12:25, where time (height relative to age) is apparently referred to, a use not found in non-biblical Greek. Bib.: RBY Scott, JBL 77 (1958):205-214; BA 22 (1959):22-39.
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
linear measurement, approximately 44 cm, from the elbow to the end of the fingers. This measure was common among ancient peoples, including the Israelite. The measurements of Noah’s ark, for example, are read in cubits, three hundred in length, fifty in width and thirty in height, Gn 6, 15. Fifteen cubits above the mountains rose the water of the deluge, Gn 7, 20. The Ark of the Covenant was two and a half cubits long, c. and a half wide and c. and a half high, Ex 25, 10. The pastures given to the Levites were measured in cubits, Nm 35, 4-5.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
see WEIGHTS
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
†¢Weights and measures of the Bible.
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
type, MEDIUM
see, WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
vet, Measurement of length based on the length of the forearm, widely used among the Babylonians, Egyptians and Hebrews. It varied from 45 cm., common cubit, to 51.5 cm., royal cubit. It was different from the Roman elbow.
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Linear measurement that corresponds to the average distance that goes from the elbow to the end of the hand. (De 3:11) Available data indicate that the Israelites generally used a cubit of about 17.5 inches, which is the measurement on which the calculations in this publication are based. For example, the Siloam (Siloam) inscription says that the length of the tunnel built by King Hezekiah was 1,200 cubits. (The Wisdom of the Ancient East, JB Pritchard edition, 1966, pp. 250-251.) According to modern measurements, this tunnel is 533 m. in length, a measure that gives a cubit of 44.4 cm. Likewise, numerous excavated buildings and enclosures in Palestine can be measured in whole numbers of 17.5-inch cubits, providing further grounds for thinking that this was the length of the cubit.
Apparently, the Israelites also used a cubit that was a span (about 3 inches) longer than the “common” cubit. This largest cubit, about 51.8 cm., is the one used for the measurements of the temple of Ezekiel’s vision. (Eze 40:5) There may also have been a short cubit of about 15 inches, measured from the elbow to the knuckles of the closed hand. (Jg 3:16, note.)
Source: Dictionary of the Bible
Source: Vine Old Testament Dictionary
pecus (ph`cu”, 4083), denotes the forearm, that is, the part between the hand and the elbow; hence, it denotes a measure of length, not from the wrist to the elbow, but from the end of the middle finger to the elbow, that is, about 18 inches (Mat 6:27; Luk 12:25; Joh 21:8; Rev 21:17).¶
Source: Vine New Testament Dictionary