CategoryBackground / Measurement Term
Modern Equivalentancient length measurement.
KJV Word TypeMeasurement term
DefinitionAn ancient unit of length, commonly based on the distance from the elbow to the fingertip.
Key Verses"And the ark shall be two cubits and a half the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof." (Exodus 25:10); "The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth." (Ezekiel 43:13)
KJV Usage NoteUsed for ancient measurements in tabernacle, temple, ark, and construction passages; the exact length may vary by context.
Common MisunderstandingA cubit is not a fixed modern inch measurement in every passage; it is an ancient length based on the forearm.
EtymologyFrom Latin cubitum ("elbow").