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H522 · Hebrew · Old Testament
אַמָּה
Ammah
Noun, feminine
Cubit (unit of measure)

Definition

The Hebrew noun ammah refers to the cubit — the standard unit of linear measurement in the ancient Near East, typically the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger (approximately 17.5–21 inches). It was used to measure Noah's ark, the tabernacle, Solomon's temple, and Ezekiel's visionary temple.

Usage & Theological Significance

Every dimension of the tabernacle and temple was given in cubits — God's precision in specifying sacred space communicates that worship is not improvised but divinely ordered. The ark of Noah, the ark of the covenant, Solomon's temple, and the New Jerusalem are all measured with exactness. This reveals that God cares about structure, proportion, and holiness. Ezekiel's cubit-by-cubit vision (Ezekiel 40-48) envisions a future where all of creation will be rightly ordered around the presence of God — measured out, restored, and holy.

Key Bible Verses

Genesis 6:15 The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.
Exodus 25:10 Have them make an ark of acacia wood — two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide and high.
1 Kings 6:2 The temple Solomon built was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high.
Ezekiel 40:5 The length of the measuring rod in the man's hand was six long cubits.
Revelation 21:17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick.

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