Deuteronomy 3:11 · measurement explained
Og's bed: 9 × 4 cubits
The note about King Og points readers to an iron bedstead in Rabbah and gives its dimensions by the cubit of a man.
Read the verse first
(For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its width, after the cubit of a man.)
World English Bible · engwebp-source-2026-09-12
Modern measurement range
Length: nine cubits
3.96–4.14 m
12.99–13.58 ft
Using the common cubit estimate. This range is for the ordinary cubit. Texts that specify a cubit plus a handbreadth use the separate long-cubit setting.
Calculate another amount →Width: four cubits
1.76–1.84 m
5.77–6.04 ft
Using the common cubit estimate. This range is for the ordinary cubit. Texts that specify a cubit plus a handbreadth use the separate long-cubit setting.
Calculate another amount →The conversion describes the object, not necessarily Og's exact height; beds, couches, and display objects can exceed their user's body.
What this conversion does—and does not—show
It gives a defensible modern scale for the amount stated in the verse. Ancient standards varied by time and place, so the endpoints are deliberately approximate. A volume is not a food mass, a metal weight is not a modern cash value, and a conversion does not settle a textual, archaeological, or theological debate.
Conversion references: ESV weights and measures ↗, American Bible Society ↗, and Encyclopedia of the Bible ↗. Reference pages accessed October 10, 2026.