1 Kings 7:26 · measurement explained
A handbreadth-thick basin holding 2,000 baths
The bronze Sea is described with both a wall thickness and an immense liquid capacity, alongside its decorative brim.
Read the verse first
It was a hand width thick. Its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths.
World English Bible · engwebp-source-2026-09-12
Modern measurement range
Wall thickness: one handbreadth
7.4–7.6 cm
2.91–2.99 in
Using the handbreadth estimate. The default centers on the ESV estimate of 7.5 cm; actual standards differed.
Calculate another amount →Capacity: two thousand baths
42,000–46,000 L
11,095.22–12,151.91 US gal · 9,238.7–10,118.57 Imp gal
Using the bath estimate. The bath and dry ephah are paired as equal capacities in Ezekiel 45, while the material placed in them may weigh very differently.
Calculate another amount →Length and volume results answer different questions; neither by itself determines the basin's metal mass or whether the stated capacity is brim-full.
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.