1 Kings 7:38 · measurement explained
Ten four-cubit basins holding 40 baths each
Ten bronze basins are each four cubits across and each holds forty baths, one basin for every stand.
Read the verse first
He made ten basins of bronze. One basin contained forty baths. Every basin measured four cubits. One basin was on every one of the ten bases.
World English Bible · engwebp-source-2026-09-12
Modern measurement range
Each basin: 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 →Each basin: forty baths
840–920 L
221.9–243.04 US gal · 184.77–202.37 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 →Ten stated capacities
8,400–9,200 L
2,219.04–2,430.38 US gal · 1,847.74–2,023.71 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 →The multiplied capacity is a nominal total; the modern figures do not prove how full the basins normally were in use.
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.