Genesis 6:15 · measurement explained
Noah's ark: 300 × 50 × 30 cubits
The instruction gives all three principal dimensions of the ark. The numbers describe a long, broad vessel rather than supplying a modern ship plan.
Read the verse first
This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
World English Bible · engwebp-source-2026-09-12
Modern measurement range
Length: 300 cubits
132–138 m
433.07–452.76 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: 50 cubits
22–23 m
72.18–75.46 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 →Height: 30 cubits
13.2–13.8 m
43.31–45.28 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 →Converting each axis makes the scale easier to picture, but the text does not identify a surviving measuring rod or settle every construction detail.
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.