Genesis 6:16 · measurement explained
The ark's one-cubit upper opening
This detail belongs to the ark instructions immediately after its overall dimensions. Translations differ over whether the feature is a roof, opening, or related finishing detail.
Read the verse first
You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels.
World English Bible · engwebp-source-2026-09-12
Modern measurement range
One cubit
44–46 cm
1.44–1.51 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 supplies physical scale only; it should not be used to claim that the architectural ambiguity has been resolved.
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.