Genesis 7:20 · measurement explained
Floodwaters: 15 cubits higher
The verse uses fifteen cubits to describe the waters above the covered mountains in the flood narrative.
Read the verse first
The waters rose fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered.
World English Bible · engwebp-source-2026-09-12
Modern measurement range
Fifteen cubits
6.6–6.9 m
21.65–22.64 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 →A modern length helps readers grasp the stated depth, while the conversion itself does not answer geological or interpretive questions about the narrative.
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.