Leviticus 19:36 · measurement explained
A just ephah and a just hin
The command joins honest balances and weights with honest dry and liquid measures, placing commercial accuracy within covenant ethics.
Read the verse first
You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
World English Bible · engwebp-source-2026-09-12
Modern measurement range
One ephah standard
21–23 L
5.55–6.08 US gal · 4.62–5.06 Imp gal
Using the ephah estimate. Ancient jars and regional standards differ. Litres express capacity, not the weight of grain or flour placed in that capacity.
Calculate another amount →One hin standard
3.5–3.8 L
0.92–1.0 US gal · 0.77–0.84 Imp gal
Using the hin estimate. Published tables differ substantially for the hin. This site consistently uses the ESV-style one-sixth-bath system instead of mixing incompatible tables.
Calculate another amount →One-unit conversions illustrate the standards' different capacities; the moral force lies in using a consistent honest measure, not in a particular modern decimal.
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.