length
How much is a biblical common cubit?
A common cubit was a forearm-length measure, usually represented as about 45 cm or 18 inches.
Interactive reference
Convert a biblical measurement
Choose a unit and enter an amount to see a modern metric and labeled US customary or Imperial range.
common cubit — A common cubit was a forearm-length measure, usually represented as about 45 cm or 18 inches.
This range is for the ordinary cubit. Texts that specify a cubit plus a handbreadth use the separate long-cubit setting.
Direct answer
1 common cubit ≈ 44–46 cm ≈ 1.44–1.51 ft
This range is for the ordinary cubit. Texts that specify a cubit plus a handbreadth use the separate long-cubit setting.
Biblical ratio: 6 handbreadths = 1 common cubit.
| Amount | Metric range | US customary / imperial range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 common cubit | 44–46 cm | 1.44–1.51 ft |
| 2 common cubits | 88–92 cm | 2.89–3.02 ft |
| 5 common cubits | 2.2–2.3 m | 7.22–7.55 ft |
| 10 common cubits | 4.4–4.6 m | 14.44–15.09 ft |
Primary reference: ESV Global Study Bible · Table of Weights and Measures ↗. The default system used for the representative estimates. The table says all equivalents are approximate and varied by time and place. Accessed October 10, 2026.
Bible passages using this unit
Noah's ark: 300 × 50 × 30 cubits
Genesis 6:16The ark's one-cubit upper opening
Genesis 7:20Floodwaters: 15 cubits higher
Exodus 25:10The ark: 2½ × 1½ × 1½ cubits
Exodus 26:2A 28 × 4 cubit tabernacle curtain
Exodus 27:1The altar: 5 × 5 × 3 cubits
Numbers 11:31Quail about two cubits above the ground
Numbers 35:4One thousand cubits of pasture land
Questions about common cubits
How much is one common cubit today?
44–46 cm, or 1.44–1.51 ft, in this site's selected approximate system. This range is for the ordinary cubit. Texts that specify a cubit plus a handbreadth use the separate long-cubit setting.
Is the common cubit conversion exact?
No. Biblical weights and measures varied by period, place, and standard. The displayed range is for reading scale and should not be treated as a calibrated surviving object.
Can I turn the result into a modern price or food weight?
Not without additional evidence. Metal price, purchasing power, material purity, grain density, and container packing are separate questions from unit conversion.
Related units
finger
A finger was a small body-based length, roughly the width of a finger.
handbreadth
A handbreadth was about the breadth of four fingers and one sixth of a common cubit.
span
A span measured the spread from thumb to little finger, about three handbreadths.
long cubit
Ezekiel's long cubit is explicitly a cubit plus one handbreadth, about 52 cm or 20.4 inches.