A cubit discussion at arms length

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The measurement term "cubit" appears many times in the GNT (Greek New Testament) and LXX (Septuagint).

A cubit is a measure of distance. As used by the Egyptians, it is the distance between the bent elbow and the tip of the index finger.

This leaves room for deviation in the precise length of a cubit.

In quantum computing, a "qubit" or "q-bit" stands for "quantum bit" where "bit" stands for "binary digit".

More: Quantum computing

There are hieroglyphics showing the use of the cubit for measuring purposes.

The Royal Cubit Master, carved out of granite, was used to standardize measurements.

The English word "ruler" is often taken to be the "foot" ruler.

The ancient Greek word "πῆχυς" ≈ "forearm, cubit". It could mean the beam used to balance. In the plural, in Egypt (when it became Greek), it could mean small children playing.

The modern Greek word "πήχης" (PEE-khees) ≈ "forearm, cubit".

The "waist" is the part of the body that grows or increases or "waxes".

The Gothic word "wahstus" ≈ "stature".
The Old English word "weaxan" ≈ "grow".

There is a joke about Matthew 6:27 which contains the words "cubit" and "stature".

Matthew 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? [kjv]

Unlike stature, which cannot be increased by our own will, it is not hard to increase the waist.

The joke goes as follows.

I went to my doctor. He said that for my weight, my height was 6 inches too short. I looked at Matthew 6:27 and decided that since I could not increase my height, I would have to decrease my weight.

Instead of "over-weight" one can be "under-tall".

Here are some other ways to add to your stature (in a literal sense, but not a bodily sense).

high heel shoes
platform shoes
stilts (as in poles that elevate one for walking - but require a lot of balance and continual movement)

Another way to lose weight is to live in outer space or on the moon, etc., where you weight would be lower. Your mass, however, would not be lower.

An anti-gravity formula would do the same thing.

There is a Dilbert cartoon about this idea.

Matthew 6:27

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KJV: Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

Greek: τις δε εξ υμων μεριμνων δυναται προσθειναι επι την ηλικιαν αυτου πηχυν ενα

Latin: quis autem vestrum cogitans potest adicere ad staturam suam cubitum unum

Wycliffe: But who of you thenkynge mai putte to his stature o cubit?

Tyndale: Which of you (though he toke thought therfore) coulde put one cubit vnto his stature?

Luther: Wer ist unter euch, der seiner Länge eine Elle zusetzen möge, ob er gleich darum sorget?

*G4083 *4 πῆχυς (pay'-khoos) : of uncertain affinity; the fore-arm, i.e. (as a measure) a cubit:--cubit.

Usage

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πηχυν *2

Matthew 6:27 ... can add one cubit unto his stature?
Luke 12:25 ... his stature one cubit?

πηχων *2

John 21:8 ... but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
Revelation 21:17 ... an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that ...

Luke has the same content as Matthew.

Luke 12:25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? [kjv]

Luke 12:25

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KJV: And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

Greek: τις δε εξ υμων μεριμνων δυναται προσθειναι επι την ηλικιαν αυτου προσθειναι πηχυν ενα

John gives a precise distance, 200 cubits, from land for the boat used for fishing when Jesus appears after the resurrection.

John 21:8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits, ) dragging the net with fishes. [kjv]

John 21:8

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KJV: And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits, ) dragging the net with fishes.

Greek: οι δε αλλοι μαθηται τω πλοιαριω ηλθον ου γαρ ησαν μακραν απο της γης αλλ αλλα ως απο πηχων διακοσιων συροντες το δικτυον των ιχθυων

$Fish symbol$ A few verses later, John gives another precise number of fish, 153.

John 21:11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. [kjv]

$Fish$ This fish shape was adopted by early Christians as the symbol of Christianity (about 100 AD), but the symbol itself goes back many hundreds of years.

Pythagoras (about 500 BC)
Euclid (about 300 BC)
Archimedes (about 200 BC)

The number 153 was known as the "number of the fish".

More: Number 153: number of the fish

John 21:11

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KJV: Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

Greek: ανεβη ουν σιμων πετρος και ειλκυσεν το δικτυον επι της γης εις την γην μεστον ιχθυων μεγαλων εκατον πεντηκοντατριων πεντηκοντα τριων και τοσουτων οντων ουκ εσχισθη το δικτυον

In Revelation, the new heaven and earth is measured.

Revelation 21:17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. [kjv]

Revelation 21:17

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KJV: And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

Greek: και εμετρησεν το τειχος αυτης εκατον τεσσαρακοντα τεσσερακοντα τεσσαρων πηχων μετρον ανθρωπου ο εστιν αγγελου

Latin: et mensus est murus eius centum quadraginta quattuor cubitorum mensura hominis quae est angeli

Spanish: Y midió su muro, ciento cuarenta y cuatro codos de medida de hombre, la cual es deángel.

Portuguese: Mediu depois a muralha: tinha cento e quarenta e quatro côvados de altura, segundo a medida humana, que era também a do anjo.

The "cubit" is used in the OT (Old Testament) to specify the dimensions for the Ark of Noah, the Ark of the Covenant, an in many other places. Only one verse is included here, the dimensions of the Ark of Noah.

Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. [kjv]

Genesis 6:15

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KJV: And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

Hebrew: וזה אשר תעשה אתה שלש מאות אמה ארך התבה חמשים אמה רחבה ושלשים אמה קומתה׃

Greek: και ουτως ποιησεις την κιβωτον τριακοσιων πηχεων το μηκος της κιβωτου και πεντηκοντα πηχεων το πλατος και τριακοντα πηχεων το υψος αυτης

Latin: et sic facies eam trecentorum cubitorum erit longitudo arcae quinquaginta cubitorum latitudo et triginta cubitorum altitudo illius

Spanish: Y de esta manera la harás: De trescientos codos la longitud del arca, de cincuenta codos su anchura, y de treinta codos su altura.

Portuguese: Hás-de fazê-la desta maneira: o comprimento será de trezentos côvados, a largura de cinquenta côvados, e a altura de trinta côvados.

Luke 19:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. [kjv]

και εζητει ιδειν τον ιησουν τις εστιν και ουκ ηδυνατο απο του οχλου οτι τη ηλικια μικρος ην [gnt]

… turba … statura pusillus … [v]

The word slide is from "young" "age" in Greek to "short" "height" in through Latin and then into English.

The Greek "crowd" changed to Latin "turmoil" or "mob".

The ancient Greek words "ἡλικία" ≈ "age, maturity" and "μικρός" ≈ "little of, brief, young" and "ὅχλος" ≈ "multitude, crowd".
The Latin words "statura" ≈ "height, size, age" and "pusillus" ≈ "very small, tiny" and the Latin word "turba" ≈ "turmoil, mob, multitude".

Discuss: What important parts of the story can be easily omitted by focusing on "short height" as part of a "refrigerator magnet sermon"?

More: Whisper game

More: Luke 19:1-11 A short discussion on stature