“These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a hand width): the bottom shall be a cubit, and the width a cubit, and its border around its edge a span; and this shall be the base of the altar.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 13. By. Hebrew “by cubits.” This cubit is a common cubit, and so forth The Babylonian, ( Bible.) or sacred one, was a palm longer. Worthington. Calmet. 40:5.—Breadth. It was the same as the depth, being designed to convey the blood by a conduit to the torrent Cedron.—Trench, or bottom aforesaid. Septuagint “the height.” Bible.—Chal. “disposition of the altar,” which seems best.
A normal cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. A hand width is about 4.3 inches or 11 cm.
A span is the length from the tip of a man’s thumb to the tip of his little finger when his hand is stretched out (about half a cubit, or 9 inches, or 22.8 cm.)