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There was an official “cubit” in Egypt. In fact, there were both a shorter “cubit” (17.6
inches) and a longer “cubit” (20.65 inches). The Siloam inscription states that the Siloam
tunnel was 1,200 “cubits” long. This divided by its measurement in feet (1,749)
demonstrates that as late as Hezekiah’s day (cf. 2 Chron. 32:4) the “cubit” was about 17.5
inches or the shorter Egyptian cubit. Ezekiel probably used the Babylonian “cubit” in
describing the temple. The Egyptian shorter cubit is only about three inches shorter than
the longer cubit; on the other hand, the Babylonian shorter cubit was about four-fifths the
length of the official royal “cubit,” about a handbreadth shorter: “And behold a wall on
the outside of the house round about, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed of six
cubits long by the cubit and a handbreadth …” (Ezek. 40:5). In other words, it was the
width of seven palms rather than six.
TO CURSE
A. Verbs.
%
(
, 7043), “to be trifling, light, swift; to curse.” This wide-ranging word is
found in both ancient and modern Hebrew, in ancient Akkadian, and (according to some)
in ancient Ugaritic. The word occurs about 82 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. As
will be seen, its various nuances grow out of the basic idea of being “trifling” or “light,”
with somewhat negative connotations involved.
+
is found for the first time in Gen. 8:8: “… To see if the waters had subsided …”
(
RSV
). Other English versions translate: “abated” (
KJV
,
NASB
); “dried up” (
JB
); “had
lessened” (
NEB
); “had gone down” (
TEV
). All of these terms indicate a lessening of what
had existed.
The idea of “to be swift” is expressed in the Hebrew comparative form. So, Saul and
Jonathan “were swifter than eagles” (2 Sam. 1:23— literally, “more than eagles they
were light”). A similar idea is expressed in 1 Sam. 18:23: “And David said, Seemeth it to
you a light thing to a king’s son-in-law …?”
+
frequently includes the idea of “cursing” or “making little or contemptible”:
“And he that curseth [belittles] his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death”
(Exod. 21:17). “To curse” had the meaning of an “oath” when related to one’s gods:
“And the Philistine cursed David by his gods” (1 Sam. 17:43). The negative aspect of
“non-blessing” was expressed by the passive form: “… The sinner being a hundred years
old shall be accursed [by death]” (Isa. 65:20). Similar usage is reflected in: “… Their
portion is cursed in the earth …” (Job 24:18).
The causative form of the verb sometimes expressed the idea of “lightening, lifting a
weight”: “… Peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you …” (1 Sam. 6:5); “… so
shall it be easier for thyself …” (Exod. 18:22).
(
, 779), “to curse.” This root is found in South Arabic, Ethiopic, and
Akkadian. The verb occurs 60 times in the Old Testament.
The first occurrence is in Gen. 3:14: “Thou [the serpent] art cursed above all cattle,”
and Gen. 3:17: “Cursed is the ground for thy [Adam’s] sake.” This form accounts for
more than half of the occurrences. It is a pronouncement of judgment on those who break
covenant, as: “Cursed is the man who …” (twelve times in Deut. 27:15-26). “Curse” is
usually parallel with “bless.” The two “curses” in Gen. 3 are in bold contrast to the two
blessings (“And God blessed them …”) in Gen. 1. The covenant with Abraham includes:
“I will bless them that bless thee, and curse [different root] him that curseth thee …”