Homer
A homer is an ancient biblical dry measure, roughly equal to ten ephahs.
At a Glance
Biblical dry measure
Key Points
- Used for grain and other dry commodities
- Appears in legal, economic, and prophetic contexts
- Roughly equal to ten ephahs
- Exact modern size is debated
Description
A homer is an Old Testament unit of dry measure used for commodities such as grain and related produce. It appears in legal regulations, temple-related contexts, and prophetic imagery. Biblically, the homer serves as a practical unit of quantity rather than a theological idea in itself. The term is commonly defined as ten ephahs, but modern conversion remains approximate and should not be overstated.
Biblical Context
The homer appears in passages dealing with valuation, provision, and prophetic description. It is part of the ordinary measurement system of Israelite life and worship, helping readers understand quantities mentioned in laws and prophecies.
Historical Context
In the ancient Near East, standard measures were essential for agriculture, trade, taxation, and temple offerings. The homer belongs to that broader world of practical commercial and cultic measurement, though the exact size varied by scholarly reconstruction.
Jewish and Ancient Context
Ancient Jewish life used agreed units for grain and produce in ordinary commerce and in temple-related administration. The homer functioned as a large dry measure within that system, and later interpreters generally treated it as a practical unit rather than a symbolic one.
Primary Key Texts
- Leviticus 27:16
- Ezekiel 45:11, 14
- Hosea 3:2
Secondary Key Texts
- Related measurement contexts include other Old Testament passages that mention dry measures and grain quantities.
Original Language Note
Hebrew: חֹמֶר (ḥōmer), a standard dry measure.
Theological Significance
The homer has little direct theological weight by itself, but it helps establish the concreteness of biblical law and prophecy. It reminds readers that Scripture often speaks in ordinary, historically grounded terms.
Philosophical Explanation
The term illustrates how language and measurement depend on historical context. Interpretation should distinguish between the biblical unit itself and any approximate modern conversion.
Interpretive Cautions
Do not press modern metric or imperial equivalents too hard, since the exact size of the homer is debated. Also avoid treating the term as symbolic unless the context clearly does so.
Major Views
Most interpreters agree that the homer is a large dry measure and that it corresponds to ten ephahs. Discussion mainly concerns the best modern approximation.
Doctrinal Boundaries
This term is descriptive and non-doctrinal. It should not be used to build theology beyond the general principle that Scripture is historically concrete and culturally situated.
Practical Significance
Understanding the homer helps readers read Old Testament laws and prophecies more accurately, especially where quantities, offerings, or economic values are involved.
Related Entries
- ephah
- omer
- weights and measures
- bath
- hin
See Also
- weights and measures
- ephah
- omer
- measure
- dry measure