Lexical Summary
middah: Measure, measurement, stature, size
Original Word:מִדָּה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:middah
Pronunciation:mid-daw'
Phonetic Spelling:(mid-daw')
KJV: garment, measure(-ing, meteyard, piece, size, (great) stature, tribute, wide
Word Origin:[feminine ofH4055 (מַד מֵד - armor)]
1. (properly) extension, i.e. height or breadth
2. also a measure (including its standard)
3. hence a portion (as measured) or a vestment
4. specifically, tribute (as measured)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
garment, measuring, piece, size, great stature, tribute, wide
Feminine ofmad; properly, extension, i.e. Height or breadth; also a measure (including its standard); hence a portion (as measured) or a vestment; specifically, tribute (as measured) -- garment, measure(-ing, meteyard, piece, size, (great) stature, tribute, wide.
see HEBREWmad
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. (mostly late) —
Exodus 26:2 35t.; construct
Ezekiel 40:21 2t.; plural
Ezekiel 41:17 12t.;
Psalm 133:2;
Ezekiel 48:16; —
measure, act of measurement, i.e. long measureEzekiel 41:17 (strike out Co),Ezekiel 42:15;Ezekiel 48:30,33; compareJoshua 3:4 (P),1 Chronicles 23:29, see alsoLeviticus 19:35 (H); once of liquid measure, figurative,Job 28:25;Jeremiah 31:39measuring-line;Zechariah 2:5 (id.);measuring-reedEzekiel 40:3,5;Ezekiel 42:16 (strike out Co),Ezekiel 42:16;Ezekiel 42:17;Ezekiel 42:18;Ezekiel 42:19.
measurement, size of curtains in tabernacleExodus 26:2,8;Exodus 36:9,15 (all P); compare1 Kings 6:25;1 Kings 7:37 (both "" ),1 Kings 7:9;1 Kings 7:11; 2Chronicles 3:3;Ezekiel 40:10 (twice in verse);Ezekiel 40:21,22,24,28,29,32,33,35;Ezekiel 43:13;Ezekiel 46:22;Ezekiel 48:16; once of time,Psalm 39:5; probably alsoJob 11:9 (figurative of God's wisdom) where = , compare Sta§ 347, approximately 2; =house of sizeJeremiah 22:14; =man of size, stature,1 Chronicles 11:23;1 Chronicles 20:6; so also probably ""2 Samuel 21:20 (for HCT , Qr , see [ ]), We Dr Kit Bu; pluralNumbers 13:32;Isaiah 45:14.
measured portion, extent, stretch (of wall)Nehemiah 3:11,19,20,21,24,27,30, compareEzekiel 45:3.
garment (plural poetic)Psalm 133:2.
II. [] (loan-word from Assyrianmandattu, id., √nadânu = DlHWB 451, compare SchrCOTEzra 4:13; also in Biblical Aramaic ,id.); —Nehemiah 5:4.
(secondary form of ; √ of following)
Topical Lexicon
Overviewמִדָּה (mid dah) appears roughly fifty-five times in the Old Testament and consistently speaks of a “measure” in either the literal sense of size, quantity, or weight, or the figurative sense of a determined portion, standard, or rule. Whether used for tabernacle curtains, city borders, fair commerce, or the moral boundaries set by God, מִדָּה underscores that every part of life is meant to conform to an objective, divinely sanctioned scale.
Literal Measurements in Worship Structures
•Exodus 26 employs מִדָּה six times to specify the size of the curtains, boards, and coverings of the tabernacle. By giving precise measures for every component (“The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width four cubits,”Exodus 26:2), the text highlights that worship is regulated by God, not human whim.
•1 Kings 7:37, describing Solomon’s temple furnishings, uses מִדָּה to show uniformity among the ten bases for the lavers. The divine dwelling place demanded exact correspondence to the pattern revealed to David (1 Chronicles 28:19).
Measurement of Land and Cities
• InNumbers 35:5 Israel is told to measure “one thousand cubits” around the Levitical cities. מִדָּה thus protects priestly provision and simultaneously restrains greed, embodying ordered generosity.
• Ezekiel’s visionary temple (Ezekiel 40–48) is saturated with measuring (e.g., 42:15), and מִדָּה occurs in 42:15 and 45:11 to establish the ideal, eschatological order. The future temple will stand in perfect conformity to God’s standard, correcting the corrupt measurements of Israel’s past (cf. 45:10-12).
Commercial Honesty and Judicial Equity
•Leviticus 19:35 connects fair measures directly to holiness: “You must not use dishonest standards in measuring length, weight, or volume.”
•Deuteronomy 25:14-15 warns against “a bag of differing weights, one heavy and one light,” for “a full and honest measure” brings longevity in the land.
•Micah 6:10 counts the “short measure that is accursed” among the sins that provoke divine indictment. Economic integrity, therefore, is inseparable from covenant faithfulness.
Human Stature and the Brevity of Life
•2 Samuel 21:20, describing a giant of “great stature,” uses מִדָּה to mark physical impressiveness—yet even extraordinary size cannot withstand God’s purposes (see 21:22).
•Psalm 39:4 applies the word to life’s duration: “Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days.” Awareness of the limited מִדָּה of earthly existence drives the psalmist to humble dependence on God.
Prophetic Symbolism
•Isaiah 40:12 asks, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?” God’s cosmic measuring renders human pride absurd and comforts the exiles with the assurance that their covenant Lord controls the totality of creation.
•Lamentations 2:21 laments that the young and old lie on the ground “according to the measure” of divine wrath; justice has a fixed quota that will be executed without prejudice.
Theological Themes
1. Divine Order: Every appearance of מִדָּה, whether structural, territorial, or moral, presupposes an absolute scale established by God.
2. Accountability: A wrong measure—literal or figurative—brings swift rebuke (Deuteronomy 25:16).
3. Equity and Mercy: God’s measures are not merely strict; they are proportionate.Jeremiah 30:11 speaks of discipline “in just measure,” blending justice with covenant mercy.
4. Eschatological Hope: Ezekiel’s perfect measurements anticipate a restored creation in which all things align with God’s design.
Ministry Applications
• Preaching: Use texts likeMicah 6:10 andPsalm 39:4 to expose both societal injustice and personal finitude, driving listeners to Christ, the one who “with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Mark 4:24).
• Stewardship: Congregational budgets and benevolence policies can apply מִדָּה by adopting transparent, equitable standards that reflect divine fairness.
• Discipleship: Encourage believers to evaluate gifts, time, and talents by God’s “measure of faith” (Romans 12:3), fostering humility and service rather than comparison.
• Social Engagement: Advocacy for honest trade practices echoes the prophetic denunciation of false measures, providing a biblical mandate for economic justice.
Key References for Personal Study
Exodus 26:2, 8, 13;Numbers 35:5;Deuteronomy 25:14-15;2 Samuel 21:20;1 Kings 7:37;2 Chronicles 3:3;Psalm 39:4;Isaiah 40:12;Jeremiah 30:11;Lamentations 2:21;Ezekiel 40:3; 42:15; 45:11;Micah 6:10.
By tracing מִדָּה through Israel’s worship, commerce, land, and prophetic hope, Scripture presents God as the ultimate measurer whose standards are precise, righteous, and gracious. To live faithfully is to bring every dimension of life into conformity with His ordained measure.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמִדָּֽה׃ בַּמִּדָּ֑ה בַּמִּדָּ֕ה בַּמִּדָּ֤ה במדה במדה׃ הַמִּדָּ֑ה הַמִּדָּ֖ה הַמִּדָּ֗ה הַמִּדָּ֤ה הַמִּדָּֽה׃ הַמִּדָּה֙ המדה המדה׃ וּמִדַּ֣ת וּמִדָּ֥ה וּמִדָּֽה׃ ומדה ומדה׃ ומדת כְּמִדַּ֖ת כְּמִדַּ֣ת כְּמִדֹּ֣ת כְּמִדּ֥וֹת כַּמִּדּ֖וֹת כַּמִּדּ֣וֹת כַּמִּדּ֥וֹת כמדות כמדת לְמִדַּ֣ת למדת מִדָּ֔ה מִדָּ֗ה מִדָּ֣ה מִדָּ֣ה ׀ מִדָּ֥ה מִדָּֽה׃ מִדָּה֒ מִדּ֔וֹת מִדּ֤וֹת מִדּֽוֹת׃ מִדּוֹת֙ מִדּוֹתֶיהָ֒ מִדּוֹתָֽיו׃ מדה מדה׃ מדות מדות׃ מדותיה מדותיו׃ bam·mid·dāh bammidDah bammiddāh bə·mid·dāh bemidDah bəmiddāh ham·mid·dāh hammidDah hammiddāh kam·mid·dō·wṯ kammidDot kammiddōwṯ kə·mid·daṯ kə·mid·dō·wṯ kə·mid·dōṯ kemidDat kəmiddaṯ kemidDot kəmiddōṯ kəmiddōwṯ lə·mid·daṯ lemidDat ləmiddaṯ mid·dāh mid·dō·w·ṯāw mid·dō·w·ṯe·hā mid·dō·wṯ midDah middāh midDot middoTav middoteiHa middōwṯ middōwṯāw middōwṯehā ū·mid·dāh ū·mid·daṯ umidDah ūmiddāh umidDat ūmiddaṯ
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