Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical terms, the word "span" refers to a unit of measurement used in ancient times. It is primarily mentioned in the context of describing dimensions, particularly in the construction of sacred objects and structures. The span is generally understood to be the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger when the hand is fully extended, approximately nine inches or half a cubit.
Biblical References:1.
Exodus 28:16 : "It is to be square when folded over, a span long and a span wide." This verse describes the dimensions of the breastpiece of judgment worn by the High Priest. The use of the span here emphasizes the precision and care required in the construction of priestly garments, reflecting the holiness and orderliness expected in the service of God.
2.
Exodus 39:9 : "It was square when folded over, a span long and a span wide." This passage reiterates the dimensions of the breastpiece, underscoring its importance in the priestly attire and its role in the religious practices of the Israelites.
3.
1 Samuel 17:4 : "Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span tall." The mention of Goliath's height, including the span, serves to highlight his formidable size and strength, setting the stage for the dramatic encounter with David. The use of the span here provides a vivid image of the giant's imposing stature.
Symbolic Significance:In addition to its literal use as a measurement, the span can also carry symbolic meaning in biblical literature. It often represents the finite and limited nature of human life and capabilities in contrast to the infinite and boundless nature of God. This is reflected in passages that speak to the brevity and fragility of human existence.
Psalm 39:5 : "You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath." Here, the psalmist uses the imagery of a handbreadth, closely related to a span, to convey the shortness of human life. This serves as a reminder of the need for humility and reliance on God.
Theological Implications:The use of the span in Scripture underscores the importance of precision and order in the worship and service of God. It reflects the meticulous care with which God instructed His people to approach Him, whether through the construction of the tabernacle, the crafting of priestly garments, or the observance of His commandments.
Furthermore, the span as a measure of human life invites reflection on the transient nature of earthly existence and the eternal nature of God. It calls believers to live with an awareness of their mortality and to place their trust in the eternal promises of God.
In summary, the span serves as both a practical unit of measurement and a profound symbol within the biblical narrative, illustrating the intersection of the temporal and the divine.
ATS Bible Dictionary
SpanLa 2:20, the distance from the extremity of the thumb to that of the little finger, when stretched apart; some nine inches.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v.) imp. & p. p. of Spin.
2. (n.) The space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended; nine inches; eighth of a fathom.
3. (v. t.) Hence, a small space or a brief portion of time.
4. (n.) The spread or extent of an arch between its abutments, or of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like, between its supports.
5. (n.) A rope having its ends made fast so that a purchase can be hooked to the bight; also, a rope made fast in the center so that both ends can be used.
6. (n.) A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action.
7. (v. t.) To measure by the span of the hand with the fingers extended, or with the fingers encompassing the object; as, to span a space or distance; to span a cylinder.
8. (v. t.) To reach from one side of to the order; to stretch over as an arch.
9. (v. t.) To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.
10. (v. i.) To be matched, as horses.
11. (imp.) of Spin
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SPAN(zereth; spithame): A measure of length equal to half a cubit or about 9 in. (Exodus 28:16;Exodus 39:91 Samuel 17:4, etc.).Lamentations 2:20 the King James Version is a mistranslation; see the Revised Version (British and American).
SeeWEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Greek
165. aion -- a space of time, an age... infinity. 165 (see also the cognate adjective, 166 , "age-long") -- properly,
an (, "time-
span"), (type of existence). : Christians
...4681. Spania -- Spain, a peninsula of SW Europe
... Spain, a peninsula of SW Europe. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
Spania Phonetic Spelling: (span-ee'-ah) Short Definition: Spain Definition...
2244. helikia -- maturity, ie age
... Word Origin from helix (of the same age, mature) Definition maturity, ie age NASB
Word Usage age (2), life (2), life'sspan (1), stature (3). age, stature....
Strong's Hebrew
2239. zereth -- aspan... 2238, 2239. zereth. 2240 . a
span. Transliteration: zereth Phonetic
Spelling: (zeh'-reth) Short Definition:
span. Word Origin of
...2947. tephach -- aspan, handbreadth, coping
... 2946, 2947. tephach. 2948 . aspan, handbreadth, coping. Transliteration: tephach
Phonetic Spelling: (tay'-fakh) Short Definition: handbreadth....
2948. tophach -- aspan, handbreadth
... 2947, 2948. tophach. 2949 . aspan, handbreadth. Transliteration: tophach
Phonetic Spelling: (to'-fakh) Short Definition: handbreadth....
2946. taphach -- to extend, spread
... root Definition to extend, spread NASB Word Usage bore (1), spread (1).span, swaddle....
From tephach, from dandling on the palms --span, swaddle....
2949. tippuchim -- tenderly cared for
... born healthy (1).span long. From taphach; nursing --span long. see HEBREW
taphach. 2948, 2949. tippuchim. 2950 . Strong's Numbers.
1574. gomed -- a short cubit (from elbow to knuckles of clenched...
... 1). cubit. From an unused root apparently meaning to grasp; properly, aspan --
cubit. 1573, 1574. gomed. 1575 . Strong's Numbers.
2465. cheled -- duration, world
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition duration, world NASB Word Usage life
(1), lifetime (1),span of life (1), world (3). age, short time, world....
Library
After all this You Dare to Say in Your Apology, that You are not...
... his defence. I shall try to write a reply to those works in another treatise
if God grants me a sufficientspan of life. For the...
The Man after God's Own Heart
... man after Mine own heart, who shall fulfil all My will." And just as the man of
the world, or the literary man, lays down a programme for the briefspan of his...
Life with Its Infinite Alternatives.
... James Montgomery. Life with its infinite Alternatives. On ourspan-long pilgrimage,....
Time?"a step from birth to death,. On that step, that breath, thatspan,....
The Change of Heart.
... 8.8.8.8 James Montgomery. The Change of Heart. What is our life?"a breath, aspan,....
Then life no more a breath would be,. Aspan, a spark, absorb'd in night,....
That "Through Whom" is Said Also in the Case of the Father, and "...
... may be learnt from what immediately precedes: "Who hath measured the waters in the
hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with thespan, and comprehended the...
Jehovah --Jesus.
... He is getting off as far as possible within his earthlyspan.... He was God. It was
He who spoke things into being, that creativespan of time....
On the Words of the Gospel, John v. 2, "Now There is in Jerusalem...
... From the earliest infancy even to decrepit old age, it is but a shortspan.... In this
littlespan let us live well, that we may go whence we may not pass away....
The Poets
... Let the world's riches, which dispers??d lie,. Contract into aspan,. is remembered
and used nobly in a hymn for the Nativity: Our God, contracted to aSpan,....
Life a Tale
... From the best point of view, life is not merely a term of years and aspan
of action; it is a force, a current and depth of being....
Anxious Care
... carking cares, and laborious days, and sleepless nights, is but to adorn a little
more beautifully or a little less beautifully, the allottedspan"but to...
Thesaurus
Span (14 Occurrences)... 7. (vt) To measure by the
span of the hand with the fingers extended, or with the
fingers encompassing the object; as, to
span a space or distance; to
span a
...Four-square (7 Occurrences)
... (See JPS). Exodus 28:16 Foursquare it shall be and double; aspan shall be the
length thereof, and aspan the breadth thereof. (See JPS)....
Foursquare (10 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV ASV WBS). Exodus 28:16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; aspan shall
be the length thereof, and aspan shall be the breadth thereof. (KJV ASV WBS)...
Doubled (5 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Exodus 28:16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; aspan shall be the length
thereof, and aspan shall be the breadth thereof. (KJV DBY WBS YLT)....
Breastplate (45 Occurrences)
... It was a double piece of richly embroidered stuff, aspan square, set with twelve
precious stones, on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of...
Square (94 Occurrences)
... Exodus 28:16 It shall be square and folded double; aspan shall be its length of
it, and aspan its breadth. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)....
Double (49 Occurrences)
... (WEB JPS ASV NAS NIV). Exodus 28:16 It shall be square and folded double;
aspan shall be its length of it, and aspan its breadth....
Length (135 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV). Exodus 28:16 It shall be square and folded
double; aspan shall be its length of it, and aspan its breadth....
Goliath (6 Occurrences)
... 2:20, 21). His height was "six cubits and aspan," which, taking the cubit
at 21 inches, is equal to 10 1/2 feet. David cut off...
Fathom (5 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Old AS faethm, "bosom, " or the outstretched
arms), aspan of six feet (Acts 27:28). Gr. orguia (from...
Resources
How tall was Goliath? | GotQuestions.orgWhat happened in the intertestamental period? | GotQuestions.orgHow old was Adam when he died? | GotQuestions.orgSpan: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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