הִין
a hin or liquid measure
Definition
The Hebrew word 'הִין' (hîyn) refers to a specific unit of liquid measurement used in the Old Testament. It is a standard measure, primarily for oil, wine, and water, in the context of religious rituals and offerings. The hin is most frequently mentioned in the detailed instructions for the grain and drink offerings that accompany sacrifices, such as in Exodus 29:40 and Leviticus 23:13. Its consistent use across the Torah establishes it as a fixed, sacred measurement for maintaining ritual purity and proportionality in worship.
Biblical Usage
The word 'hin' is used exclusively in the Torah (Pentateuch), specifically in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. Its usage is almost entirely confined to the legal and cultic texts that prescribe the quantities of oil, wine, and fine flour for various offerings. For example, it specifies the amount of oil for a grain offering (Leviticus 23:13) and the wine for a drink offering (Numbers 15:5). The pattern shows it is a technical term for divine ordinance, not for everyday commercial exchange.
Etymology
The word 'הִין' (hîyn) is generally considered a loanword from the Egyptian language, reflecting the cultural and economic connections between ancient Egypt and Israel. There is no known Hebrew verbal root from which it is derived. Its adoption into Hebrew demonstrates the borrowing of systems of weights and measures, similar to how modern languages adopt metric or imperial terms.
Semantic Range
The hin is theologically significant as it underscores the principles of precision, obedience, and proportionality in Israel's worship. God's instructions for the tabernacle and sacrifices required exact measurements (Exodus 30:24), teaching that approach to God must be according to His prescribed order. Understanding this specific measure enriches reading by highlighting that worship involved tangible, costly ingredients offered in faithful, measured obedience, pointing to the ultimate, perfect sacrifice of Christ.
A hin was a practical liquid measure in ancient Israel, estimated to be approximately 1 gallon (3.8 liters) or 6 logs. This standardized unit was essential for fairness in trade (Leviticus 19:36) and, more importantly, for uniformity in religious rituals. Unlike modern fluid ounces or liters which are precisely defined, ancient measures like the hin were based on commonly understood containers, but its use in the Torah gave it a sacred, fixed value for cultic purposes.
אֵיפָה ('êphâh, H374) — a much larger dry measure for grain, about 10 times the volume of a bath (a liquid measure related to the hin). בַּת (bath, H1324) — the primary liquid measure for larger quantities; one bath was equal to 6 hins. לֹג (log, H3849) — a smaller liquid measure; one hin was equal to 6 logs.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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