What is a Hin in the Bible?
Quick Summary
A hin in the Bible is an ancient Hebrew unit of liquid measurement used for items such as oil, wine, and water. It equals roughly one gallon or a little more than four liters. The hin appears in instructions for worship, sacrifice, anointing, and daily life.
Introduction
Ancient Israel relied on practical measurements that supported daily work and worship. The hin served as one of the standard liquid measures for the community. When Scripture describes how much oil to use in the Tabernacle, the amounts poured out for offerings, or the mixture used for sacred anointing oil, the hin provides a clear sense of volume.
Understanding what a hin represents brings clarity to passages in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, especially where the instructions emphasize care, beauty, and reverence in worship. The hin reminds modern readers that biblical faith was lived out through tangible actions and measurable gifts.
What Is a Hin?
A hin is a Hebrew unit used to measure liquids. Archaeological and textual evidence suggest it held a little more than four liters, close to one modern gallon. The hin fits within a larger biblical system of liquid measurements that includes the log, the bath, and the ephah’s liquid equivalents.
Because oil, wine, and water played essential roles in ancient life, the hin served both household and sanctuary needs. It appears most often in instructions related to worship and anointing.
To read more about this, see Avraham Malamat, “Weights and Measures,” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 6, edited by David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 897–908
Where the Hin Appears in Scripture
The Anointing Oil
One of the most detailed references to the hin occurs in the recipe for the sacred anointing oil. Exodus 30:24 instructs Moses to mix a hin of olive oil with specific spices to create the holy anointing oil used for consecrating the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Understanding the hin helps readers appreciate the scale and richness of this blend.
Drink Offerings
The law includes drink offerings measured in fractions of a hin. Numbers 15:5 assigns a fourth of a hin of wine as the drink offering that accompanies certain sacrifices. These precise measurements ensured consistency and honored the care that worship required.
Lamp Oil
Oil measured in hins was used for lighting the lamps in the sanctuary. Although specific passages may refer to bulk quantities in other measurements, the hin remains the basic standard for larger liquid amounts.
Everyday Use
While the hin appears most directly in worship contexts, it also reflects common household practices. Oil and wine were daily provisions, and the hin likely served as a familiar reference for storage and preparation.
Why the Hin Matters for Biblical Interpretation
The hin gives modern readers a clearer picture of the scale and beauty of Israel’s worship. It grounds abstract instructions in concrete measurements. When the Bible describes a fourth of a hin of wine poured out before God or the rich anointing oil that fills a whole hin, readers can begin to imagine the amount involved.
The hin also reveals the careful structure of Israel’s offering system. Worship involved intention, proportion, and reverence. Each hin or fraction of a hin carried meaning as an expression of devotion.
Understanding the hin helps people connect more deeply with passages that describe worship preparation, consecration, and the rhythms of daily provision.
FAQs
How much is a hin in modern terms?
A hin equals a little more than four liters, close to a modern gallon.
What liquids were measured in hins?
Olive oil, wine, water, and other household liquids.
How does the hin relate to other biblical measures?
A hin contains twelve logs. Larger volumes such as the bath or homer reflect higher multiples. This system keeps the biblical world’s measurements consistent.
Why does Exodus mention a hin in the anointing oil recipe?
The quantity highlights the richness and sacredness of the oil used to consecrate the Tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priests.
Does the New Testament use the hin?
The New Testament does not refer directly to the hin, but it preserves themes of offering, anointing, and daily provision that echo its earlier use.
See Also
• Bible Measurement Converter Tool
