In the Bible, ten ephahs refers to a measurement of grain—specifically, a large quantity, as one ephah is about 22 liters. This term appears in contexts such as agricultural practice and economic transactions, symbolizing abundance or a significant offering (e.g., Zechariah 5:6).
Scripture
16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’”
17 The people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less.
18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.
19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.”
20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.
21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses.
23 he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’”
24 So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it.
25 And Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field.
26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.
27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.
28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?
29 See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.”
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
33 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations.”
34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept.
35 The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
36 (Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)
Meaning of Ten Ephahs in the Bible
The concept of “ten ephahs” in the Bible indeed emphasizes abundance and significant offerings, particularly in agricultural contexts. An ephah, a unit of measure for dry volume, represents a considerable amount of grain, and therefore, ten ephahs symbolizes a bountiful harvest or a large, generous offering. In Zechariah 5:6, the reference to ten ephahs serves as a metaphor for the magnitude of sin and the subsequent judgment on the land, illustrating how the Israelites’ disobedience generated a large “measure” of iniquity that required God’s attention. This measurement draws attention not only to the physical context of agriculture but also to the moral and spiritual implications linked to the concepts of prosperity and accountability.
Furthermore, in the cultural and historical context of the Israelites, abundant grain was essential for sustenance and trade. In Leviticus 23:17, the offering of grain is instructed as a part of the harvest celebrations, indicating that bounty was tied to community well-being and divine gratitude. The practice of giving large offerings, like ten ephahs, could be viewed as an acknowledgment of God’s provision and a means of fostering communal bonds within Israelite society. Thus, beyond its literal measurement, “ten ephahs” encapsulates themes of prosperity, accountability for moral conduct, and the necessity of gratitude towards God within the frameworks of personal and communal life.
In addition to its immediate agricultural implications, the mention of ten ephahs in biblical passages also invites reflection on the socio-economic structures of ancient Israel. This unit of measure would have significant relevance in the context of trade and commerce, where a surplus of grain not only indicated personal success for the agriculturalist but also contributed to the communal economy. The practice of sharing an abundance through offerings reflects the cultural values of interdependence and communal support among the Israelites. Generosity, represented through substantial quantities like ten ephahs, would foster social cohesion, indicating that prosperity wasn’t just an individual triumph but a communal benefit.
Moreover, the number ten carries a symbolic weight throughout the scriptural narrative, often representing completeness or a divinely ordained order. When associated with the ephah measurement, the idea of ten takes on a deeper significance—perhaps indicating that a complete cycle of harvest, leading to abundance, is a direct reflection of spiritual health and obedience to God’s commandments. The connection of this measurement not only serves to illustrate the practical aspects of Israelite life but also challenges believers to consider the relationship between abundance and spiritual accountability. This duality of physical and spiritual abundance suggests that how one manages resources reflects their faith and relationship with God, creating a dynamic equilibrium between material blessings and moral responsibility.
Symbol of Abundance and Completeness
The mention of ten ephahs can be interpreted as a representation of abundance and completeness in biblical texts. The number ten often signifies a full measure or a complete set, suggesting that the quantity of ten ephahs embodies a sense of fullness in terms of resources or blessings. This can be seen as a divine provision, indicating that God provides abundantly for His people, ensuring that their needs are met in a comprehensive manner.
Representation of Judgment and Accountability
In some contexts, the quantity of ten ephahs may also symbolize judgment and accountability. The specific measurement can imply that there is a standard or a measure by which actions and behaviors are evaluated. This can serve as a reminder that individuals and communities are held accountable for their actions, and that there are consequences for straying from divine principles. The ten ephahs can thus be seen as a call to reflect on one’s conduct and the impact of one’s choices.
Connection to Community and Gathering
The concept of ten ephahs can also be linked to the idea of community and gathering. In biblical times, ephahs were used as a measure for grain, which was a staple in communal life. The gathering of ten ephahs may symbolize the collective effort of a community coming together to share resources, support one another, and fulfill communal obligations. This highlights the importance of unity and cooperation within the community, emphasizing that together, they can achieve greater things and sustain one another.
How to Cultivate Abundance Through Faith and Generosity
Cultivating abundance through faith and generosity is a beautiful journey that transforms not just our lives but also the lives of those around us. When we anchor our faith in God’s promises, we begin to see the world through a lens of abundance rather than scarcity. This shift in perspective allows us to recognize the blessings we already have and inspires us to share them freely. Generosity, whether through our time, resources, or love, creates a ripple effect that enriches our communities and deepens our connection with others. Remember, as it says in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” So, let’s step out in faith, trusting that as we give, we will receive in ways we never imagined, and in doing so, we’ll reflect the heart of Christ to a world in need.
Bible References to Ten Ephahs Meaning:
Leviticus 5:11-13: 11 “But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.
12 Then he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, on the Lord’s food offerings; it is a sin offering.
13 Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven.
Leviticus 6:14-18: 14 “And this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar.”
15 And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
16 And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it.
17 It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering.
18 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the Lord’s food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.
Leviticus 24:5-9: 5 “You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf.”
6 And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the Lord.
7 And you shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the Lord.
8 Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before the Lord regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever.
9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the Lord’s food offerings, a perpetual due.”
Numbers 5:11-31: 11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12 “Speak to the people of Israel, If any man’s wife goes astray and breaks faith with him,”
13 and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she is undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her, since she was not taken in the act.
14 and if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself, or if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife, though she has not defiled herself,
15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest and bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
16 “And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the Lord.
17 Then the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.
18 And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord and unbind the hair of the woman’s head and place in her hands the grain offering of remembrance, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And in his hand the priest shall have the water of bitterness that brings the curse.
19 Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while you were under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse.
20 “But if you have gone astray, though you are under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself, and some man other than your husband has lain with you,”
21 then the priest shall make the woman take the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman, “the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your body swell.
22 May this water that brings a curse pass into your bowels and make your womb swell and your thigh fall away.’ And the woman shall say, ‘Amen, Amen.’
23 “Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness.”
24 And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain.
25 And the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand and shall wave the grain offering before the Lord and bring it to the altar.
26 And the priest shall take a handful of the offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water.
27 And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people.
28 But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children.
29 This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, though under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,
30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife.
31 The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.
Numbers 28:1-8: 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’”
3 And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering.
4 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;
5 also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil.
6 It is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.
7 “Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the Lord.”
8 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Judges 6:11-24: 11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”
15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
17 And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.
18 Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”
19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them.
20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so.
21 Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.
22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”
23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”
24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace.
Ruth 2:14-23: 14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over.
15 When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
16 And let fall some of the bundles for her, and leave them for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.
18 And she took it up and went into the city.
19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”
20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”
21 And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’”
22 And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.”
23 So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
1 Samuel 1:1-20: 1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.
2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord.
4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.
5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.
6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.
7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.
8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.
11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.
13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.
14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.”
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.”
17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”
18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
1 Samuel 17:12-20: 12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul, the man was already old and advanced in years.
13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul.
15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.
17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers.
18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.
19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry.
Ezekiel 45:10-12: 10 You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath.
11 The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, the bath containing one tenth of a homer, and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the homer shall be the standard measure.
12 The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina.
Rev. François Dupont is a dedicated church minister with a wealth of experience in serving spiritual communities. With a calm and serene demeanor, he has been devoted to sharing the message of love, compassion, and tolerance for over two decades. Through his thoughtful sermons, compassionate counseling, and unwavering support, Rev. Dupont has touched the lives of countless individuals, allowing them to find solace and strength during difficult times. His serene presence and deep understanding of the human condition make him a trusted guide for those seeking spiritual nourishment and guidance.