הִין (hin)
hin
hin
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 13 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun hin refers to a specific unit of liquid measurement in the Hebrew Bible, roughly equivalent to six liters or five gallons. It appears primarily in the legal and ritual texts of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, where it functions as a standard for quantifying offerings and temple supplies.
Lexical sources indicate that the term can denote both the abstract unit of volume and the physical vessel used to hold that amount. This dual usage is evident in passages describing the precise quantities of oil and wine required for grain offerings and libations, emphasizing the exactness demanded in worship practices.
The word highlights the structured nature of ancient Israelite religious life, where even mundane items like liquids were measured with care. By specifying a hin, the text underscores the importance of order and obedience in the covenant community’s rituals, rather than leaving such matters to arbitrary estimation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word hin identifies a specific measure used in ancient Israel, roughly equal to six liters or five gallons. You will find this term mostly in the detailed instructions for temple worship found in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. These passages list precise amounts of oil and wine needed for grain offerings and drink offerings. The text does not leave these quantities to chance; it specifies exact fractions of a hin for different animals, from lambs to bulls.
For your faith, this precision reminds us that God cares about the details of our lives. In a world that often values speed over accuracy, the biblical record shows that worship requires intentionality. When the Israelites brought their offerings, they had to measure carefully, showing respect for the holiness of God. This attention to detail reflects a heart that desires to obey and honor God with everything we have.
Today, this concept encourages us to bring our best efforts to our spiritual practices. Whether it is prayer, service, or giving, we are called to be faithful in the small things. The careful measurement of oil and wine points to a life ordered by reverence. We can find comfort in knowing that God values our sincere, deliberate devotion more than vague or careless gestures.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 13 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ hin14×
- and/ a hin of1×
- a hin1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/הִֽין\׃4×
- הַ/הִ֔ין3×
- הַ/הִ֖ין2×
- הַ/הִ֑ין2×
- וְ/הִ֥ין1×
- הַ/הִין֩1×
- הַ/הִ֣ין1×
- הַ/הִ֛ין1×
- הִֽין\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 29:40
and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering.
This verse establishes the standard ratio of oil and wine for the daily lamb offering, showing how the hin structured regular worship.
-
Leviticus 19:36
You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Here the hin is paired with the ephah in a command for honest trade, linking ritual measurement to everyday ethical integrity.
-
Numbers 15:4
then he who offers his offering shall offer to Yahweh a meal offering of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one fourth of a hin of oil.
This occurrence specifies the exact portion of oil required with flour, highlighting the consistency demanded across different types of offerings.