כֹּר (kor)
kor
kor
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun kor refers to a substantial unit of dry or liquid measurement, typically defined as ten ephahs or baths. This volume equates to roughly 220 liters for dry goods like grain, or about 263 liters for liquids such as oil or wine. It represents a significant quantity, far larger than the smaller ephah used in everyday market transactions.
Scripture employs this term primarily in administrative and royal contexts rather than daily life. In Ezra 7:22, King Artaxerxes orders that up to one hundred kors of wheat, wine, oil, and salt be provided for the temple, illustrating its use for large-scale provisioning. The word appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, both times highlighting the scale of resources managed by the Persian administration or returned to Jerusalem.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kor represents a massive volume of resources, far beyond what any single household would use. In the ancient world, such quantities signaled royal authority and large-scale administration. When we encounter this term in Scripture, it reminds us that God’s provision often operates on a grand scale, sustaining entire communities or nations rather than just individuals.
In Ezra 7:22, King Artaxerxes orders vast amounts of wheat, wine, oil, and salt for the temple. This shows how earthly kings could facilitate God’s work through their wealth and power. It encourages us to trust that God can mobilize significant resources when His purposes are at stake.
Whether we see this in historical records or apply it to our own lives, the kor points to abundance. It invites us to look beyond immediate needs and recognize the broader scope of God’s care for His people and His house.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- cors2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כֹּרִים֙1×
- כֹּרִ֣ין1×
Key Verses
-
II Chronicles 27:5
He also fought with the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against them. The children of Ammon gave him the same year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat, and ten thousand cors of barley. The children of Ammon also gave that much to him in the second year, and in the third.
This verse highlights the kor as a unit of tribute, showing how defeated nations provided massive quantities of grain to Jerusalem, emphasizing political submission and resource transfer.
-
Ezra 7:22
up to one hundred talents of silver, and to one hundred cors of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
Here the kor appears in a royal decree for temple supplies, illustrating how Persian authority supported religious restoration by providing standardized, large-scale provisions without restriction.