cubit

The Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek that is translated as “cubit” or into a metric or imperial measurement in English is translated in Kutu, Kwere, and Nyamwezi as makono or “armlength.” Since a cubit is the measurement from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, one armlength (measured from the center of the chest to the fingertips) equals two cubits or roughly 1 meter. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In Klao it is converted into “hand spans” (app. 6 inches or 12 cm) and “finger spans” (app. 1 inch or 2 cm) (Source: Don Slager)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 40:11

Then he measured the breadth of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits: Next the man measured how wide the doorway of the gatehouse was. Ezekiel does not say whether it was the opening on the outer or inner side of the gatehouse, so we can probably assume that they were the same size. The opening, that is, the place where gates or doors would hang if there were any, was ten cubits, that is, 5 meters (17 feet), wide.

And the breadth of the gateway, thirteen cubits: The man also measured the breadth of the gateway, that is, the passageway that ran between the six small rooms. The passageway was thirteen cubits, that is, 6.5 meters (22 feet), wide. Thus the passageway was 1.5 meters (5 feet) wider than the openings at either end. There is no way of knowing whether the doorway between the porch and the passageway with the six small rooms (see Ezek 40.7) was the same width as the passageway or as the outer and inner openings.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .