10262. A hin. That this signifies the amount sufficient for conjunction, is evident from the signification of a “hin,” which was a measure of liquids, here of oil, as being the amount sufficient for conjunction; for by “oil” is signified the Lord’s Divine celestial good, which is the very conjunctive of all in the heavens; hence by its measure is signified the amount sufficient for conjunction, and everything of conjunction. The Lord’s Divine celestial good is the very conjunctive of all, because it is the very being of the life of all; for it vivifies all things by means of the Divine truth that proceeds from this Divine good, and it vivifies them according to the quality of the reception. Angels are receptions, and so also are men; the truths and goods with them afford the quality according to which is effected the reception, thus the conjunction.

[2] Two measures are mentioned in the Word, which were in holy use, one for liquids, which was called the “hin,” the other for dry things, which was called the “ephah;” by the hin were measured oil and wine, and by the ephah, meal and fine flour; the measure hin, which was for oil and wine, was divided into four parts, but the measure ephah was divided into ten. The reason why the measure hin was divided into four, was that it might signify what is conjunctive, for “four” denotes conjunction; but that the measure ephah was divided into ten was that it might signify what is receptive, the quality whereof was marked by the numbers, for “ten” signifies much, all, and what is full. (That “four” denotes conjunction, see n. 8877, 9601, 9674, 10136, 10137; and that “ten” denotes much, all, and what is full, the same as a “hundred,” n. 1988, 3107, 4400, 4638, 8468, 8540, 9745, 10253)

[3] (That the measure “hin” was for oil and wine in the sacrifices, and that it was divided into four; but that the measure “ephah” was for meal and fine meal, which were for the meat-offering in the sacrifices, and that this was divided into ten, can be seen in Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 5:11; 23:13; Numbers 15:3-10; 28:5, 7, 14.) From all this it is evident that by a “hin” is signified the amount sufficient for conjunction, and by an “ephah” the amount sufficient for reception. Moreover, the oil conjoined the fine flour, and the flour received it, for in the meat-offering there were oil and fine flour.

[4] There were other measures besides, which were in common use both for dry things and for liquids; the dry measures were called the “homer” and the “omer,” and the liquid measures the “cor” and the “bath.” The homer contained ten ephahs, and the ephah ten omers; but the cor contained ten baths, and the bath ten lesser parts (concerning which see Exodus 16:36; Ezekiel 45:11, 13, 24).

[5] But in Ezekiel, where the new temple is treated of, there appears a different division of the ephah and the bath; the ephah and the bath not being there divided into ten, but into six; and the hin there corresponds to the ephah, as is plain in this prophet (Ezekiel 45:13-14, 24; 46:5, 7, 11, 14). The reason is that the subject there treated of is not celestial good and its conjunction, but spiritual good and its conjunction; and in the spiritual kingdom the corresponding numbers are twelve, six, and three, because by these numbers are signified all things, and when they are predicated of truths and goods, all things of truth and of good in the complex. (That these things are signified by “twelve,” see n. 3272, 3858, 3913, 7973; also by “six,” n. 3960, 7973, 8148, 10217; in like manner by “three,” by which is signified from beginning to end, thus what is full, and in respect to things, everything, n. 2788, 4495, 5159, 7715, 9825, 10127) That these numbers involve similar things is because the greater numbers have a like signification with the simple ones from which they arise by multiplication (see n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973).

[6] As by the “hin” is signified the amount sufficient for conjunction with spiritual truth also, therefore likewise for the meat-offering in the sacrifices from the ram, there was taken a third part of a hin of oil, and for the drink-offering a third part of wine (Numbers 15:6-7); for by the “ram” is signified spiritual good (n. 2830, 9991). From all this it is now again clearly evident that by the numbers mentioned in the Word are signified real things; otherwise to what purpose would have been so frequent a designation of quantity and measure by means of numbers in Moses, in Ezekiel, and elsewhere?

8468. An omer a head. That this signifies enough for everyone, is evident from the signification of “an omer,” as being sufficient (of which presently); and from the signification of “for a head,” as being for each one. That “an omer” denotes sufficient, is because it was the tenth part of an ephah, as is plain from the last verse of this chapter, and “ten” signifies what is full (see n. 3107); consequently “a tenth part” signifies what is sufficient, here for each one, that is, for a head. The “omer” is mentioned only in this chapter; but in other places, the “homer,” which was a measure containing ten ephahs, and consequently signified what is full; as in Hosea:

I purchased a woman, an adulteress, for fifteen pieces of silver, and a homer of barley, and a half homer of barley (3:1-2); where by “a woman an adulteress” is meant the house of Israel, in the spiritual sense the church there, the buying of which at a full price is signified by “fifteen pieces of silver and a homer of barley;” “fifteen pieces of silver” are predicated of truth, and “a homer of barley,” of good.

[2] In Ezekiel:

Ye shall have balances of justice, and an ephah of justice, and a bath of justice: the ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, to lift the tenth of a homer to a bath, and to the tenth of a homer the ephah; according to the homer shall be thy measure: this is the heave-offering that ye shall heave, the of an ephah from a homer of wheat, from a homer of barley: and the set portion of oil, the bath for oil, shall be the tenth of a bath out of the cor, ten baths a homer, for ten baths are a homer (45:10-11, 13-14).

The new earth and the new temple are here treated of, by which is signified the Lord’s spiritual kingdom. Everyone can see that there will not be a homer there, nor an ephah, nor a bath, nor a cor, neither will there be wheat, barley, or oil. Thus it is evident that by these things are signified such things as are in that kingdom, which plainly are spiritual things, thus things which have relation either to the good of charity or to the truth of faith. A “homer” is predicated of good, because it is the measure of wheat and of barley; in like manner an “ephah.” But a “bath” is predicated of truth, because it is a measure of wine; and as it is also a measure of oil, by which is signified the good of love, it is said that a bath shall be the same part of a homer as is an ephah, which denotes in the spiritual sense that all things in that kingdom shall have relation to good, and also that the truth there will be good, and that this shall be given in fullness, because by “a homer” is signified what is full.

[3] In Isaiah:

Many houses shall be in devastation, even great and beautiful, that there be no inhabitant, for ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield an ephah (5:9-10);

here “ten acres” denotes what is full, and also much, in like manner “a homer,” but “a bath” and “an ephah” denote few; for when “ten” denotes much, “a tenth part” denotes a few.

In Moses:

If a man shall sanctify unto Jehovah of the field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according to his sowing, the sowing of a homer of barley for fifty shekels of silver (Leviticus 27:16); where “the sowing of a homer,” and also “fifty shekels,” denote fullness of estimation. As “a homer” signifies what is full, “ten homers” signify what is too much and superfluous (Numbers 11:32).