Furlong
“Stadium, a unit of length equal to 600 Greek feet”
Summary
A Greek measure of distance (stadion), approximately 606 feet, used in the New Testament to describe distances.
☩Measurement
The furlong (Greek: stadion) was a standard Greek unit of linear measurement, equal to 600 Greek feet or 100 orguiai (fathoms). This translates to approximately 606 feet 9 inches in English measurement, making it somewhat less than an English furlong, which is 660 feet. The term derives from the Greek word for a stadium, the standard length of a footrace course.
☩Biblical Usage
The furlong appears in several New Testament passages. Emmaus was 'threescore furlongs' (about seven miles) from Jerusalem (Luke 24:13). Bethany was 'fifteen furlongs' (about two miles) from Jerusalem (John 11:18). During the storm on Galilee, the disciples had rowed 'five and twenty or thirty furlongs' (John 6:19). In Revelation, prophetic distances are given in furlongs.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Furlong," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. III (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Furlong," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).