Measure
In these linked locations, the word is χοινιξ (choinix), which is a unit for measuring dry volume.
It’s roughly equivalent to:
- 1 quart
- 1 litre
It was considered about one person’s ration of grain for one day. Roughly one of these would be enough to make one loaf or cake of bread.
In Revelation
The vision of the black horse in Revelation says that one denarius (about one day’s wage) would buy just one measure of wheat (enough for one loaf) and just three measures of barley (enough for three cakes). That’s shocking, because a denarius would normally buy between 8 and 16 times as much, depending on the location.
So it’s saying that food will cost a lot more, something that usually happens due to shortages or inflation. To put it into modern terms (2025), a denarius is about $20 USD (£15 GBP, €17 EUR, $28 CAD, $31 AUD, ¥3,000 JPY).
In other words, food costs 10 times more than normal.
- Wikipedia: Ancient Greek units of measurement