And they took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and when they gone a little farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms.

1. They took soundings - they let down a line with a lead weight on it. They lower it until it hits bottom. They the measure the amount of line.

2. Some suggest that there is a special line with each fathom marked on the line so they know the depth at that point.

3. Plummet - The weight was a piece of steel about 18 pounds. They would often cover this in grease so when it hit bottom, they could tell if it was sand or rock.

4. Fathom - A fathom is the measurement of the span or a man's outstretched arms. This is about 6 feet. So they measured 20 fathoms - about 120 feet deep. Later, they measured again - 15 fathoms - 90 feet. They now know they are approaching land and shallow water.

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Old Testament