Biblical mile

The biblical mile is the Roman mile of 1,000 paces, roughly 1.48 kilometers, cited in Matthew 5:41 as the distance a person may be compelled to carry a load.

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Matthew 5:41: A verse in the Sermon on the Mount that tells a person compelled to go one mile to go two. This verse is the biblical mile’s defining textual occurrence.
Roman mile: A Roman distance unit equal to 1,000 double paces, about 1.48 kilometers. The biblical mile is the Roman unit named in Matthew 5:41.
Roman Palestine: The territories of Palestine governed by Rome from the first century BCE onward. Roman administration forms the historical setting for Matthew’s reference to compelled travel.
Statute mile: A modern land-distance unit of 5,280 feet, or about 1.609 kilometers. It is longer than the Roman mile and should not be substituted for it.
Sermon on the Mount: A collection of Jesus’ teachings in Matthew chapters 5–7. The verse about going an extra mile belongs to this sermon.
Passus: A Roman measure of five Roman feet, counted as one double pace. One thousand passūs made a Roman mile.
Roman Empire: The state centered on Rome that governed territories around the Mediterranean and beyond. The mile was part of the empire’s shared system of measures.
Nautical mile: A unit of distance used in navigation, defined as 1,852 meters. Its maritime definition differs from the land-based Roman measure.
Roman military logistics: The systems used to supply, move, and maintain Roman forces. Roman soldiers’ authority to requisition assistance explains the verse’s setting.
Roman foot: A Roman unit of length measuring about 29.6 centimeters. The Roman foot underlies the standard estimate of a Roman mile.