H1625 H1625
Cud — regurgitated food chewed by ruminant animals, central to the Levitical clean/unclean distinction
The noun גֵּרָה (gerah) refers to the cud that ruminant animals bring up and rechew, appearing exclusively in the dietary legislation of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. The phrase 'chews the cud' (מַעֲלַת גֵּרָה) functions as one of the two criteria — along with split hooves — for determining whether a land animal is clean and permissible to eat. The camel, hare, and rock badger are singled out as animals that chew the cud but lack split hooves, while the pig has split hooves but does not chew the cud. This pairing of external and internal markers reflects a larger Priestly concern with wholeness and categorical purity. Spanish 'rumia,' Korean 새김질, Swahili 'cheuo.'
Senses
1. cud — Cud, the partly digested food that ruminant animals regurgitate and chew a second time. Used exclusively in the Mosaic dietary laws (Lev 11:3-7, 26; Deut 14:6-8) as one of two defining criteria for clean land animals. The formulaic phrase 'brings up the cud' (מַעֲלַת גֵּרָה) appears with each animal evaluated. Animals that chew cud but lack split hooves (camel, hare, rock badger) and those with split hooves that do not chew cud (pig) are all declared unclean. 11×
AR["الْ-جِرَّةَ", "الْجِرَّةَ", "جِرَّةً", "جِرَّةٍ", "وَ-جِرَّةً"]·ben["-জাবর-কাটা", "এবং-জাবর-কাটা", "এবং-থেকে-বিভক্তকারীদের", "জাবর", "জাবর-কাটা", "তারা-বিভক্ত-করে", "সে-ওঠায়"]·DE["cud", "der-cud", "und-cud"]·EN["and-cud", "cud", "the-cud"]·FR["et-ruminant", "le-ruminant", "ruminant"]·heb["גרה", "ה-גרה", "ו-גרה"]·HI["उगलता", "और-जुगाली", "और-से", "जुगाली", "जुगाली-के", "में-पशुओं"]·ID["biak", "dan-biak", "memamah-biak"]·IT["e-ruminare", "il-ruminare", "ruminare"]·jav["lan-ruminasi", "ruminasi", "rèmèn"]·KO["그-새김질을", "그-새김질의", "그리고-새김질을", "새김질을"]·PT["a-ruminação", "e-ruminação", "o-ruminado", "ruminado", "ruminação"]·RU["-жвачку", "жвачку", "и-жвачку"]·ES["bolo", "el-bolo", "la-rumia", "rumia", "y-bolo"]·SW["cheuo", "mcheo", "na-mcheo"]·TR["geviş", "gevişi", "ve-geviş"]·urd["-جگالی", "اور-جگالی", "جگالی"]
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)H6499 1. young bull, bullock (130×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. גֵּרָה n.f. cud (Arabic جِرَّةٌ, so called from sound of rumination?)—גֵּרָה Lv 11:3 + 10 times—cud, only in legislation of clean and unclean animals, and almost always c. (ֵי, ַת, ָה) מַעֲלֵה Lv 11:3, 4(×2), 5, 6, 26 (P) Dt 14:6, 7(×2); ג׳ יִגָּ֑ר (cf. גרר Niph.) Lv 11:7; Dt 14:8 has גֵּרָה without vb., but read there as Lv 11:7 (so Sam. 𝔊 Di).