H1626 H1626
gerah, a small unit of weight equal to one-twentieth of a shekel
A technical term of measurement denoting the smallest standard weight in the Israelite system, defined consistently as one-twentieth of a shekel. It appears only in passages that formally define the shekel's value: the sanctuary tax instructions (Exod 30:13), redemption valuations (Lev 27:25; Num 3:47; 18:16), and Ezekiel's future temple standard (Ezek 45:12). The Assyrian cognate giru confirms its ancient Near Eastern currency roots. Translations across languages preserve the term as a loanword: Spanish 'gera,' French 'guera,' English 'gerah.'
Senses
1. sense 1 — A gerah, the smallest Israelite unit of weight, equaling one-twentieth of a shekel. All five occurrences appear in formal legal definitions of the shekel, whether for sanctuary contributions (Exod 30:13), Levitical redemption prices (Num 3:47; 18:16), or Ezekiel's visionary temple standards (Ezek 45:12). Cognate with Assyrian giru, it represents a standardized fraction retained as a loanword across Spanish ('gera'), French ('guera'), and English ('gerah'). 5×
AR["جيرَةً", "جِيرَةً"]·ben["গেরা"]·DE["[גרה]", "gerah", "gerahs"]·EN["gerah", "gerahs"]·FR["gerah", "gerahs", "guéra", "guéras"]·heb["גרה"]·HI["गेरा", "गेराह"]·ID["gera"]·IT["[גרה]", "gerah", "gerahs"]·jav["gera", "gerah", "gèrah", "gérah"]·KO["게라", "게라가"]·PT["gera", "gerah", "geras"]·RU["гер"]·ES["gera", "geras"]·SW["gera"]·TR["gera"]·urd["جیرہ", "گیرہ"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. גֵּרָה n.f. a weight, 20th part of shekel, gerah (Assyrian girû, ZehnpfundBAS i. 506)—גֵּרָה Ex 30:13 + 4 times—Only in definition of שֶׁקֶל, c. num. עֶשְׂרִים Ex 30:13; Lv 27:25; Nu 3:47; 18:16; Ez 45:12.