עֵ֫רֶךְ33 H6187
Valuation or assessed worth (priestly estimation); arrangement, row, or orderly set; a peer or equal in rank.
The Hebrew noun erekh fundamentally concerns ordering and assessment. In nearly all its occurrences it denotes the monetary valuation a priest sets on a person or animal dedicated to the LORD by vow, a graded scale spelled out in Leviticus 27. Spanish valuacion, French estimation, and German Schaetzung converge on the appraisal concept. But the root also carries an older spatial sense: objects arranged in a row, as with the showbread on the tabernacle table (Exod 40:23). A single poetic occurrence in Psalm 55:13 uses erekh to mean 'my equal' — a strikingly relational extension of a word rooted in measurement.
Senses
1. valuation, estimated worth — The monetary or ritual valuation set by the priest under the vow-and-dedication system of Leviticus 27 and related passages. With 28 occurrences, this overwhelmingly dominant sense designates the assessed worth of a person, animal, or property dedicated to the LORD, graded by age, sex, and economic capacity (Lev 27:2-8). Spanish valuacion, French estimation, and German Schaetzung all cluster around the appraisal concept. The phrase ke-erkekha ('according to your valuation') recurs as a formulaic marker, always pointing to the priest's authoritative assessment (Lev 5:15, 18; 6:6; Num 18:16). 28×
AR["بِ-تَقْوِيمِكَ", "تَقْوِيمُكَ", "تَقْوِيمِكَ", "كَ-تَقْوِيمِكَ"]·ben["তোমার-মূল্যায়ন", "তোমার-মূল্যায়ন,", "তোমার-মূল্যায়নে", "তোমার-মূল্যায়নে,", "তোমার-মূল্যায়নে।", "তোমার-মূল্যায়নের", "তোমার-মূল্যায়নের-অনুসারে", "তোমার-মূল্যায়নের।"]·DE["Schaetzung", "dein-Schaetzung", "durch-dein-Schaetzung", "gemaess-zu-dein-Schaetzung"]·EN["according-to-your-valuation", "by-your-valuation", "valuation", "your-valuation"]·FR["par-ton-estimation", "par-ton-valuation", "selon-ton-estimation", "ton-estimation", "valuation"]·heb["ב-ערך", "ב-ערכך", "כ-ערך", "ערך"]·HI["जैसे-तेरा-मूल्यांकन", "तेरा-मूल्यांकन", "तेरे-मूल्यांकन", "तेरे-मूल्यांकन-की", "तेरे-मूल्यांकन-में", "मूल्यांकन-तेरे-में"]·ID["atasnya", "dengan-nilaimu", "menurut-penilaianmu", "penilaianmu", "seperti-penilaian"]·IT["da-la-tua-stima", "da-tuo-stima", "la-tua-stima", "secondo-a-tuo-stima", "stima"]·jav["miturut-panajen-ira", "miturut-panajen-ira.", "miturut-regining", "panajen-ira", "panajen-ira."]·KO["너-의-값어치로", "네-값", "네-값에-따라", "네-값은", "네-값의", "네-값이"]·PT["como-tua-avaliação", "em-tua-avaliação", "tua-avaliação"]·RU["оценка-твоя", "оценки-твоей", "оценку-твою", "по-оценке-твоей"]·ES["conforme-a-tu-valuación", "según-tu-valuación", "según-valuación-tuya", "tu-valuación"]·SW["kama-thamani-yako", "kwa-tathmini-yako", "kwa-thamani-yako", "thamani-yako"]·TR["-de-değerinde", "-e-göre-değerin", "-e-göre-değerinin", "değerin", "değerinin", "değerlendirmene-göre"]·urd["تیرے-اندازے-کے-مطابق", "قیمت-تیری", "قیمت-تیرے", "قیمت-تیرے-مطابق", "قیمت-کے-مطابق-تیرے"]
2. arrangement, order, row — A physical arrangement, row, or orderly set of objects — the spatial sense from which the word's evaluative meaning likely derived. Only 4 occurrences survive: the showbread arranged in rows on the tabernacle table (Exod 40:4, 23), a complete suit of garments laid out for a Levite (Judg 17:10), and Job 41:12, where erekh describes the symmetry or bodily proportion of Leviathan. Spanish disposicion, French arrangement, and German Anordnung capture the spatial ordering. The connection to sense 1 is organic: to value something is to place it in its proper order or rank. 4×
AR["بِنْيَتِهِ.", "تَرْتِيبَ", "تَرْتِيبَهَا", "وَ-تَرْتِيبَ"]·ben["এবং-এক-জোড়া", "তার-গঠনের", "তার-সারি", "সারি"]·DE["[ערכו]", "arrangement-von", "sein-arrangement", "und-setzen-von"]·EN["and-set-of", "arrangement-of", "his-proportion", "its-arrangement"]·FR["arrangement-de", "et-placer-de", "son-arrangement", "son-ערכו-lui"]·heb["ו-ערך", "ערך", "ערכו"]·HI["उसकी-रचना-का", "उसकी-सजावट", "और-सेट", "कतार"]·ID["dan-setelan", "susunan", "susunannya"]·IT["arrangement-di", "e-porre-di", "his-proportion-suo", "suo-arrangement"]·jav["lan-seperangkat", "tataan", "tataanipun", "tatananipun."]·KO["그것-의-구조의", "그것의-정렬을", "그리고-한-벌", "정렬을"]·PT["disposição-de", "e-conjunto-de", "sua-disposição", "sua-estrutura."]·RU["и-комплект", "порядок-его", "ряд", "строения-его"]·ES["disposición-de", "su-disposición", "y-un-conjunto-de"]·SW["mpangilio-wa", "na-suti", "vitu-vyake", "wa-mpangilio-wake"]·TR["-düzenlemeyi", "düzeni", "düzenleme", "ve-takım"]·urd["اور-مجموعہ", "اُس-کے-بندوبست-کی", "ترتیب", "ترتیب-کے-اس"]
3. equal, equivalent person — A peer, equal, or person of comparable rank — an interpersonal extension appearing only in Psalm 55:13, where the psalmist laments betrayal by ke-erki, 'one like my equal,' a companion of the same standing. Spanish igual, French egal, and German Gleicher all render this with straightforward equivalence vocabulary. The leap from 'assessed worth' to 'one assessed as equal to me' is a natural metaphorical extension, making this rare sense a bridge between the word's quantitative and relational dimensions. 1×
AR["كَ-نَظيري"]·ben["সমান-আমার"]·DE["mein-equal"]·EN["my-equal"]·FR["comme-estimation"]·heb["כ-ערכי-"]·IT["[כערכי]"]·jav["mengsah"]·KO["나-와-같은"]·PT["de-minha-condição"]·RU["равный-мне"]·ES["como-mi-igual"]·SW["sawa-nami"]·TR["benim-gibi"]·urd["کَ-برابَر-میرے"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
עֵ֫רֶךְ33 n.m. Lv 27; 25 order, row, estimate;—cstr. ע׳ Ju 17:10; Ex 40:23; sf. עֶרְכִּי ψ 55:14, עֶרְכְּךָ Lv 5:15 +, etc.;— 1. order, row, ע׳ בְּגָדִים Ju 17:10 a (complete) suit of clothes (laid out in order), 𝔊B στολὴν ἱματίων; ע׳ לֶחֶם Ex 40:23 i.e. loaves arranged in a row, so ע׳ alone v 4 (P); עֶרְכּוֹ Jb 41:4 his symmetry (v. חִין sub חנן). 2. estimate, valuation, made by ordering,…