Lexical Summary gerah: gerahs Original Word: גֵּרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gerah From garar (as in gerah); properly, (like gargar) a kernel (round as if scraped), i.e. A gerah or small weight (and coin) -- gerah. see HEBREW garar see HEBREW gerah see HEBREW gargar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom garar Definition a gerah (one-twentieth of a shekel) NASB Translation gerahs (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. גֵּרָה noun feminine a weight, 20th part of shekel, gerah (Assyrian girû, ZehnpfBAS i. 506) — גֵּרָה Exodus 30:13 4t. — Only in definition of שֶׁקֶל, with number עֶשְׂרִים Exodus 30:13; Leviticus 27:25; Numbers 3:47; Numbers 18:16; Ezekiel 45:12. Topical Lexicon Monetary Scale in Israelite Covenant Life The gerah functioned as the smallest unit on the biblical scale of weight-currency. Twenty gerahs made one shekel, fifty shekels equaled one mina, and sixty minas formed a talent. Because the gerah stood at the bottom of that hierarchy, every larger religious or civil payment could be reduced to— and checked against— this base measure. Its modest size enabled even the poorest Israelite to participate in offerings required by God, preserving equity within the covenant community. Gerah in the Census Offering (Exodus 30:13) “This is what everyone who is numbered must give: half a shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel” (Exodus 30:13). Each man, rich or poor, paid an identical half-shekel (ten gerahs) at the census. The gerah therefore became the means by which national atonement money was standardized. No partiality was allowed; the fixed valuation underscored that every life bore equal worth before the Lord, and every life required the same ransom. Gerah and Valuation of Persons (Leviticus 27:25) When Israelites vowed persons, animals, or property to the sanctuary, valuations had to be reconciled “according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel” (Leviticus 27:25). By tethering all vows to the gerah standard, God safeguarded against emotional excess or fraudulent devaluation. The practice fostered integrity in worship: a promise offered to God had to be redeemed at the precise rate He prescribed. Gerah in Redemption of the Firstborn (Numbers 3:47; Numbers 18:16) For every firstborn male beyond the Levitical substitution, five shekels— one hundred gerahs— were paid to the priests. “Take five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel” (Numbers 3:47; cf. Numbers 18:16). By attaching redemption to the gerah, the Lord highlighted two realities: first, that every firstborn was His rightful possession from the Passover onward; second, that redemption was attainable and clearly specified. The quantified price anticipated the ultimate, incalculable redemption to be offered by Messiah. Prophetic Emphasis on Just Weights (Ezekiel 45:12) Ezekiel envisioned a restored worship economy in which “the shekel will weigh twenty gerahs” (Ezekiel 45:12). In a context denouncing extortionate leaders, the prophet’s reiteration of the gerah-shekel ratio called Israel back to covenantal justice. Right worship required right measurement; fraudulent scales desecrated the sanctuary as surely as foreign idols. Symbolic and Ministry Implications 1. Precision Reflects Holiness: The gerah testifies that God’s holiness embraces detail. Small things matter because He is exact in both judgment and mercy. Faithfulness in Stewardship The biblical economy taught that even the smallest unit belongs to God. Modern disciples apply the same principle to cents, minutes, and talents. Faithfulness in “little” proves faithfulness in much (Luke 16:10). The gerah thus instructs contemporary ministry to budget, record, and distribute resources with integrity that mirrors the Sanctuary standard. Christological Foreshadowing While a gerah could ransom a man numerically, only Christ ransoms eternally. The fixed redemption price in Numbers confronts the sinner with a debt he can calculate but cannot pay spiritually. That very tension readies the heart for “the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). In the economy of grace, the smallest coin becomes a witness to the greatest gift. Forms and Transliterations גֵּרָ֑ה גֵּרָ֖ה גֵּרָה֙ גרה gê·rāh geRah gêrāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 30:13 HEB: הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ עֶשְׂרִ֤ים גֵּרָה֙ הַשֶּׁ֔קֶל מַחֲצִ֣ית NAS: is twenty gerahs), half KJV: [is] twenty gerahs:) an half INT: of the sanctuary is twenty gerah shekel half Leviticus 27:25 Numbers 3:47 Numbers 18:16 Ezekiel 45:12 5 Occurrences |
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