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gerah

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An ancient Hebrew unit of weight equal to one-twentieth of a shekel, approximately 0.02 ounces or 0.57 grams; the smallest biblical weight measure.

Detailed Definition
The gerah, smallest Hebrew weight unit, measured one-twentieth shekel (about 0.57 grams or 0.02 ounces). Biblical texts establish gerah as fundamental subdivision—"the shekel is twenty gerahs." In poetry concerning biblical themes, minute quantities, or ancient measurement, gerah provides authentic scriptural terminology. The term evokes biblical precision, sacred text detail, and the careful specificity of ancient Hebrew measurement and law. Poets employed gerahs when treating biblical subjects requiring authentic detail or when emphasizing minuteness within scriptural contexts, adding depth through engagement with biblical measurement systems.
Example
Example in poetry:
In biblical poetry translations, "twenty gerahs to the shekel" maintains scriptural precision in temple measurements; Poetry engaging with Exodus might reference "each gerah counted, each fraction of the temple tax recorded in sacred text"; In verse exploring minuteness and precision, "the gerah—smallest biblical weight, yet carefully defined, nothing too small for divine attention"; Historical poetry about ancient Hebrew culture could describe "the money changer's tiny weights, gerahs on one side, coins on the other"; Modern religious poetry might invoke "from gerah to talent, all measures ordained—even accounting holds holy meaning"; Poets exploring attention to detail use "biblical scribes recorded every gerah—what we dismiss as minutiae, they saw as reverence."
Additional Notes
The gerah appears in biblical contexts as the smallest defined Hebrew weight unit—1/20 shekel or approximately 0.57 grams. Students should understand that biblical texts' attention to even tiny weights reflects sacred precision—nothing too small for divine specification. The term appears in Exodus 30:13 and Ezekiel 45:12 defining shekel subdivisions. Understanding Hebrew weight hierarchy (gerah < bekah < shekel < mina < talent) helps students grasp biblical measurement systems' coherence. In religious poetry engaging with biblical themes, maintaining "gerah" preserves scriptural language and connects to original Hebrew texts. The gerah can represent minute precision, divine attention to detail, or the principle that even smallest things matter in sacred contexts. Students should recognize that archaeological discoveries of ancient weight stones confirm biblical descriptions' accuracy, grounding abstract texts in material culture. Related terms include bekah (10 gerahs), shekel (20 gerahs), and talent, all biblical weights. For students translating or interpreting biblical poetry, understanding gerah and other Hebrew measures adds authenticity and demonstrates engagement with original cultural contexts rather than imposing modern measurements.
Also Known As
gera
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