{
  "id": "dict_002160",
  "term": "Gerah",
  "slug": "gerah",
  "letter": "G",
  "entry_type": "biblical_weight_and_money_unit",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A gerah was a small ancient Hebrew unit of weight and monetary value, defined in Scripture as one-twentieth of a shekel.",
  "simple_one_line": "A gerah was a small biblical weight and value unit, equal to 1/20 of a shekel.",
  "tooltip_text": "An ancient Hebrew weight and money unit; twenty gerahs equaled one shekel.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "shekel",
    "weights and measures",
    "sanctuary tax",
    "valuation",
    "honest scales"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Exodus 30:13",
    "Leviticus 27:25",
    "Numbers 3:47",
    "Numbers 18:16",
    "Ezekiel 45:12"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "A gerah was an ancient Hebrew unit of weight and valuation used in the Old Testament, especially as a fraction of the shekel.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Small ancient Hebrew weight and money unit; 20 gerahs = 1 shekel.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Used as a fractional unit in Israel's weight system",
    "appears in legal and sanctuary contexts",
    "Scripture explicitly sets the ratio of twenty gerahs to one shekel."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "A gerah was a small Hebrew unit tied to weights and monetary valuation in the Old Testament. It appears chiefly as a fraction of the shekel, and Scripture explicitly states that twenty gerahs equaled one shekel.",
  "description_academic_full": "A gerah was a small unit of weight in ancient Israel that also functioned in monetary valuation, since precious metals were commonly measured by weight. In the Old Testament, it is chiefly important as a fraction of the shekel, with Scripture explicitly stating that twenty gerahs made one shekel. The term appears in legal, sanctuary, and census-related contexts, so its significance is practical and administrative rather than doctrinal in the narrow sense. A careful dictionary entry should describe it as an ancient Hebrew weight and valuation unit without pressing beyond what the biblical data clearly supports.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Gerahs are mentioned in passages dealing with sanctuary valuation, vows, offerings, and ransom money. The clearest biblical statements define the gerah as a fixed fraction of the shekel, showing that Israel used a structured system of weights for covenant life and worship.",
  "background_historical_context": "Like other ancient Near Eastern societies, Israel used metal by weight as a standard way to measure value. The gerah belonged to that broader economic world and helped express smaller amounts within the shekel system.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Ancient Israelite and later Jewish usage treated the gerah as a practical subunit in legal and cultic valuation. Its importance lies in the precision it brought to sanctuary payments and other measured transactions.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Exodus 30:13",
    "Leviticus 27:25",
    "Numbers 3:47",
    "Numbers 18:16",
    "Ezekiel 45:12"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Exodus 38:26 (weight/valuation context)",
    "related shekel passages throughout the Torah and prophets"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew גֵּרָה (gerāh), used for a small weight or coin-value unit; the term reflects a measurement system based on weight rather than modern currency.",
  "theological_significance": "The gerah itself is not a major theological concept, but it reflects the biblical concern for honesty, precision, and ordered worship in financial and sacrificial matters. Its defined ratio to the shekel shows the care with which God ordered Israel's covenant life.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a unit of measure, the gerah illustrates how Scripture values exactness in ordinary matters. Biblical law often connects worship with concrete material standards, reminding readers that spiritual obedience includes practical integrity.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not confuse the gerah with a coin in the modern sense, since it functioned primarily as a weight unit and valuation standard. Also avoid assigning a modern gram equivalent as if Scripture itself specified one; ancient standards could vary by period and context.",
  "major_views_note": "There is little interpretive debate about the basic meaning of gerah. The main issue is historical calibration, not theology: the biblical text gives the ratio to the shekel, while modern exact weight estimates remain approximate.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "The gerah is a measurement term, not a doctrine. It should not be used to support speculative claims about numerology, hidden symbolism, or precise modern monetary calculations.",
  "practical_significance": "The gerah reminds readers that biblical faithfulness includes careful stewardship, honest weights, and attention to detail in worship and daily dealings.",
  "meta_description": "Gerah definition: an ancient Hebrew weight and money unit equal to one-twentieth of a shekel.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/gerah/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/gerah.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}