Overview
The gerah (Hebrew: ???) was a small unit of weight in the ancient Hebrew monetary system. It represented 1/20 of a shekel and was used primarily for weighing precious metals and calculating monetary values. This unit appears in biblical records related to temple contributions, sanctuary measurements, and commercial transactions.
Key Scriptures
"The shekel shall be twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, and fifteen shekels shall be your mina" (Ezekiel 4:10, NASB). "And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks" (Judges 8:26, KJV). "It is an abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight" (Proverbs 11:1, KJV).
Application
Understanding biblical weights and measures like the gerah helps us appreciate the precision and integrity God's people were called to maintain in commerce and worship.