גֵּרָה
𐤂𐤓𐤄
gêrâh
H1625 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Edible regurgitated mass, especially of partially digested food, returned from the stomach to the mouth for further chewing by certain animals (primarily ruminants). In biblical Hebrew, specifically refers to the cud as chewed by animals considered clean or unclean in dietary law contexts. The semantic range centers on the biological act of chewing the cud, particularly as a criterion for animal classification in ritual law.
Semantic Range
cud (ruminant animal food mass); regurgitated food for chewing; physiological act of chewing the cud
Root / Etymology
Root: גָּרַר (garar), meaning 'to drag, pull, scrape.' The noun גֵּרָה (gêrâh) is derived from this root, denoting something drawn up or regurgitated (i.e., the cud), connecting the sense of regurgitation with the idea of scraping or dragging upward from within.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, גֵּרָה occurs only in Levitical and Deuteronomic legislation concerning dietary regulations. Animals that 'bring up the cud' (ma‘ălê gerâh) are distinguished from those that do not, serving as one qualification for ritually clean animals. The term refers strictly to animal physiology and is not used metaphorically or for humans in the biblical corpus. English 'cud' is an adequate translation, but may not capture the connotation of the act of 'bringing up' (as suggested by the root). In post-biblical Hebrew, the term is rare or absent, and later traditions sometimes expand the term's application, but not in the Hebrew Bible itself. The word is not to be confused with coin-weights (gerah, גרה/גֵרָה often pointed differently, H1626); clear distinction is observed in biblical usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from גָּרַר; the cud (as scraping the throat); cud.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גרר (g-r-r) — dragging, scraping, pulling
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1620 | גַּרְגַּר | round berries |
| H1621 | גַּרְגְּרוֹת | your throats |
| H1626 | גֵּרָה | scraped weight-unit |
| H1627 | גָּרוֹן | in their throat |
| H1641 | גָּרַר | forcibly dragged ones |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1625-01 |
גֵּרָ֖ה | gerah | HNcfsa |
the cud | regurgitated cud | 8 |
H1625-02 |
הַ/גֵּרָ֔ה | hagerah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the cud | the drawn-up cud | 2 |
H1625-03 |
וְ/גֵרָה֙ | vegerah | HC/Ncfsa |
and cud | regurgitated cud | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1625-01 |
Leviticus 11:3 | גֵּרָ֖ה | gerah | HNcfsa |
the cud | regurgitated cud |
H1625-02 |
Leviticus 11:4 | הַ/גֵּרָ֔ה | hagerah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the cud | the drawn-up cud |
H1625-01 |
Leviticus 11:4 | גֵרָ֜ה | gerah | HNcfsa |
cud | regurgitated cud |
H1625-01 |
Leviticus 11:5 | גֵרָה֙ | gerah | HNcfsa |
the cud | regurgitated cud |
H1625-01 |
Leviticus 11:6 | גֵּרָה֙ | gerah | HNcfsa |
the cud | regurgitated cud |
H1625-01 |
Leviticus 11:7 | גֵּרָ֣ה | gerah | HNcfsa |
cud | regurgitated cud |
H1625-03 |
Leviticus 11:26 | וְ/גֵרָה֙ | vegerah | HC/Ncfsa |
and cud | regurgitated cud |
H1625-01 |
Deuteronomy 14:6 | גֵּרָ֖ה | gerah | HNcfsa |
the cud | regurgitated cud |
H1625-02 |
Deuteronomy 14:7 | הַ/גֵּרָ֔ה | hagerah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the cud | the drawn-up cud |
H1625-01 |
Deuteronomy 14:7 | גֵרָ֣ה | gerah | HNcfsa |
cud | regurgitated cud |