H6187 — עֵרֶךְ (ʻerek)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H6187
Original: עֵרֶךְ
Transliteration: ʻerek
Pronunciation: eh'-rek
Part of Speech: Masculine noun
Root: H6186 עָרַךְ (ʻarak) — "to arrange, set in order, set in a row, estimate, compare"
Occurrences: 35 tokens across 29 unique verses in 7 OT books
First Occurrence: Exo 40:4 — "set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From H6186 (ʻarak, "to arrange"); a pile, equipment, estimate, arrangement, valuation. Used for (1) things "set in order" (showbread, tabernacle furniture), (2) the fixed monetary valuation of persons, animals, houses, and fields dedicated to YHWH by vow, (3) a taxation/levy imposed by a ruler, (4) a stated price or proportion, and (5) rank/equal (one "of one's arrangement"). Translated in KJV as estimation, valuation, price, taxation, order, proportion, suit, equal.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation (grouped)	Verses	%
estimation / thy estimation / thine estimation / thy estimations	23	79.3%
(things) set in order / in order	2	6.9%
taxation / is set at	2	6.9%
price / proportion / equal / suit / valuest / that	6	~20% of tokens

(Some verses contain multiple tokens; 29 unique verses, 35 total occurrences.)

Note: the "estimation" cluster is overwhelmingly concentrated in Lev 27 and in the reparation-offering rubric of Lev 5–6. Forms with mishpaṭ hasheqel haqodesh ("the shekel of the sanctuary") predominate.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Leviticus	20	2.3
2 Kings	2	0.3
Exodus	2	0.2
Job	2	0.2
Judges	1	0.2
Numbers	1	0.1
Psalms	1	0.0

Pattern: Leviticus accounts for 20 of 29 verses (69%). All 20 Leviticus occurrences fall in two priestly-legal clusters: the reparation-offering rubric (Lev 5:15, 18; 6:6) and the vow-redemption tariff (Lev 27:2–27). The word is absent from the prophets, Proverbs, and almost all narrative except a few ritual-adjacent moments (Exo 40 showbread; Num 18 firstborn redemption; Jdg 17 Levite's wage; 2 Kgs 12 and 23 temple treasury).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Priestly Valuation / Monetary Estimate for a Vowed Person¶

The signature use: the priest assigns a fixed silver equivalent to a person devoted by vow, so the vow can be discharged without physical dedication. This is the "redemption tariff."

Lev 27:2 — "When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons [shall be] for the LORD by thy estimation (ʻerek)."
Lev 27:3 — "thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old... fifty shekels of silver."
Lev 27:4 — "And if it [be] a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels."
Lev 27:8 — "But if he be poorer than thy estimation, then he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to his ability that vowed shall the priest value him."

2. Valuation of Vowed Property (animals, houses, fields)¶

The same mechanism extends to non-human dedications, with an added 20% surcharge if the owner redeems them back.

Lev 27:13 — "But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth [part] thereof unto thy estimation."
Lev 27:16 — "thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof: an homer of barley seed [shall be valued] at fifty shekels of silver."
Lev 27:19 — "if he that sanctified the field will in any wise redeem it, then he shall add the fifth [part]... unto thy estimation."
Lev 27:27 — "if [it be] of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem [it] according to thine estimation."

3. Fixed Silver Reparation in the Trespass Offering¶

The guilty party brings a ram "with thy estimation" — a silver penalty calibrated by the priest for profaning holy things.

Lev 5:15 — "he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish... with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary."
Lev 5:18 — "he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering."
Lev 6:6 — "he shall bring his trespass offering... a ram without blemish... with thy estimation."

4. Redemption-Price Standard (firstborn, sanctuary shekel)¶

A fixed benchmark of five sanctuary shekels buys back a firstborn son; the sanctuary shekel of 20 gerahs is the universal metric.

Num 18:16 — "those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels."
Lev 27:25 — "all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel."

5. Civil Taxation / Assessed Levy¶

Outside the sanctuary, ʻerek denotes an assessed amount — a tax, levy, or stipulated wage.

2 Kgs 12:4 — "all the money that every man is set at (ʻerek)" — temple revenue.
2 Kgs 23:35 — "he exacted the silver and the gold... of every one according to his taxation (ʻerek)" — Jehoiakim's tribute levy.
Jdg 17:10 — "I will give thee ten [shekels] of silver by the year, and a suit (ʻerek) of apparel" — a stipulated yearly allowance.

6. "Things Set in Order" (Arrangement, Row, Array)¶

The concrete sense closest to the root verb H6186: objects placed in sequence, specifically the showbread and tabernacle furniture.

Exo 40:4 — "set in order (ʻerek) the things that are to be set in order upon it."
Exo 40:23 — "he set the bread in order (ʻerek) upon it before the LORD."

7. Comparison / Equal / Worth¶

A figurative outgrowth: something of comparable rank, worth, or proportion.

Psa 55:13 — "a man mine equal (ʻerek), my guide, and mine acquaintance."
Job 28:13 — "Man knoweth not the price (ʻerek) thereof."
Job 41:12 — "nor his comely proportion (ʻerek)."

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
כֶּסֶף keseph (silver, money)	H3701	11x (38%)	"silver of thy estimation," "shekels of silver"
שֶׁקֶל sheqel	H8255	9x (31%)	"after the shekel of the sanctuary"
כֹּהֵן kohen (priest)	H3548	8x (28%)	"the priest shall value him... according to thy estimation"
יְהֹוָה YHWH	H3068	7x (24%)	vow is "for the LORD by thy estimation"
שָׁנֶה shaneh (year)	H8141	7x (24%)	age-bracketed tariff ("from twenty years old even unto sixty")
בֵּן ben (son / age-X-old)	H1121	6x (21%)	"ben-X shanim" ("X years old") with age-graded valuation
קֹדֶשׁ qodesh (holy/sanctuary)	H6944	6x (21%)	"shekel of the sanctuary" — the canonical unit
עָרַךְ ʻarak (verb)	H6186	5x (17%)	cognate verb paired for assonance: "the priest shall value him according to thy valuation"
קָדַשׁ qadash (to sanctify)	H6942	5x (17%)	someone has "sanctified" the item, triggering a valuation
גָּאַל gaʼal (to redeem)	H1350	4x (14%)	redeemer pays the ʻerek plus a fifth to recover the vowed item
זָכָר zakar (male)	H2145	4x (14%)	male/female sex-based tariff split
חֲמִישִׁי chamishi (fifth)	H2549	4x (14%)	20% surcharge for redemption

Word Family / Cognates¶

H6186 עָרַךְ (ʻarak) — root verb: to arrange, set in order, estimate, compare (used alongside ʻerek in Lev 27:8, 12 — "the priest shall value him [ʻarak] according to thy valuation [ʻerek]").
H4634 מַעֲרָכָה (maʻarakhah) — a row, rank, army in battle array.
H4635 מַעֲרֶכֶת (maʻarekheth) — the row (of showbread).

Vow / Dedication Cluster¶

H5087 נָדַר (nadar) — to vow.
H5088 נֶדֶר (neder) — a vow.
H5071 נְדָבָה (nedavah) — freewill offering.
H2763 חָרַם (charam) — to devote to destruction (contrast: cherem items are explicitly NOT redeemable; Lev 27:28–29 — the key contrast with ʻerek items, which ARE redeemable).

Redemption Cluster¶

H1350 גָּאַל (gaʼal) — to redeem (kinsman-redeemer).
H6299 פָּדָה (padah) — to ransom, redeem (esp. firstborn).
H3724 כֹּפֶר (kopher) — ransom price, covering.

Synonyms¶

No direct synonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for H6187.

Antonyms¶

No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for H6187.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
מְחִיר mechir	H4242	"price"	mechir is the market/going price in a transaction; ʻerek is a priest-fixed sacral valuation.
דָּמִים damim	H1818	"price" (of blood/life)	damim is "blood-price," often vengeance/life-value; ʻerek is a ritual schedule.
כֹּפֶר kopher	H3724	ransom-covering	kopher frees from guilt or death (e.g. Exo 30:12); ʻerek discharges a vow.
מֶכֶס mekec	H4371	"tribute, tax"	mekec is a census-based tribute (Num 31); ʻerek when used of tax (2 Kgs 23:35) is an assessed per-head levy.
מַעֲרֶכֶת maʻarekheth	H4635	"row, order" (of bread)	maʻarekheth is the specific showbread-row item; ʻerek (Exo 40:4, 23) is the act of arranging.

Semantic Domains¶

UBS / Relationship Domains¶

[002004002005] Estimate — the core priestly-valuation field, matching ʻerek's dominant Leviticus usage.
[002002001001] Arrange — preserves the root sense of setting things in order, visible in the tabernacle/showbread passages.
[002004002003] Compare — supports the extended senses of relative worth, equality, and price.
[002001001042] Quantity — reflects the counted and measured tariff dimension of the valuation schedule.
[002001001048] Shape — a broad arrangement/form bucket returned by the tool, secondary to the estimate/arrange senses above.

LXX Mapping¶

Greek Equivalent	Strong's	Co-occ	PMI	Notes
τιμή (timē) — price, value, honor	G5092	17	7.89	Primary equivalent — used throughout Lev 27 LXX.
δίδραχμον (didrachmon) — double drachma	G1323	7	8.17	Renders the specific shekel-denominated amounts in the valuation tariff.
ἀργύριον (argyrion) — silver, money	G694	12	5.12	When ʻerek occurs with keseph, LXX often surfaces argyrion.
θῆλυς (thēlys) / ἄρρην (arrēn)	G2338 / G730	4 / 4	—	Co-occur with ʻerek in the male/female tariff splits of Lev 27:3–7.
ἁγιάζω (hagiazō) — sanctify	G37	5	4.75	The item is "sanctified" to YHWH, then valued.
λυτρόω (lytroō) — ransom, redeem	G3084	4	5.24	The act of redeeming the vowed item by paying the ʻerek.
ἄφεσις (aphesis) — release, Jubilee	G859	3	5.91	Appears in Lev 27's Jubilee-year calibration clauses.

Primary bridge: ʻerek → τιμή (G5092). The NT use of τιμή ("price" / "value" / "honor") — e.g. 1 Cor 6:20 "ye are bought with a price (τιμή)"; 1 Pet 1:18–19 "redeemed... not with corruptible things, as silver and gold... but with the precious blood of Christ" — draws part of its freight from this sanctuary-valuation vocabulary.

Semantic-Domain Note: Redemption of Vowed Persons¶

Lev 27:1–8 establishes the canonical Torah mechanism for discharging a vow that has devoted a person to YHWH:

The vow is valid and binding (Lev 27:2). A neder that names a person is real — the person is "for the LORD."
But the person is not to be literally offered. Instead the priest assigns a silver valuation (ʻerek) calibrated by age and sex (27:3–7): 50 shekels (adult male, 20–60), 30 (adult female), 20/10 (male/female 5–20), 5/3 (male/female month–5), 15/10 (60+).
Poverty clause (27:8): "if he be poorer than thy estimation, then he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to his ability that vowed shall the priest value him." The tariff is scaled to what the vower can actually pay — no one is excluded from the redemption off-ramp by poverty.
Only objects placed under cherem are non-redeemable (Lev 27:28–29). A standard person-vow (neder) is always an ʻerek case, never a cherem case, unless explicitly devoted under the stricter ban formula.
The category explicitly contemplates the scenario of Jdg 11 — a hastily-sworn person-vow. Torah's answer is: pay the priestly valuation. The silver discharges the vow; the person goes home.

The consistent collocations — kohen (priest), keseph (silver), sheqel haqodesh (sanctuary shekel), gaʼal (redeem), qadash (sanctify) — mark ʻerek as a sanctuary-mediated, priest-administered, silver-denominated, always-redeemable valuation. It is the Torah's built-in legal mechanism for converting a person-vow into a monetary offering.