6187. erek
Lexical Summary
erek: Value, estimation, order

Original Word: עֵרֶךְ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `erek
Pronunciation: eh'-rek
Phonetic Spelling: (eh'rek)
KJV: equal, estimation, (things that are set in) order, price, proportion, X set at, suit, taxation, X valuest
NASB: valuation, value, arrangement, assessment, equal, frame, suit
Word Origin: [from H6186 (עָרַך - To arrange)]

1. a pile, equipment, estimate

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
equal, estimation, things that are set in order, price, proportion, set at, suit, taxation,

From arak; a pile, equipment, estimate -- equal, estimation, (things that are set in) order, price, proportion, X set at, suit, taxation, X valuest.

see HEBREW arak

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from arak
Definition
an order, row, estimate
NASB Translation
arrangement (1), assessment (1), equal (1), frame (1), suit (1), valuation (25), value (2), what belongs (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
עֵ֫רֶךְ33 noun masculineLeviticus 27:25 order, row, estimate — construct ׳ע Judges 17:10; Exodus 40:23; suffix עֶרְכִּי Psalm 55:14, עֶרְכְּךָ Leviticus 5:15 +, etc.; —

1 order, row, בְּגָדִים ׳ע Judges 17:10 a (complete) suit of clothes (laid out in order), ᵐ5B στολὴν ἱματίων; לֶחֶם ׳ע Exodus 40:23 i.e. loaves arranged in a row, so ׳ע alone Exodus 40:4 (P); עֶרְכּוֺ Job 41:4 his symmetry (see חִין below חנן).

2 estimate, valuation, made by ordering, classifying: אִישׁ כְּעֶרְכּוֺ 2 Kings 23:35; in 2 Kings 12:5 read עֵרֶךְ (for ᵑ0 עוֺנֵּר) money of a man's valuation ᵐ5 Benz Kit, and probably strike out כֶּסֶף נַפְשׁוֺת עֶרְכּוֺ (?׳עֶרֶח נ ׳כ Kit) as gloss (StaZAW v (1885), 288 f.); כְּעֶרְכִּי Psalm 55:14 a man according to my valuation, figurative for my equal; elsewhere P, of priest's valuation of trespass-offering Leviticus 5:15,18; Leviticus 5:25, vows, and redemption-money Leviticus 27:2,3(twice in verse); Leviticus 27:4 17t. 27 (כֶּסֶף עֶרְכְּךָ see 15; Leviticus 27:19, מִכְסַת הָעֶרְכְּךָ Leviticus 27:23 [strike out ךְָ], compare Leviticus 27:23b [strike out id.]), Numbers 18:16. — Job 28:13 read דַּרְכָּהּ ᵐ5 Di and others

Topical Lexicon
Overview of Usage

The term occurs roughly thirty-three times across the Old Testament, orbiting two chief spheres: (1) the orderly arrangement of holy items, especially the Bread of the Presence, and (2) the official valuation of people, animals, or property dedicated to the LORD. A smaller cluster in Wisdom literature employs the word figuratively for “worth” or “price.”

Cultic and Liturgical Order

1 Chronicles 9:32 notes Levites “in charge of preparing the rows of the bread every Sabbath,” while 1 Chronicles 23:29 assigns priests to “the arrangement of the bread”. 2 Chronicles 13:11 adds that Judah’s priests “set out the rows of bread on the ceremonially clean table” morning and evening. These texts show that the sanctuary’s fellowship bread was never placed haphazardly; careful arrangement embodied reverence for God’s presence and mirrored His orderly character (compare Exodus 25:30; Leviticus 24:5–8, where the cognate verb is used).

Valuation in Vows and Offerings

Leviticus devotes a full section to the principle. In a guilt offering case, the offender must bring a ram “according to your valuation in silver” (Leviticus 5:15). The climax appears in Leviticus 27, where Moses gives a graduated scale for persons (verses 2–7), animals (verse 9), houses (verse 14), and fields (verses 16–25). Verse 8 guards equity: “If the one making the vow is too poor to pay the valuation, he shall appear before the priest, who will set the value according to what the one making the vow can afford.” Thus the concept served covenant justice—high enough to uphold God’s holiness, yet flexible to protect the vulnerable.

Expressions of Worth in Wisdom Literature

Job 28 treasures wisdom above every earthly commodity: “It cannot be valued in the land of the living” (Job 28:13). Later Job protests his innocence: “If I have consumed its produce without payment…” (Job 31:39), underscoring fair appraisal in economic dealings. Proverbs 3:15 (textual variant) and 10:20 echo the motif that true value transcends mere metal.

Historical-Social Background

In Israel’s agrarian society, fixed valuations stabilized the economics of worship. By attaching objective worth to persons or property, the priesthood prevented exploitative bargaining and ensured that sanctuary finances remained transparent. The identical term for the orderly “rows” of bread and the “valuation” of a vow suggests a worldview in which worship and everyday commerce were not separate silos but interlocking arenas governed by the same God of order.

Spiritual and Ministry Implications

1. Stewardship: Just as priests safeguarded both the bread’s arrangement and the treasuries, modern ministry must couple reverent worship with fiscal integrity.
2. Equality before God: The valuation tables recognized gender, age, and economic reality, yet every class had a path to fulfill a vow. James 2:1–7 echoes this impartiality in the church era.
3. Accountability: The fixed “worth” attached to pledges made vows a matter of measurable obedience, reminding believers that words carry weight (Ecclesiastes 5:4–6).

Christological Foreshadowing

The Bread of the Presence set in ordered rows anticipated the incarnate “bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:41). Likewise, the redemption-price logic of Leviticus 27 prefigures the ultimate valuation placed on humanity—“You were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20). Where Levitical tables calculated silver, Calvary set infinite worth on each soul.

Practical Application for Contemporary Believers

• Arrange worship with intentionality; beauty and order testify to God’s nature (1 Corinthians 14:40).
• Handle church finances transparently, reflecting the Levitical model of stated values.
• Evaluate personal vows—whether marriage, ministry, or stewardship—by the standard of faithfulness, not convenience.
• Prize divine wisdom above material appraisal, echoing Job’s conviction that true worth rests in the fear of the LORD (Job 28:28).

Forms and Transliterations
בְּעֶ֨רְכְּךָ֔ בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֛ בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ בְּעֶרְכֶּֽךָ׃ בְעֶרְכֶּ֔ךָ בערכך בערכך׃ הָֽעֶרְכְּךָ֔ הָעֶרְכְּךָ֙ הערכך וְעֵ֥רֶךְ וערך כְּעֶרְכְּךָ֖ כְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ כְּעֶרְכִּ֑י כְּעֶרְכּ֗וֹ כערכו כערכי כערכך מֵֽעֶרְכֶּ֔ךָ מֵֽעֶרְכֶּֽךָ׃ מערכך מערכך׃ עֵ֥רֶךְ עֶרְכְּךָ֔ עֶרְכְּךָ֖ עֶרְכְּךָ֗ עֶרְכְּךָ֙ עֶרְכְּךָ֛ עֶרְכֶּֽךָ׃ עֶרְכָּ֑הּ עֶרְכּ֑וֹ עֶרְכּֽוֹ׃ ערך ערכה ערכו ערכו׃ ערכך ערכך׃ ‘ê·reḵ ‘er·kāh ‘er·ke·ḵā ‘er·kə·ḵā ‘er·kōw ‘êreḵ ‘erkāh ‘erkeḵā ‘erkəḵā ‘erkōw bə‘erkeḵā bə‘erkəḵā ḇə‘erkeḵā bə·‘er·ke·ḵā bə·‘er·kə·ḵā ḇə·‘er·ke·ḵā beerkeCha Erech erKah erkeCha erKo hā‘erkəḵā hā·‘er·kə·ḵā haerkeCha kə‘erkəḵā kə‘erkî kə‘erkōw kə·‘er·kə·ḵā kə·‘er·kî kə·‘er·kōw keerkeCha keerKi keerKo mê‘erkeḵā mê·‘er·ke·ḵā meerKecha veErech veerKecha wə‘êreḵ wə·‘ê·reḵ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Exodus 40:4
HEB: וְעָרַכְתָּ֖ אֶת־ עֶרְכּ֑וֹ וְהֵבֵאתָ֙ אֶת־
NAS: and arrange what belongs on it; and you shall bring
KJV: and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring
INT: the table and arrange what shall bring the lampstand

Exodus 40:23
HEB: וַיַּעֲרֹ֥ךְ עָלָ֛יו עֵ֥רֶךְ לֶ֖חֶם לִפְנֵ֣י
NAS: He set the arrangement of bread
KJV: And he set the bread in order
INT: set and the arrangement of bread before

Leviticus 5:15
HEB: מִן־ הַצֹּ֗אן בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֛ כֶּֽסֶף־ שְׁקָלִ֥ים
NAS: from the flock, according to your valuation in silver
KJV: out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels
INT: against the flock to your valuation silver shekels

Leviticus 5:18
HEB: מִן־ הַצֹּ֛אן בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ לְאָשָׁ֖ם אֶל־
NAS: from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering.
KJV: out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering,
INT: from the flock to your valuation A guilt to

Leviticus 6:6
HEB: מִן־ הַצֹּ֛אן בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ לְאָשָׁ֖ם אֶל־
NAS: from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering,
KJV: out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering,
INT: from the flock to your valuation offering to

Leviticus 27:2
HEB: יַפְלִ֖א נֶ֑דֶר בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ נְפָשֹׁ֖ת לַֽיהוָֽה׃
NAS: vow, he [shall be valued] according to your valuation of persons
KJV: [shall be] for the LORD by thy estimation.
INT: makes vow to your valuation of persons to the LORD

Leviticus 27:3
HEB: וְהָיָ֤ה עֶרְכְּךָ֙ הַזָּכָ֔ר מִבֶּן֙
NAS: If your valuation is of the male
KJV: And thy estimation shall be of the male
INT: become your valuation the male old

Leviticus 27:3
HEB: שָׁנָ֑ה וְהָיָ֣ה עֶרְכְּךָ֗ חֲמִשִּׁ֛ים שֶׁ֥קֶל
NAS: old, then your valuation shall be fifty
KJV: old, even thy estimation shall be fifty
INT: years then your valuation shall be fifty shekels

Leviticus 27:4
HEB: הִ֑וא וְהָיָ֥ה עֶרְכְּךָ֖ שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָֽׁקֶל׃
NAS: it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty
KJV: And if it [be] a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty
INT: he then your valuation shall be thirty shekels

Leviticus 27:5
HEB: שָׁנָ֔ה וְהָיָ֧ה עֶרְכְּךָ֛ הַזָּכָ֖ר עֶשְׂרִ֣ים
NAS: old then your valuation for the male
KJV: old, then thy estimation shall be of the male
INT: years then your valuation the male shall be twenty

Leviticus 27:6
HEB: שָׁנִ֔ים וְהָיָ֤ה עֶרְכְּךָ֙ הַזָּכָ֔ר חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה
NAS: old, then your valuation shall be five
KJV: old, then thy estimation shall be of the male
INT: years then your valuation the male shall be five

Leviticus 27:6
HEB: כָּ֑סֶף וְלַנְּקֵבָ֣ה עֶרְכְּךָ֔ שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת שְׁקָלִ֖ים
NAS: and for the female your valuation shall be three
KJV: and for the female thy estimation [shall be] three
INT: of silver the female your valuation shall be three shekels

Leviticus 27:7
HEB: זָכָ֔ר וְהָיָ֣ה עֶרְכְּךָ֔ חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר
NAS: it is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen
KJV: if [it be] a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen
INT: male then your valuation fif teen

Leviticus 27:8
HEB: מָ֥ךְ הוּא֙ מֵֽעֶרְכֶּ֔ךָ וְהֶֽעֱמִידוֹ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י
NAS: than your valuation, then he shall be placed
KJV: But if he be poorer than thy estimation, then he shall present
INT: is poorer he your valuation shall be placed before

Leviticus 27:12
HEB: וּבֵ֣ין רָ֑ע כְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן כֵּ֥ן
NAS: as you, the priest, value it, so
KJV: bad: as thou valuest it, [who art] the priest,
INT: or bad value the priest so

Leviticus 27:13
HEB: חֲמִישִׁת֖וֹ עַל־ עֶרְכֶּֽךָ׃
NAS: one-fifth of it to your valuation.
KJV: a fifth [part] thereof unto thy estimation.
INT: one-fifth of to your valuation

Leviticus 27:15
HEB: חֲמִישִׁ֧ית כֶּֽסֶף־ עֶרְכְּךָ֛ עָלָ֖יו וְהָ֥יָה
NAS: one-fifth of your valuation price
KJV: [part] of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be his.
INT: one-fifth price of your valuation and become

Leviticus 27:16
HEB: לַֽיהוָ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה עֶרְכְּךָ֖ לְפִ֣י זַרְע֑וֹ
NAS: of his own property, then your valuation shall be proportionate
KJV: of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according
INT: to the LORD then your valuation shall be proportionate to the seed

Leviticus 27:17
HEB: יַקְדִּ֣ישׁ שָׂדֵ֑הוּ כְּעֶרְכְּךָ֖ יָקֽוּם׃
NAS: of jubilee, according to your valuation it shall stand.
KJV: of jubile, according to thy estimation it shall stand.
INT: consecrates his field to your valuation shall stand

Leviticus 27:18
HEB: הַיֹּבֵ֑ל וְנִגְרַ֖ע מֵֽעֶרְכֶּֽךָ׃
NAS: and it shall be deducted from your valuation.
KJV: and it shall be abated from thy estimation.
INT: of jubilee shall be deducted your valuation

Leviticus 27:19
HEB: חֲמִשִׁ֧ית כֶּֽסֶף־ עֶרְכְּךָ֛ עָלָ֖יו וְקָ֥ם
NAS: one-fifth of your valuation price
KJV: [part] of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be assured
INT: one-fifth price of your valuation unto may pass

Leviticus 27:23
HEB: אֵ֚ת מִכְסַ֣ת הָֽעֶרְכְּךָ֔ עַ֖ד שְׁנַ֣ת
NAS: for him the amount of your valuation up to the year
KJV: unto him the worth of thy estimation, [even] unto the year
INT: the priest the amount of your valuation up to the year

Leviticus 27:23
HEB: וְנָתַ֤ן אֶת־ הָעֶרְכְּךָ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא
NAS: give your valuation as holy
KJV: and he shall give thine estimation in that day,
INT: of jubilee give your valuation day as

Leviticus 27:25
HEB: וְכָל־ עֶרְכְּךָ֔ יִהְיֶ֖ה בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל
NAS: Every valuation of yours, moreover, shall be after the shekel
KJV: And all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel
INT: Every valuation shall be after the shekel

Leviticus 27:27
HEB: הַטְּמֵאָה֙ וּפָדָ֣ה בְעֶרְכֶּ֔ךָ וְיָסַ֥ף חֲמִשִׁת֖וֹ
NAS: then he shall redeem it according to your valuation and add
KJV: then he shall redeem [it] according to thine estimation, and shall add
INT: the unclean shall redeem to your valuation and add one-fifth

33 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6187
33 Occurrences


bə·‘er·kə·ḵā — 6 Occ.
‘ê·reḵ — 1 Occ.
‘er·kāh — 1 Occ.
‘er·kə·ḵā — 12 Occ.
‘er·kōw — 3 Occ.
hā·‘er·kə·ḵā — 2 Occ.
kə·‘er·kə·ḵā — 2 Occ.
kə·‘er·kî — 1 Occ.
kə·‘er·kōw — 1 Occ.
mê·‘er·ke·ḵā — 2 Occ.
wə·‘ê·reḵ — 1 Occ.
ḇə·‘er·ke·ḵā — 1 Occ.

6186b
Top of Page
Top of Page