---
title: זֶרֶת — span · The Tanakh dictionary
description: זֶרֶת (2239), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 7 times: span. BDB 1906: n.f. span. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# זֶרֶת

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«זֶרֶת» in the Tanakh dictionary: **span** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 7 times · **Key:** 2239 · **BDB:** זֶ֫רֶת

### Glosses

a.span (3); \[will.be\].a.span (2); \[was\].a.span (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

span [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1494/2239/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. span [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1494/2239/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. span (NH id. (𝔗 זַרְתָּא, Syriac ܙܰܪܬܳܐ; appar. from Heb.), etym. dub.; Thes and most der. from √ זרה, vid. Ol§ 146 b but also Sta§ 187 a; Ba ZMG 1887, 607 proposes √ זרה measure off, determine, cf. p. 280)—span, as standard of measurement, שָׁמַיִם בַּז׳ תִּכֵּן Is 40:12; elsewhere of actual size, a span, distance between ends of thumb and little finger of spread hand; = ½ cubit (v. אַמָּה \& reff.; cf. Ex 25:10 with JosephAnt. iii. 6, 5), ז׳ Ex 28:16(×2); 39:9(×2) (all P) Ez 43:13; זָ֑רֶת 1 S 17:4 six cubits and a span. Vid. Hultsch Metrol. 1882, 443 BenzArchäol 179.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 5 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (1 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «זֶרֶת» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1494/2239/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Exodus 28:16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO.28.16/)

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רָב֥וּעַ יִֽהְיֶ֖ה כָּפ֑וּל זֶ֥רֶת אָרְכּ֖וֹ וְזֶ֥רֶת רָחְבּֽוֹ׃

*Word for word:* square it.will.be folded.double \[will.be\].a.span length its and \[will.be\].a.span breadth its

*JPS 1917:* Four-square it shall be and double: a span shall be the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof.

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[Exodus 39:9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO.39.9/)

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רָב֧וּעַ הָיָ֛ה כָּפ֖וּל עָשׂ֣וּ אֶת־הַחֹ֑שֶׁן זֶ֧רֶת אָרְכּ֛וֹ וְזֶ֥רֶת רָחְבּ֖וֹ כָּפֽוּל׃

*Word for word:* square it.was folded.double they.made (et) the breastpiece \[was\].a.span length its and.\[was\] a.span breadth its folded.double

*JPS 1917:* It was four-square; they made the breastplate double; a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being double.

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