Word Study for H4377 (מֶכֶר) | Strong's Concordance

meker /meh'-ker/ Ask about this word

Meaningmerchandise; also value

KJV usagepay, price, ware.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of meker — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word meker, represented by H4377, is derived from the root for "to sell" and denotes merchandise, value, pay, or price. It appears 3 times in 3 unique verses, showing its application in contexts of both commercial transactions and the appraisal of worth.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

H4377 is used to convey three distinct but related ideas. In Nehemiah, it refers to tangible goods, where men of Tyre brought "all manner of ware" to sell in Jerusalem on the Sabbath Nehemiah 13:16. In Numbers, it signifies payment for a resource, as the Israelites offered to pay for any water they or their cattle drank Numbers 20:19. Most significantly, in Proverbs, the term is used figuratively to describe immeasurable worth, stating that the price of a virtuous woman is "far above rubies" Proverbs 31:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of value and commerce:

H4376 mâkar (to sell): As the primitive root of meker, this verb defines the action of a transaction. It appears in contexts of selling people, like when Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery Genesis 37:28, or figuratively, when the LORD sold Israel to its enemies due to disobedience Judges 2:14.
H2428 chayil (virtue, valor, strength, wealth): This term is directly linked to meker in the description of the virtuous woman, whose price is high because of her virtue Proverbs 31:10. It highlights that value can be derived from character and strength, not just material goods.
H6443 pânîyn (ruby): This word for a precious jewel provides a standard of earthly value. The price H4377 of the virtuous woman is measured as being "above rubies," establishing a moral worth that exceeds material wealth Proverbs 31:10.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4377 is demonstrated in its specific applications:

The Value of Virtue: The use of meker in Proverbs 31:10 assigns a "price" to a person's character. By stating a virtuous woman's value is "far above rubies," Scripture elevates moral qualities over material wealth, presenting them as the ultimate measure of a person's worth.
Integrity in Transactions: In Numbers 20:19, Israel's offer to pay for water demonstrates a principle of righteous conduct. Even in a position of need, they commit to a fair exchange, respecting the property of others and fulfilling their commercial obligation.
Commerce and Sacred Boundaries: Nehemiah 13:16 places the selling of ware H4377 in direct conflict with the sanctity of the Sabbath. This illustrates a key theological principle: commercial enterprise and the pursuit of profit must be subordinate to divine law and holy observances.

Summary

In summary, H4377 meker functions as more than a simple commercial term. It spans from concrete ware sold in the marketplace to the pay offered in a transaction, and ultimately to the abstract price of a person's character. Through its limited but potent usage, the word illustrates how biblical thought applies concepts of value and exchange to teach profound truths about personal virtue, communal integrity, and the supremacy of faithfulness over worldly commerce.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

מִכְרָ
מֶכֶר

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Numbers, Nehemiah, and Proverbs (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

Numbers

Nehemiah

Proverbs

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.