Lexical Definition

‎זֶרֶת‎ zereth (zeh'-reth) span ^H:N-F
from ‎זָרָה‎

span.

• the spread of the fingers, i.e. a span

1) span
1a) a unit of measure, approx half-cubit, or the distance from the thumb to the little finger on an outstretched hand

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎זֶ֫רֶת‎ noun feminine span (Late Hebrew id. (ᵑ7 ‎זַרְתָּא‎, Syriac ; apparently from Hebrew), etymology dubious; Thes and most derive from √ ‎זרה‎, see Ol^{§ 146 b} but also Sta^{§ 187 a}; Ba^{ZMG 1887, 607} proposes √ ‎זרה‎ measure off, determine, compare p. 280) — span, as standard of measurement, ‎תִּכֵּן‎ ‎׳‎‎שָׁמַיִם בַּז‎ Isa 40:12 elsewhere of actual size, a span, distance between ends of thumb and little finger of spread hand; = 1/2 cubit (see ‎אַמָּה‎ & references; compare Exod 25:10 with Joseph^{Ant. «JOSEPHUS:Antiquities 3:6»iii. 6}, 5), ‎׳‎‎ז‎ Exod 28:16 (twice in verse); Exod 39:9 (twice in verse) (all P) Ezek 43:13 ‎זָ֑רֶת‎ 1Sam 17:4 six cubits and a span. See Hultsch^{Metrol. 1882, 443} Benz^{Archäol. 179}.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References