GERA gĭr’ ə (גֵּרָ֥א; LXX Γηρὰ̀; sojourner [?]). A favorite personal name among the people of the tribe of Benjamin from patriarchal times (Gen 46:21) until the time of the Exile (1 Chron 8:3-7). Although the name was used by the Phoenicians, it does not occur in the scriptural account of Israel outside the tribe of Benjamin. When the expression “the son of Gera” is applied to Ehud the Judge (Judg 3:15) and to Shimei, who cursed David during the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam 16:5; 19:16-18; 1 Kings 2:8), it is not clear whether this is meant to give the personal name of their respective fathers, or to identify them as members of the clan of Gera. The latter seems more likely, and is the view of the majority of scholars. Certainly most of the names in lists such as that in Genesis 46:21 refer to heads of clans, but strangely Gera is missing from the similar list in Numbers 26:38-41.