Gematria is a method of interpreting words by adding up the numerical values of their letters, most closely associated with the Hebrew alphabet and Jewish tradition. Words or phrases with the same total are thought to be meaningfully connected. It appears in rabbinic literature and became especially important in medieval Kabbalah, and similar systems existed in Greek and Arabic.
Gematria at a glance
| Tradition | Jewish interpretation, especially Kabbalah |
|---|---|
| Standard method | Mispar hechrechi: values 1-9, 10-90 and 100-400 for the 22 letters |
| Word origin | Probably from Greek geometria |
| Greek equivalent | Isopsephy |
| Famous example | Chai (life) = 18 |
| Early parallel | Inscription of Sargon II (8th century BCE) based on name value |
How gematria works
In Hebrew, as in Greek, letters also served as numerals. The standard method, called mispar hechrechi, assigns the values 1 to 9 to the first nine letters, 10 to 90 to the next nine, and 100 to 400 to the last four. A word's value is the sum of its letters. For example, the word chai, "life," is written with the letters chet (8) and yod (10), giving 18. For this reason 18 is a popular number in Jewish culture, and gifts are often given in multiples of 18.
Many further methods developed over time. Some give the final forms of five letters higher values, from 500 to 900; others use only the last digit of each value, square the values, or count the letters of their spelled-out names. Related techniques include notarikon, reading words as acronyms, and temurah, systematic letter substitution such as the atbash cipher.
Origins
The practice of linking names and numbers is ancient. The Assyrian king Sargon II (8th century BCE) stated that he built the wall of his city 16,283 cubits long to match the numerical value of his name. In the Greek world, isopsephy ("equal pebbles") compared words of equal value; it was known by the first centuries CE and appears in graffiti at Pompeii. Aristotle's criticisms of Pythagorean number speculation show how old such ideas were (see Pythagoreanism).
The name gematria is usually traced to the Greek geometria, though other derivations have been proposed. Hebrew letters used as numerals appear on coins from the first century BCE, and the rabbinic sources of late antiquity show gematria as an established interpretive technique.
Gematria in rabbinic literature
Gematria is listed among the traditional rules for interpreting scripture, although rabbis generally treated it as a secondary tool, used to support or illustrate a teaching rather than to establish law. A famous Talmudic example concerns Genesis 14:14, where Abraham rescues his nephew with 318 trained men. One interpretation noted that the name of Abraham's servant Eliezer has the value 318, suggesting that Abraham was helped by Eliezer alone.
Medieval commentators used gematria widely, especially the German Jewish pietists known as the Hasidei Ashkenaz. Britannica notes a well-known example linking the ladder (sulam) of Jacob's dream with Mount Sinai (Sinai), both equal to 130, to suggest that the revelation at Sinai was a ladder between heaven and earth.
In Kabbalah and Western esotericism
In Kabbalah, where the Hebrew letters are regarded as the building blocks of creation, gematria became a way to explore hidden connections between divine names, words and concepts. Christian Kabbalists of the Renaissance adopted it, and it passed into Western occultism through writers such as Cornelius Agrippa and later the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Aleister Crowley's Sepher Sephiroth is essentially a dictionary of Hebrew words arranged by value.
Greek isopsephy also shaped esoteric names. The Gnostic name Abraxas has a value of 365 in Greek, matching the days of the year. Most historians also read the "number of the beast," 666, in the Book of Revelation as a form of this practice: the Greek name "Nero Caesar" written in Hebrew letters totals 666, and a variant spelling gives 616, a reading found in some ancient manuscripts.
Modern use and critical view
Gematria remains part of Jewish culture, from traditional study to popular customs around the number 18. Modern systems apply similar methods to English and other alphabets, but these have no historical basis in the Hebrew tradition and are closer to numerology.
Critics, including some medieval rabbis, have warned that gematria can be used to "prove" almost anything. Because there are many methods and very many words, matching values are bound to occur by chance. Mathematicians made a similar point in the 1990s against claims of a "Bible code," which used a different technique of letter sequences: comparable patterns can be found in any long text. Traditional users generally treat gematria as a devotional and interpretive art that reveals possible connections, not as proof of hidden messages. In that spirit, many teachers compare it to wordplay or poetry: a way of deepening reflection on a text rather than a key that unlocks secret predictions.
Related entries
Frequently asked questions
Why is the number 18 lucky in Judaism?
In gematria the Hebrew word chai, meaning life, is spelled with the letters chet and yod, worth 8 and 10, giving a total of 18. Because of this link to life, Jewish people often give charitable donations and gifts in multiples of 18, and chai jewelry is a common symbol.
What is the difference between gematria and numerology?
Gematria is a traditional method of interpreting Hebrew words by their letter values, used in rabbinic literature and Kabbalah to connect words and texts. Modern numerology usually reduces names and birth dates to single digits to describe personality or destiny. Numerology borrows some ideas from gematria and Pythagorean thought but developed separately.
Is 666 in Revelation an example of gematria?
Most historians think so. The Greek name Nero Caesar, written in Hebrew letters as Neron Qesar, adds up to 666, and the spelling without the final n gives 616, a variant found in some ancient manuscripts. This suggests the number was a coded reference to the emperor Nero, who persecuted Christians.
Sources and further reading
This entry replaces an article from the original Mystica encyclopedia (online since 2001). It was rewritten from the sources above by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.