Gematria (from the Greek geometria) is the practice of assigning numeric values to letters in a word or phrase, then analyzing the resulting number for meaning. It is not magic or superstition — it is a mathematical property of the Hebrew and Greek alphabets that was recognized and used by biblical authors.
How It Works: Hebrew
The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters, each assigned a numeric value:
- Aleph (א) through Tet (ט): 1-9
- Yod (י) through Tsade (צ): 10-90
- Qoph (ק) through Tav (ת): 100-400
To calculate a word's gematria, add the values of all its letters. Example: Shalom (שלום) = Shin(300) + Lamed(30) + Vav(6) + Mem(40) = 376.
How It Works: Greek
Greek isopsephy works the same way with 24 letters. Alpha=1 through Omega=800. Example: Iesous (Ἰησοῦς / Jesus) = 10+8+200+70+400+200 = 888.
Types of Gematria
- Standard (Mispar Hechrachi): The basic letter-value system above
- Ordinal (Mispar Siduri): Each letter = its position (Aleph=1, Bet=2... Tav=22)
- Reduced (Mispar Katan): Reduce all values to single digits
- Atbash: Substitute each letter with its mirror (first↔last)
Is Gematria Biblical?
Yes. The Bible uses it directly: Revelation 13:18 invites the reader to "calculate the number" of the beast (666). This is an explicit instruction to use gematria. The practice is embedded in Scripture itself.
Getting Started
Use our free Gematria Calculator to compute any Hebrew, Greek, or English word. Start with names from Scripture — you'll be amazed at what the numbers reveal.