Hebrew Gematria in Scripture
Every Hebrew letter has a numeric value. Explore how these values create meaningful connections between words and passages in the Old Testament. Calculate gematria values, find words with matching sums, and study the numeric layer of the Hebrew text.
What is Gematria?
Gematria is the ancient practice of assigning numeric values to Hebrew letters and calculating the numeric sum of words. In the Hebrew alphabet, Aleph equals 1, Bet equals 2, and so on through Tav (400). When you add up the letter values in a Hebrew word, you get its gematria value. Words that share the same numeric value are considered to have a hidden connection.
This is not modern numerology or mysticism -- it is a feature built into the Hebrew language itself. The Hebrew alphabet served as both letters and numbers (there were no separate number symbols in ancient Hebrew). Ancient Jewish scribes, rabbis, and scholars recognized and commented on gematria patterns throughout the scriptures. The practice appears in the Talmud, Midrash, and across centuries of Jewish biblical commentary.
For example, the Hebrew word 'chai' (life) has a gematria value of 18, which is why the number 18 is significant in Jewish tradition. The word 'ahavah' (love) and 'echad' (one/unity) both equal 13, suggesting a deep connection between love and unity. These numeric correspondences add a layer of meaning that exists in the Hebrew text but is invisible in English translation.
Gospel Daily's Gematria tool lets you calculate the gematria value of any Hebrew word, find all other Hebrew words in scripture with the same value, and explore numeric patterns across the Old Testament. The tool connects directly to the Interlinear Reader and Etymology Explorer, so you can move seamlessly between numeric, linguistic, and contextual study.
How It Works
Enter a Hebrew word or browse
Type a Hebrew word to calculate its gematria value, or browse the Hebrew alphabet to learn each letter's numeric assignment.
Find matching words
See all other Hebrew scripture words that share the same gematria value, revealing potential thematic connections between terms.
Explore in context
Click any word to see its occurrences in scripture, read the full verse text, and explore related etymology and Strong's concordance entries.
Key Features
Hebrew Alphabet Reference
All 22 Hebrew letters with their names, modern and ancient forms, numeric values, and pictographic origins.
Word Value Calculator
Calculate the gematria value of any Hebrew word and instantly find all scripture words with matching numeric sums.
Scripture Integration
Every gematria result links directly to the verse text, Strong's concordance entry, and the Interlinear Reader for full context.
Pattern Discovery
Explore notable gematria patterns across the Old Testament that have been recognized by scholars and commentators throughout history.
Calculate gematria values and discover numeric connections. Here's what happens when you explore the Hebrew word for love:
אהבה (Ahavah) — Love
Aleph(1) + Hei(5) + Bet(2) + Hei(5) = 13 Shares the value of אחד (Echad, "one/unity"). When two loves unite (13+13=26), they equal יהוה (YHVH), the name of God.
Matching gematria value (13):
אחד (Echad) — One, unity From the Shema: "The LORD is one." The numeric equality suggests God's oneness and love are spiritually linked.
יהוה (YHVH) — The LORD
Yod(10) + Hei(5) + Vav(6) + Hei(5) = 26 The sacred four-letter name of God. Its value equals two instances of love (13+13), reflecting how divine love binds all creation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is gematria in the Bible?
Gematria is the practice of assigning numeric values to Hebrew letters and calculating the sum of letters in a word. Since Hebrew letters doubled as numbers in the ancient world, this numeric layer is built into the language of the Old Testament. Rabbinical scholars have studied gematria connections in scripture for over two thousand years.
Is gematria the same as numerology?
No. Gematria is a feature of the Hebrew language itself -- Hebrew letters have fixed numeric values because they served as the ancient number system. It is a scholarly and linguistic tool for studying the Hebrew text. Modern numerology is a separate, unrelated practice that assigns arbitrary meanings to numbers.
What is the gematria value of a Hebrew word?
The gematria value is the sum of the numeric values of each letter in the word. For example, Aleph=1, Bet=2, Gimel=3, and so on. The word 'shalom' (peace) has a gematria value of 376 (Shin=300, Lamed=30, Vav=6, Mem=40). Gospel Daily calculates this automatically for any Hebrew word.
Can gematria be applied to the New Testament?
Gematria applies specifically to Hebrew text, so it is most directly relevant to the Old Testament. However, studying gematria values of Hebrew words that have equivalents in the New Testament (such as 'shalom' for 'peace' or 'hesed' for 'lovingkindness') can enrich understanding of those concepts across both testaments.
What are some famous gematria connections in the Bible?
The Hebrew word 'chai' (life) equals 18, making it a significant number in Jewish tradition. 'Ahavah' (love) and 'echad' (one) both equal 13. The name 'David' equals 14, which may explain the three sets of 14 generations in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. Revelation 13:18 references 666, the 'number of the beast,' which scholars have connected through gematria to various historical figures.
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