How gematria works

Gematria is a numerological system with its roots in Hebrew and Greek where words are assigned a numerical value based on their spelling. This numerical value can then be used to analyze the deeper, hidden meaning of texts, from sacred religious writings to contemporary political rhetoric.

In Hebrew, the numerical values of words are found by assigning each letter of the alphabet a numerical equivalent. By adding up all of these values, the total numerical value of the word is obtained. This method of assigning a number to every word applies not only to Hebrew words but also to Aramaic and Greek. For example, the Hebrew word for "peace" has a numerical value of 358—the sum of the numbers assigned to each letter in the alphabet (23+8+300+27).

The practice of gematria dates back centuries in Jewish tradition, where it has long been used as an interpretive tool for understanding sacred texts. Gematria seeks to reveal hidden truths behind passages that may otherwise appear ambiguous or difficult to decipher. It does this by finding words in one text that have a correspondence in another based on their numerical values—this is called an impediment or homily cipher. For example, if two words have different meanings but share the same numerical equivalent (e.g., "god" = 8 and "sin" = 8), this could indicate a deeper meaning relating them together.

Gematria can also help reveal more practical messages in everyday speech and writing as well. By looking for hidden correspondences between two disparate subjects that have similar numerical values can help uncover hidden information which may impact decisions and opinions around them (i.e., political issues). Even celebrities and world leaders have been known to use subtleties gleaned from gematria as part of their communication strategies!

See more about gematria decoder