What is hebrew gematria?

hebrew gematria is a system of assigning numerical values to letters of the Hebrew alphabet. It originated in ancient Israel and is still used today to evaluate the meanings and interpretations of words in the Hebrew language.

At its core, it is a numeric code that allows the evaluation of words much like a cipher. The numerical value assigned to each letter creates a hidden meaning within its composition, a meaning that can be revealed when one understands the relationships between words and derived numerical values. Although similar systems exist in other languages, only Hebrew gematria applies to all texts written in Hebrew, including both modern and ancient texts.

The literal translation of gematria, from Greek to Hebrew, is "learned measurement". Thus, Hebrew gematria functions as both a form of evaluation and analysis aimed at extracting hidden meanings from texts as well as an educational tool for reading those texts correctly. In many cases, this system has been used as a way to interpret Biblical verses or otherwise gain insight from ancient scribal works.

Hebrew gematria uses several different methods for assigning numerical values to letters or words. One method assigns each letter with its corresponding number from 1-10, while another assigns each letter with its ordinal value (1st digit = tenths place; 2nd digit = units place). Additionally, certain combinations of two letters can provide their own numerical value (e.g., the combination of Mem and Hey equals 40). Some scholars even add additional levels of complexity by using alternate word spellings or applying more esoteric methods such as gematria lishonot (a reverse order approach) or permutation shapes (diamonds created by replacing sections of letters).