Biblical Gematria: Famous Examples from the Torah

Biblical gematria is the practice of applying numerical letter values to the Hebrew text of the Torah and related scriptures, looking for patterns, connections, and hidden layers of meaning. Unlike modern speculative gematria, biblical gematria has a long documented history in rabbinic literature and Kabbalistic commentary. This article walks through the most cited and best-established examples.

The Opening Verse: Genesis 1:1

Bereshit bara Elohim et ha-shamayim ve-et ha-aretz — "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." This seven-word verse has been the subject of gematric analysis for centuries. Its total Hebrew value is 2701.

What makes 2701 remarkable:

• 2701 = 37 × 73 — a product of two prime numbers
• 37 and 73 are mirror images of each other in decimal
• 2701 is the 73rd triangular number
• 73 is the gematria of the first word, Bereshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית), in a specific reduced calculation

Scholars who work with biblical gematria regard the structure of this number as evidence of intentional mathematical patterning in the composition of the text.

The Divine Names

Several of the names and titles of God in the Torah carry values that have been extensively studied:

• יהוה (YHWH, Tetragrammaton) = Yod(10)+He(5)+Vav(6)+He(5) = 26
• אלהים (Elohim) = Aleph(1)+Lamed(30)+He(5)+Yod(10)+Mem(40) = 86
• אדני (Adonai) = Aleph(1)+Dalet(4)+Nun(50)+Yod(10) = 65
• שדי (Shaddai) = Shin(300)+Dalet(4)+Yod(10) = 314

The value of Shaddai (314) has attracted attention because it closely matches the mathematical constant pi (π ≈ 3.14159…) — a connection that is striking even if almost certainly coincidental from a mathematical standpoint.

Key Words in Torah and Tradition

• חי (Chai, "life") = Chet(8)+Yod(10) = 18 — the most celebrated value in everyday Jewish life
• אמת (Emet, "truth") = Aleph(1)+Mem(40)+Tav(400) = 441 = 21² (a perfect square)
• שלום (Shalom, "peace") = Shin(300)+Lamed(30)+Vav(6)+Mem(40) = 376
• ישראל (Israel) = Yod(10)+Shin(300)+Resh(200)+Aleph(1)+Lamed(30) = 541 (the 100th prime number)
• תורה (Torah) = Tav(400)+Vav(6)+Resh(200)+He(5) = 611
• אדם (Adam) = Aleph(1)+Dalet(4)+Mem(40) = 45

The Shema and Its Value

The Shema — Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad ("Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One," Deuteronomy 6:4) — is the central declaration of Jewish faith. The gematria of its last two words, Adonai Echad (אֲדֹנָי אֶחָד), equals 65 + 13 = 78. The value 78 = 6 × 13, and 13 is the value of echad (one) — a numerical embedding of unity in the very declaration of oneness.

Elohim and Nature

As noted by generations of Kabbalists — and famously cited by Spinoza — Elohim (אלהים = 86) shares its gematria value with ha-teva (הַטֶּבַע, "the nature" = 86). This equivalence has been used to argue that the divine creative force and natural law are expressions of the same underlying reality.

Exploring the Text Yourself

These examples represent the most historically documented and widely discussed biblical gematria connections. They are a starting point, not an endpoint. The Gematria Guru calculator accepts Hebrew text directly — paste any verse or phrase to calculate its value and begin your own investigation. The Torah Gematria learning module provides additional context for how these techniques have been applied in traditional scholarship.