What is Biblical numerology?
Biblical numerology is the study of numbers in the Bible. In the original Hebrew language, each letter also has a numerical value—a (aleph) is 1, b (beht) is 2, and so on. The study of the meaning behind these numbers is known as “gematria.” The original readers of the Hebrew text would have been familiar with the numerical symbolism in the Bible. Still, some scholars advise against putting too much emphasis on Biblical numerology, as it can start to veer toward divinity, or fortune-telling—which is expressly prohibited in the Bible.
The number 1 symbolizes unity and God’s supremacy.
In the Hebrew language, the number one is represented by the letter aleph, which is a picture of an ox. The letter is used to mean strength or leader—and in the Bible, it often represents God and the totality of His creation. Ephesians 4:4–6 says: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” In Revelation 22:13, Jesus says: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Some people also find spiritual significance in numbers like 111 and 11:11.
The number 2 represents unity or contrast.
It can symbolize two people coming together, like in a marriage—the Hebrew letter for 2 is beht, which often symbolizes a house or family. It can also symbolize duality, like when God separates light from darkness or the division of the Bible into the Old and New Testaments. God commanded Noah to bring pairs of animals onto the ark in Genesis 6:19: “You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.” According to Deuteronomy 19:15, at least two people are required to testify against a person accused of a crime: “One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. In Luke chapter 10, Jesus sent out 72 followers in pairs to witness: “[He] sent them out two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.”
The number 3 represents the Trinity, new life, and harmony.
In Hebrew, the number 3 is the letter gimel, which means to ripen or nourish. We see this message echoed in the Bible, where the number 3 often symbolizes gifts from God or the beginning of something new, like Jesus’ resurrection on the third day or the 3 angels in Revelation. In Luke 24:6–7, an angel tells the women tending Jesus’ tomb: “He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Matthew 2:11 says that the Magi gave Jesus 3 gifts when he was born: “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Some people also find that the number 333 represents a reminder to honor the Trinity and remain vigilant in their faith.
The number 4 symbolizes God’s creation.
In Hebrew, the number 4 is the letter dalet, which can mean door or pathway. Biblically, the number 4 also symbolizes nature, creation, and prophecy—all paths to man’s understanding of God. In Genesis, God finished creating the physical world on the 4th day. The number 4 also appears frequently in nature, like the 4 cardinal directions, the 4 parts of the day (morning, noon, evening, and night), and the 4 rivers in the garden of Eden. There are 4 consonants in God’s name YHWH. Jesus’ life is described in 4 gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Some people find that the number 444 helps point them to the presence of God in their lives.
The number 5 represents God’s grace and mercy.
The Hebrew letter hey has a numerical value of 5 and means breath, spirit, or behold. In the Bible, the number 5 is often associated with acts of God’s grace towards man, like the offerings He set forth in Leviticus to give the Israelites a way to atone for their sins or the miracle when Jesus multiplied 5 loaves of bread to feed 5,000 people. The 5 offering types, described in Leviticus chapters 1–6, are burnt offerings, meal offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings. Matthew 14:19–21 says, “Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied … The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.” Some people believe that seeing the number 555 is God’s way of reminding us of His love and mercy.
The number 6 is the symbol of mankind.
In Hebrew, the number 6 is the letter vav—it can mean hook, nail, connection, or the word “and.” It’s a symbol of mankind’s attachment to God, and in the Bible, the number 6 is used to represent man. In Genesis, God created man on the 6th day. In Revelation 13:18, the number 666 is given as the number of the Antichrist: “Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is humanity’s number. That number is 666.”
The number 7 represents God, perfection, or completion.
The number 7 in Hebrew is the letter zayin, which means weapon, sword, or completion. That’s appropriate for the Biblical meaning of 7, which often symbolizes God and His strength. After He created the world, God rested on the 7th day, and commanded us to observe the 7th day of the week (Sabbath) as a day of rest to honor Him. In Joshua 6:4–5, God instructs Joshua: “Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” The number 7 is frequently used in the prophetic book of Revelation—among other things, the book refers to 7 churches in Asia minor, 7 golden lampstands, 7 stars in Jesus’ hand, 7 angels blowing 7 trumpets, and 7 more angels unleashing 7 plagues. If you see the number 777, it could be a sign to turn your attention to God.
The number 8 symbolizes new beginnings.
In Hebrew, the number 8 is the letter chet, meaning wall, separation, or new beginning. When it appears in the Bible, the number 8 typically represents a new start, like the 8 people saved in the Great Flood—Noah and his wife, their three sons’, and their sons’ wives. In Genesis 17:12, God tells Abraham that as part of their covenant, “For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised.” This represents the beginning of the relationship between God and the descendants of Abraham. Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He was crucified the following Friday and rose on Sunday—a total of 8 days after he arrived in the city. His resurrection is not only a new beginning for him but for all of mankind in their relationship with God.
The number 9 is a symbol of God’s judgment and gifts.
In Hebrew, the number 9 is the letter tet, which can mean basket, snake, good and evil, or judgment. Appropriately, in the Bible, the number 9 is often used in connection with judgements handed down by God, like the fall of Jerusalem in the 9th year of King Hoshea’s reign or the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which is celebrated on the 9th day of the 7th month. According to Mattew 27:46, Jesus died on the 9th hour of the day (about 3:00 p.m.): “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).” Galatians 5:22–23 describes the 9 attributes of the Holy Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” 1 Corinthians 12 describes 9 spiritual gifts given to early Christians: messages of wisdom, messages of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues, and understanding tongues.
The number 10 represents completion and God’s power.
The number 10 in Hebrew is the letter yohd, which means hand, worship, or power. This is reflected in the symbolism of the number 10 in the Bible, which is often seen in shows of God’s power. When Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites from slavery, God unleashed 10 plagues on Egypt, described in Exodus chapters 7–11. The plagues were water changing to blood, followed by hoards of frogs, gnats, and flies, the death of livestock, boils on people and animals, hail, locusts, darkness, and the death of firstborn children. In Exodus chapter 20, after Moses and the Israelites escaped to the wilderness, God wrote His 10 Commandments on stone tablets to guide the Israelites. Jesus had 12 disciples: Andrew, John, Simon Peter, James, Philip, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Bartholomew, Judas Thaddeus, Simon Zelotes, and Judas Iscariot.
The number 12 symbolizes God’s government.
The Hebrew letter for 12 is lamed, which means shepherd or teaching. When the number 12 appears in the Bible, it typically represents God’s holy guidance for mankind. He often ordains leadership in sets of 12, like the tribes of Israel or the disciples. Jacob’s 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel. They were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. Luke 2:41–49 describes Jesus meeting the leaders of the temple: “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Revelation 21:12 describes John’s vision of the city of New Jerusalem: “It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates.” Multiples of 12 are also common in the Bible: There were 24 divisions of priests in 1 Chronicles 24:4, 48 cities for the Levites in Numbers chapter 35, and 144,000 sealed followers of God in Revelations chapter 7.
The number 30 is connected to Jesus.
When the number 30 appears in the Bible, it’s typically in relation to Jesus and his ministry. John the Baptist and Jesus both began their ministries at the age of 30. And Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, leading to his death. Matthew 26:14–15 describes Judas’ betrayal of Jesus: “Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.”
The number 40 represents transformation or trials.
The number 40 is seen frequently throughout the Bible—it often refers to a period of time, either literal or figurative. Usually, someone is tested during that time. For example: Genesis 7:12 describes the Great Flood and Noah’s ark, saying: “And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.” In Numbers 14:34, God declares that the Israelites will spend 40 years wandering the wilderness as a punishment for complaining against Him: “For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have Me against you.” Matthew 4:1–11 describes Jesus fasting for 40 days and nights in the wilderness, after which he was tempted by the devil.
Comments
0 comment