Though gematria is most often used to calculate the values of individual words, psukim (Biblical verses), Talmudical aphorisms, sentences from the standard Jewish prayers, personal, angelic and Godly names, and other religiously significant material, Kabbalists use them often for arbitrary phrases and, occasionally, for various languages. Some identify two forms of gematria: the 'revealed' form, which is prevalent in many hermeneutic methods found throughout Rabbinic literature, and the 'mystical' form, a largely Kabbalistic practice. This has made 18 a 'lucky number' among Jews, and gifts in multiples of $18 are very common among Jews. The best-known example of Gematria is the Hebrew word Chai ('life'), which is composed of two letters which add up to 18. Although ostensibly derived from Greek, it is largely used in Jewish texts, notably in those associated with the Kabbalah. It has been extant in English since the 17th century from translations of works by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola.

The word 'gematria' is generally held to derive from Greek geōmetriā, 'geometry', which was used a translation of gēmaṭriyā, though some scholars believe it to derive from Greek grammateia, rather it's possible that both words had an influence on the formation of the Hebrew word. Gematria or gimatria (Hebrew: גימטריה‎, gēmaṭriyā) is a system of assigning numerical value to a word or phrase, in the belief that words or phrases with identical numerical values bear some relation to each other, or bear some relation to the number itself as it may apply to a person's age, the calendar year, or the like.

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