Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

When Abraham rescued his nephew Lot, the biblical narrator explains that he took 318 men with him to fight against the numerically superior armed enemy (Gen 14:14).

This sounds simple enough, that is until you examine rabbinic interpretations that explain this passage in terms of Hebrew numerology known as “gematria.”

Some rabbinic sources (like Rashi) speculated over the number’s deeper significance. The Midrash for an example, points out how the numerological value of Eliezer’s name adds up to the number 318 men. The Midrash and Talmud assert that Abram took only Eliezer with him, as they pursued the four kings and defeated them. ^[1]

Ibn Ezra scoffed at such an interpretations as a wild flight of fancy, for in his view, gematria (numerology) could be used to prove anything. ^[2] This does not necessarily mean that numbers of the Scriptures are without some symbolic significance. The Tanakh as well other ancient texts of the world ^[3] often display a preference to certain symbolic patterns of numbers — especially with respect to the number seven. ^[4] However, the use of gematria as a means of explaining a random passage opens the door to potential distortion.

Among modern scholars, S. Gervitz points out that when one adds the prime numbers [a number divisible only by itself] between 7 and 49 (7,11,13,17,19, 23,29,31, 37,41,47) one arrives at the number 318, thus the symbolism of Abram’s success revolves around the number seven.^[5]

In addition, he points out that in each of the two blessings given by Melchizedek contain seven words each, and that from Abram’s appearance in v. 13 until the end of the chapter, occurs seven times! Sarna however, is dubious whether the ancients were familiar with prime number theories at this time in history.

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Notes:

[1] Gen. Rabbah 43:2, T.B. Nedarim 32a.

[2] It is possible that Ibn Ezra might be alluding to an early Christian application of gematria (numerology) which frequently tried to use this approach to prove the divinity and Messianic claims of Jesus. In this particular case, the number 318 as an allusion to Jesus, whose Greek name adds up to three hundred and eighteen; see Clemens, Stromata, 6. 11.and the Epistle of Barnabas, 9. 8. For a further discussion see also S. Liberman’s article in the HUCA 1987 “A Mesopotamian Background for the So-called Aggadic “Measures’ of Biblical Hermeneutics?

^[3] Pythagoras ( 570-c. 500 B.C.E.) believed that the makeup of the entire universe was essentially mathematical and he based his philosophy upon the postulate that number was the source of the various qualities of matter and was the basis for meaningful knowledge of the universe. This led him to dwell upon the mystical, musical and symbolic properties of numbers and their relationships. Pythagoras is credited with the discovery of the seven-note musical scale which we still use today.

^[4] Philo of Alexandria frequently attempts to show how the number seven emerges within various Scriptural passages. For instance, when Abraham circumcised himself at 99 years, this number too was symbolically significant. He writes: “However the number ninety and nine has been set forth and adorned not only by its affinity to the number a hundred, but it has also received a particular participation in a wonderful nature, since it consists of the number fifty, and of seven times seven. For the fiftieth year, as the year of Pentecost or the Jubilee, is called remission in the giving forth of the law, as then all things are given their liberty, whether living or inanimate.” (Questions and Answers to Genesis III.39).

[5] Cited from V. Hamilton’s Commentary to Genesis.