Those who identify Abraham’s trained men with his servant Eliezer on the basis of the numerical value of the latter’s name are indulging in Midrash, as Scripture does not speak in gematria . With this type of interpretation one can interpret any name as he wishes, both in a positive and a negative manner. HIS TRAINED MEN. Abraham had trained them many times for battle. This is the meaning of the term chanikhav even though Scripture does not previously note that Abraham trained young men for war. THIS METHOD IS "GEMATRIA." There are many forms of Gematria and this method is found in the Talmud, Midrash and Medieval commentators. It was used especially by the Hasidei-Ashkenaz (12-13th century German pietists) and Sefardic mystics, from the Middle Ages until today. Gematria is a numerological system by which Hebrew letters correspond to numbers. This system, developed by practitioners of Kabbalah , derived from Greek influence and became a tool for interpreting biblical texts. Achbi divides the alphabet into two equal groups of 11 letters. Within each group, the first letter is replaced by the last, the second by the 10th, etc. Mispar Katan calculates the value of each letter, but truncates all of the zeros. In early Jewish sources, the term "gematria" can also refer to other forms of calculation or letter manipulation, for example atbash. Chai (lit. "alive"), which is composed of two letters that add up to 18. However, you can always create a new list, or add this word to Your Favorites.