The number 138 has no well-established independent symbolic meaning in biblical or Jewish tradition.
The number 138 appears in Nehemiah 7:45, where it is stated that the descendants of the gatekeepers – from the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai – numbered 138 after returning from the Babylonian exile. The gatekeepers played an important role in temple service, and thus this number is part of the precise record-keeping of Israel's restoration. In addition, 138 is the number of Psalm 138, a psalm of thanksgiving by David that praises God's faithfulness and love. Beyond these references, the number has no widely recognized symbolic or mystical meaning in rabbinic or kabbalistic literature. The gatekeepers (Hebrew שׁוֹעֲרִים, sho'arim) guarded the temple gate and were responsible for controlling access to the holy area. Their role is described in more detail in 1 Chronicles 9:17–27. Nehemiah 7 and Ezra 2 give parallel censuses after the exile, but the numbers differ slightly between the two lists. In Ezra 2:42, the number for the gatekeepers is 139, while Nehemiah 7:45 gives 138. Such discrepancies are likely due to different manuscript traditions or copying errors in the transmission.*