Abraham אברהם
One letter changed Abram into Abraham, in Genesis 17:5. A search has to choose which of the two names it is looking for.
- Found in the Torah
- 48,494
- Chance alone: 49,793
- Skips 2 to 76,212
- Found in the Tanakh
- 620,149
- Chance alone: 624,432
- Skips 2 to 299,260
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From Genesis 11 to Genesis 17 he is אברם. Then in Genesis 17:5 a single letter is added, a ה, and the text gives its reason: for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee. The change is permanent. Abraham is the only form used of him after that verse, and the old name comes back only in 1 Chronicles 1:27 and Nehemiah 9:7, each time to mark that the change happened. For someone searching the Torah, this is a clean example of a decision that changes the answer. We put the two names side by side below, so you can see what one added letter does to a count.
- As a whole word
- 139
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 17:5
The measurement
Adding the ה takes the Torah's count from 704,144 to 48,494, about 14.5 times fewer. That is simply what a fifth letter costs. Both names sit a little over 2 percent under the formula.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 48,494 | 620,149 |
| Chance alone | 49,793 | 624,432 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 75,624 | 298,819 |
Counted forward and backward on the written text, with final letters treated as ordinary ones. At the laboratory's opening setting, skips 2 to 5,000, the Torah gives 6,310 against 6,318 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| אברהם139 as a word | 48,494 chance 49,793 | 620,149 chance 624,432 |
| אברם50 as a word | 704,144 chance 721,415 | 9,740,539 chance 9,774,528 |
The sequences, letter by letter
Each letter is shown in the verse it happens to stand in, nothing more. Tap one to read it in the Tanakh, with the rest of the sequence marked.
In the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Numbers 21:31
Short skip 50, forward from Genesis 1:22
וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ אֹתָ֛ם אֱ־לֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר פְּר֣וּ וּרְב֗וּ וּמִלְא֤וּ אֶת־הַמַּ֨יִם֙ בַּיַּמִּ֔ים וְהָע֖וֹף יִ֥רֶב בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
And God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.’
וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם חֲמִישִֽׁי׃
And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱ־לֹהִ֗ים תּוֹצֵ֨א הָאָ֜רֶץ נֶ֤פֶשׁ חַיָּה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ בְּהֵמָ֥ה וָרֶ֛מֶשׂ וְחַֽיְתוֹ־אֶ֖רֶץ לְמִינָ֑הּ וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן׃
And God said: ‘Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind.’ And it was so.
וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱ־לֹהִים֩ אֶת־חַיַּ֨ת הָאָ֜רֶץ לְמִינָ֗הּ וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱ־לֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב׃
And God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱ־לֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ וְיִרְדּוּ֩ בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבְכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’
Middle skip 503, forward from Deuteronomy 1:24
וַיִּפְנוּ֙ וַיַּעֲל֣וּ הָהָ֔רָה וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ עַד־נַ֣חַל אֶשְׁכֹּ֑ל וַֽיְרַגְּל֖וּ אֹתָֽהּ׃
and they turned and went up into the mountains, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.
הַהֹלֵ֨ךְ לִפְנֵיכֶ֜ם בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ לָת֥וּר לָכֶ֛ם מָק֖וֹם לַֽחֲנֹֽתְכֶ֑ם בָּאֵ֣שׁ לַ֗יְלָה לַרְאֹֽתְכֶם֙ בַּדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּֽלְכוּ־בָ֔הּ וּבֶעָנָ֖ן יוֹמָֽם׃
Who went before you in the way, to seek you out a place to pitch your tents in: in fire by night, to show you by what way ye should go, and in the cloud by day.’
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְקוָ֜ק אֵלַ֗י אֱמֹ֤ר לָהֶם֙ לֹ֤א תַֽעֲלוּ֙ וְלֹא־תִלָּ֣חֲמ֔וּ כִּ֥י אֵינֶ֖נִּי בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם וְלֹא֙ תִּנָּֽגְפ֔וּ לִפְנֵ֖י אֹיְבֵיכֶֽם׃
And the LORD said unto me: ‘Say unto them: Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.’
… יְקוָ֨ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֜יךָ בֵּֽרַכְךָ֗ בְּכֹל֙ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֶ֔ךָ יָדַ֣ע לֶכְתְּךָ֔ אֶת־הַמִּדְבָּ֥ר …
For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the work of thy hand; He hath known thy walking through this great wilderness; these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.’
וְגַ֤ם יַד־יְקוָק֙ הָ֣יְתָה בָּ֔ם לְהֻמָּ֖ם מִקֶּ֣רֶב הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה עַ֖ד תֻּמָּֽם׃
Moreover the hand of the LORD was against them, to discomfit them from the midst of the camp, until they were consumed.
Wide skip 5,009, backward from Exodus 5:15
וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּצְעֲק֥וּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר לָ֧מָּה תַעֲשֶׂ֦ה כֹ֖ה לַעֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃
Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying: ‘Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
וַתִּפְתַּח֙ וַתִּרְאֵ֣הוּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וְהִנֵּה־נַ֖עַר בֹּכֶ֑ה וַתַּחְמֹ֣ל עָלָ֔יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מִיַּלְדֵ֥י הָֽעִבְרִ֖ים זֶֽה׃
And she opened it, and saw it, even the child; and behold a boy that wept. And she had compassion on him, and said: ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children.’
… לָבֹ֣א אֶפְרָ֑תָה וָאֶקְבְּרֶ֤הָ שָּׁם֙ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אֶפְרָ֔ת הִ֖וא בֵּ֥ית לָֽחֶם׃
And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died unto me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some way to come unto Ephrath; and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath—the same is Beth-lehem.’
וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֣ בְאֶֽרֶץ־גֹּ֗שֶׁן וְהָיִ֤יתָ קָרוֹב֙ אֵלַ֔י אַתָּ֕ה וּבָנֶ֖יךָ וּבְנֵ֣י בָנֶ֑יךָ וְצֹאנְךָ֥ וּבְקָרְךָ֖ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לָֽךְ׃
And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast;
וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶת־שִׁבְרָ֖ם עַל־חֲמֹרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ מִשָּֽׁם׃
And they laded their asses with their corn, and departed thence.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, backward from 1 Kings 6:26
Middle skip 500, forward from Psalm 31:5
תּוֹצִיאֵ֗נִי מֵרֶ֣שֶׁת ז֭וּ טָ֣מְנוּ לִ֑י כִּֽי־אַ֝תָּה מָֽעוּזִּֽי׃
Bring me forth out of the net that they have hidden for me; For Thou art my stronghold.
תֵּ֥אָלַ֗מְנָה שִׂפְתֵ֫י שָׁ֥קֶר הַדֹּבְר֖וֹת עַל־צַדִּ֥יק עָתָ֗ק בְּגַאֲוָ֥ה וָבֽוּז׃
Let the lying lips be dumb, Which speak arrogantly against the righteous, With pride and contempt.
אַתָּ֤ה סֵ֥תֶר לִי֮ מִצַּ֪ר תִּ֫צְּרֵ֥נִי רָנֵּ֥י פַלֵּ֑ט תְּס֖וֹבְבֵ֣נִי סֶֽלָה׃
Thou art my hiding-place; Thou wilt preserve me from the adversary; With songs of deliverance Thou wilt compass me about. Selah
אַשְׁרֵ֣י הַ֭גּוֹי אֲשֶׁר־יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהָ֑יו הָעָ֓ם בָּחַ֖ר לְנַחֲלָ֣ה לֽוֹ׃
Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD; The people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.
חֹנֶ֤ה מַלְאַךְ־יְקוָ֓ק סָ֘בִ֤יב לִֽירֵאָ֗יו וַֽיְחַלְּצֵֽם׃
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, And delivereth them.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 10 | 11.8 |
| 11 to 100 | 107 | 118 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 1,135 | 1,168 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 5,058 | 5,021 |
| 5,001 to 76,212 | 42,184 | 43,475 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 1,252. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 1,252 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 87/100 | 1,296 | 1,215 to 1,377 |
| Words within each verse | 70/100 | 1,276 | 1,144 to 1,385 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 14,078 | 12,751 |
| Exodus | 8,627 | 10,377 |
| Leviticus | 7,120 | 7,317 |
| Numbers | 9,723 | 10,379 |
| Deuteronomy | 8,946 | 8,969 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 180,210 | 159,024 |
| Prophets | 296,758 | 288,880 |
| Writings | 143,181 | 176,529 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set אברהם beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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