Canaan כנען
A son of Ham, then a land, and for three prophets the word for a merchant. The Tanakh's trade word comes from the people of the coast.
- Found in the Torah
- 100,370
- Chance alone: 96,362
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 1,465,858
- Chance alone: 1,501,880
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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In Proverbs 31:24, the woman of valour sells her girdles לכנעני, to the Canaanite, and JPS translates merchant. Isaiah 23:8 and Zephaniah 1:11 use the word the same way. Hosea 12:8 has a Canaan with false balances in his hand, a dishonest trader. The people of that coast were the traders of their world, and their name became the Hebrew word for what they did. It began as a person, the son of Ham who is cursed in Genesis 9:25, and it became the name of the land promised to Abraham. So in the Tanakh the same four letters are a son, a territory, and a line of work.
- As a whole word
- 89
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 9:18
The measurement
Look at Genesis 19:19 before reading the 31 sequences at skips 2 to 10, against 17.1 by chance. The first of them is made of the courtesy עבדך חן בעיניך, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and formulas like that put letters at fixed distances. Past skip 100 the surplus turns into a shortage.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 100,370 | 1,465,858 |
| Chance alone | 96,362 | 1,501,880 |
| P (≥ found) | 6.2 × 10⁻³⁸ | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,056 | 398,636 |
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 9,045 against 9,248 by chance. How these figures are made.
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 Genesis 19:19
הִנֵּה־נָ֠א מָצָ֨א עַבְדְּךָ֣ חֵן֮ בְּעֵינֶיךָ֒ וַתַּגְדֵּ֣ל חַסְדְּךָ֗ אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשִׂ֨יתָ֙ …
behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shown unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest the evil overtake me, and I die.
Shortest skip 2, backward from Genesis 13:14
… אַחֲרֵי֙ הִפָּֽרֶד־ל֣וֹט מֵֽעִמּ֔וֹ שָׂ֣א נָ֤א עֵינֶ֨יךָ֙ וּרְאֵ֔ה מִן־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֣ה שָׁ֑ם …
And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him: ‘Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 36:24
וְאַרְבָּעִים֙ אַדְנֵי־כֶ֔סֶף עָשָׂ֕ה תַּ֖חַת עֶשְׂרִ֣ים הַקְּרָשִׁ֑ים שְׁנֵ֨י אֲדָנִ֜ים תַּֽחַת־הַקֶּ֤רֶשׁ הָאֶחָד֙ לִשְׁתֵּ֣י יְדֹתָ֔יו וּשְׁנֵ֧י אֲדָנִ֛ים תַּֽחַת־הַקֶּ֥רֶשׁ הָאֶחָ֖ד לִשְׁתֵּ֥י …
And he made forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.
וּלְצֶ֧לַע הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית לִפְאַ֣ת צָפ֑וֹן עָשָׂ֖ה עֶשְׂרִ֥ים קְרָשִֽׁים׃
And for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards,
וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם כָּ֑סֶף שְׁנֵ֣י אֲדָנִ֗ים תַּ֚חַת הַקֶּ֣רֶשׁ הָאֶחָ֔ד וּשְׁנֵ֣י אֲדָנִ֔ים תַּ֖חַת הַקֶּ֥רֶשׁ הָאֶחָֽד׃
and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
Middle skip 500, backward from Numbers 29:7
וּבֶעָשׂוֹר֩ לַחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י הַזֶּ֗ה מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם וְעִנִּיתֶ֖ם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם כָּל־מְלָאכָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֽׂוּ׃
And on the tenth day of this seventh month ye shall have a holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls; ye shall do no manner of work;
וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֨ם עוֹלָ֜ה לְרֵ֤יחַ נִיחֹ֨חַ֙ לַֽיקוָ֔ק פָּרִ֧ים בְּנֵי־בָקָ֛ר שְׁנַ֖יִם אַ֣יִל אֶחָ֑ד שִׁבְעָ֥ה כְבָשִׂ֖ים בְּנֵ֥י שָׁנָֽה׃
but ye shall present a burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD: two young bullocks, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year;
וּבַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן בְּאַרְבָּעָ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ פֶּ֖סַח לַיקוָֽק׃
And in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the LORD’S passover.
וְנִסְכּוֹ֙ רְבִיעִ֣ת הַהִ֔ין לַכֶּ֖בֶשׂ הָאֶחָ֑ד בַּקֹּ֗דֶשׁ הַסֵּ֛ךְ נֶ֥סֶךְ שֵׁכָ֖ר לַיקוָֽק׃
And the drink-offering thereof shall be the fourth part of a hin for the one lamb; in the holy place shalt thou pour out a drink-offering of strong drink unto the LORD.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Leviticus 11:33
וְכָל־כְּלִי־חֶ֔רֶשׂ אֲשֶׁר־יִפֹּ֥ל מֵהֶ֖ם אֶל־תּוֹכ֑וֹ כֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁ֧ר בְּתוֹכ֛וֹ יִטְמָ֖א וְאֹת֥וֹ תִשְׁבֹּֽרוּ׃
And every earthen vessel whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean, and it ye shall break.
… תְּמִימָ֑ה וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה עֶשְׂרֹנִ֗ים סֹ֤לֶת מִנְחָה֙ בְּלוּלָ֣ה בַשֶּׁ֔מֶן וְלֹ֥ג אֶחָ֖ד …
And on the eighth day he shall take two he-lambs without blemish, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.
… לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת וְעָשָׂ֣ה אֶת־דָּמ֗וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשָׂה֙ לְדַ֣ם הַפָּ֔ר וְהִזָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ …
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the ark-cover, and before the ark-cover.
מֹ֧אזְנֵי צֶ֣דֶק אַבְנֵי־צֶ֗דֶק אֵ֥יפַת צֶ֛דֶק וְהִ֥ין צֶ֖דֶק יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם אֲנִי֙ יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from 1 Samuel 1:18
וַתֹּ֕אמֶר תִּמְצָ֧א שִׁפְחָתְךָ֛ חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ וַתֵּ֨לֶךְ הָאִשָּׁ֤ה לְדַרְכָּהּ֙ וַתֹּאכַ֔ל וּפָנֶ֥יהָ לֹא־הָיוּ־לָ֖הּ עֽוֹד׃
And she said: ‘Let thy servant find favour in thy sight.’ So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
Middle skip 500, forward from Psalm 5:8
וַאֲנִ֗י בְּרֹ֣ב חַ֭סְדְּךָ אָב֣וֹא בֵיתֶ֑ךָ אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה אֶל־הֵֽיכַל־קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃
But as for me, in the abundance of Thy lovingkindness will I come into Thy house; I will bow down toward Thy holy temple in the fear of Thee.
שָׁמַ֣ע יְ֭קוָק תְּחִנָּתִ֑י יְ֝קוָ֗ק תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י יִקָּֽח׃
The LORD hath heard my supplication; The LORD receiveth my prayer.
וְ֭לוֹ הֵכִ֣ין כְּלֵי־מָ֑וֶת חִ֝צָּ֗יו לְֽדֹלְקִ֥ים יִפְעָֽל׃
He hath also prepared for him the weapons of death, Yea, His arrows which He made sharp.
אֶשְׂמְחָ֣ה וְאֶעֶלְצָ֣ה בָ֑ךְ אֲזַמְּרָ֖ה שִׁמְךָ֣ עֶלְיֽוֹן׃
I will be glad and exult in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High:
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 31 | 17.1 |
| 11 to 100 | 167 | 171 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 1,559 | 1,698 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 7,288 | 7,363 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 91,325 | 87,114 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 1,757. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 1,757 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 100/100 | 1,887 | 1,770 to 1,995 |
| Words within each verse | 96/100 | 1,846 | 1,716 to 1,934 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 22,540 | 24,677 |
| Exodus | 18,519 | 20,082 |
| Leviticus | 14,995 | 14,160 |
| Numbers | 16,665 | 20,086 |
| Deuteronomy | 27,651 | 17,357 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 368,257 | 382,483 |
| Prophets | 650,418 | 694,811 |
| Writings | 447,183 | 424,585 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set כנען beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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