Covenant ברית
In Hebrew a covenant is cut, not made. The word ברית and its idiom, from the promise to Noah onward.
- Found in the Torah
- 576,170
- Chance alone: 601,870
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 9,048,991
- Chance alone: 8,998,281
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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The Hebrew verb for making a ברית is כרת, to cut, and the idiom is older than any explanation. Genesis 15 shows the scene behind it: Abraham divides the animals, a flame passes between the pieces, and verse 18 says that on that day a covenant was cut. The word's first use is earlier, in the promise to Noah in Genesis 6:18, and it takes a series of partners after that: Abraham, the people at Sinai, Pinchas, David. A covenant is a bond with terms, and the Tanakh also uses it for pacts between neighbours, such as Abraham and Abimelech in Genesis 21:27. In the Torah a chest carries the word in its name, the ark of the covenant.
- As a whole word
- 135
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 9:12
The measurement
The word falls 4.3 percent short of the formula in the Torah, the opposite of what a hopeful reader wants, and a shortfall deserves exactly as much attention as a surplus. Its shortest sequence begins in the name עכבור in Genesis 36:38 and runs straight over the verse break, as sequences do.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 576,170 | 9,048,991 |
| Chance alone | 601,870 | 8,998,281 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 2.7 × 10⁻⁶⁴ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,506 | 398,809 |
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 57,222 against 57,762 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 36:38
וַיָּ֖מָת שָׁא֑וּל וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו בַּ֥עַל חָנָ֖ן בֶּן־עַכְבּֽוֹר׃
And Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.
וַיָּמָת֮ בַּ֣עַל חָנָ֣ן בֶּן־עַכְבּוֹר֒ וַיִּמְלֹ֤ךְ …
And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead; and the name of the city was Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Genesis 41:18
וְהִנֵּ֣ה מִן־הַיְאֹ֗ר עֹלֹת֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פָּר֔וֹת בְּרִיא֥וֹת בָּשָׂ֖ר וִיפֹ֣ת תֹּ֑אַר וַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָה בָּאָֽחוּ׃
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favoured; and they fed in the reedgrass.
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 7:29
וּבְכָ֥ה וּֽבְעַמְּךָ֖ וּבְכָל־עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ יַעֲל֖וּ הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִֽים׃
And the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.’
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְקוָק֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֒ אֱמֹ֣ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן נְטֵ֤ה אֶת־יָדְךָ֙ בְּמַטֶּ֔ךָ עַל־הַ֨נְּהָרֹ֔ת עַל־הַיְאֹרִ֖ים וְעַל־הָאֲגַמִּ֑ים וְהַ֥עַל אֶת־הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִ֖ים עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Say unto Aaron: Stretch forth thy hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.’
וַיֵּ֤ט אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל מֵימֵ֣י מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתַּ֨עַל֙ הַצְּפַרְדֵּ֔עַ וַתְּכַ֖ס אֶת־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.
Middle skip 500, forward from Deuteronomy 8:1
כָּל־הַמִּצְוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם תִּשְׁמְר֣וּן לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת לְמַ֨עַן תִּֽחְי֜וּן וּרְבִיתֶ֗ם וּבָאתֶם֙ וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥ע יְקוָ֖ק לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃
All the commandment which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers.
וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבֵֽרַכְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֔יךָ עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לָֽךְ׃
And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, and bless the LORD thy God for the good land which He hath given thee.
… וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֣יתָ לָהֶ֑ם הַעִדֹ֤תִי בָכֶם֙ הַיּ֔וֹם כִּ֥י אָבֹ֖ד תֹּאבֵדֽוּן׃
And it shall be, if thou shalt forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I forewarn you this day that ye shall surely perish.
וְיָדַעְתָּ֗ כִּ֠י לֹ֤א בְצִדְקָֽתְךָ֙ יְקוָ֣ק אֱ֠־לֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵ֨ן לְךָ֜ אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֛ה הַזֹּ֖את לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ כִּ֥י עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֖רֶף אָֽתָּה׃
Know therefore that it is not for thy righteousness that the LORD thy God giveth thee this good land to possess it; for thou art a stiffnecked people.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Leviticus 14:40
וְצִוָּה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְחִלְּצוּ֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲבָנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּהֵ֖ן הַנָּ֑גַע וְהִשְׁלִ֤יכוּ אֶתְהֶן֙ אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לָעִ֔יר אֶל־מָק֖וֹם טָמֵֽא׃
then the priest shall command that they take out the stones in which the plague is, and cast them into an unclean place without the city.
וַאֲלֵהֶ֣ם תֹּאמַ֔ר אִ֥ישׁ אִישׁ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמִן־הַגֵּ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־יָג֣וּר בְּתוֹכָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲלֶ֥ה עֹלָ֖ה אוֹ־זָֽבַח׃
And thou shalt say unto them: Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, that offereth a burnt-offering or sacrifice,
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְקוָק֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֱמֹ֥ר אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ לֹֽא־יִטַּמָּ֖א בְּעַמָּֽיו׃
And the LORD said unto Moses: Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them: There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people;
לְמַעַן֮ יֵדְע֣וּ דֹרֹֽתֵיכֶם֒ כִּ֣י בַסֻּכּ֗וֹת הוֹשַׁ֨בְתִּי֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּהוֹצִיאִ֥י אוֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י יְקוָ֥ק אֱ־לֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 9:7
ויאמרווַיֹּ֥אמֶר אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־הַחִוִּ֑י אוּלַ֗י בְּקִרְבִּי֙ אַתָּ֣ה יוֹשֵׁ֔ב וְאֵ֖יךְ אכרותאֶֽכְרָת־לְךָ֥ בְרִֽית׃
And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites: ‘Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a covenant with you?’
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 9:52
וַיָּבֹ֤א אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ֙ עַד־הַמִּגְדָּ֔ל וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם בּ֑וֹ וַיִּגַּ֛שׁ עַד־פֶּ֥תַח הַמִּגְדָּ֖ל לְשָׂרְפ֥וֹ בָאֵֽשׁ׃
And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went close unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
… יָאִ֗יר עַ֚ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הַגִּלְעָֽד׃
And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
וְצִידוֹנִ֤ים וַֽעֲמָלֵק֙ וּמָע֔וֹן לָחֲצ֖וּ אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַתִּצְעֲק֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וָאוֹשִׁ֥יעָה אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִיָּדָֽם׃
The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried unto Me, and I saved you out of their hand.
וַיִּבְרַ֤ח יִפְתָּח֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י אֶחָ֔יו וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ ט֑וֹב וַיִּֽתְלַקְּט֤וּ אֶל־יִפְתָּח֙ אֲנָשִׁ֣ים רֵיקִ֔ים וַיֵּצְא֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ׃
Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob; and there were gathered vain fellows to Jephthah, and they went out with him.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 115 | 107 |
| 11 to 100 | 1,004 | 1,066 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 10,387 | 10,604 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 45,716 | 45,986 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 518,948 | 544,108 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 11,506. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 11,506 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 100/100 | 11,803 | 11,535 to 12,036 |
| Words within each verse | 54/100 | 11,525 | 11,312 to 11,717 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 163,891 | 154,133 |
| Exodus | 111,248 | 125,430 |
| Leviticus | 79,787 | 88,439 |
| Numbers | 118,851 | 125,458 |
| Deuteronomy | 102,393 | 108,410 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 2,211,856 | 2,291,587 |
| Prophets | 4,215,266 | 4,162,856 |
| Writings | 2,621,869 | 2,543,838 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set ברית beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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