David דוד
Samuel writes דוד and Chronicles writes דויד, one of the Tanakh's clearest spelling shifts. His first bare appearance in canon order is not him at all.
- Found in the Torah
- 1,223,016
- Chance alone: 1,238,148
- Skips 2 to 152,424
- Found in the Tanakh
- 28,536,047
- Chance alone: 28,363,670
- Skips 2 to 598,520
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The name has two spellings that sort almost perfectly by book. 1 and 2 Samuel use דוד, 488 bare times. Chronicles uses דויד, 229 bare times. Between them lies a window into how Hebrew spelling filled out after the Exile. Neither spelling occurs in the Torah. The earliest bare case, in Tanakh order, is not even David: in 1 Samuel 10:14 דוד means an uncle, Saul's uncle, who asks where he has been. The man himself arrives in 1 Samuel 16:13, when the oil is poured and the spirit comes on him. The Song of Songs uses the same letters for a beloved, דודי, my beloved, so a plain search for the king turns up lovers and uncles as well.
- As a whole word
- 600
- First, with any prefix
- Judges 5:27
The measurement
Chronicles' spelling is the rarer at a skip, 164,325 in the Torah against 1,223,016 for the short form. דוד reads the same in both directions, so each of its sequences is counted once and chance is figured the same way. That small fact halves the number.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 1,223,016 | 28,536,047 |
| Chance alone | 1,238,148 | 28,363,670 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 1.2 × 10⁻²²⁹ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 152,181 | 598,327 |
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 79,933 against 79,883 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| דוד600 as a word | 1,223,016 chance 1,238,148 | 28,536,047 chance 28,363,670 |
| דויד251 as a word | 164,325 chance 170,885 | 4,436,744 chance 4,355,757 |
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 4:16
וַיֵּ֥צֵא קַ֖יִן מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְקוָ֑ק וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־נ֖וֹד קִדְמַת־עֵֽדֶן׃
And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
וַיֵּ֤דַע קַ֨יִן֙ אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־חֲנ֑וֹךְ וַֽיְהִי֙ בֹּ֣נֶה עִ֔יר וַיִּקְרָא֙ שֵׁ֣ם הָעִ֔יר כְּשֵׁ֖ם בְּנ֥וֹ חֲנֽוֹךְ׃
And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bore Enoch; and he builded a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Genesis 25:13
וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל בִּשְׁמֹתָ֖ם לְתוֹלְדֹתָ֑ם בְּכֹ֤ר יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ נְבָיֹ֔ת וְקֵדָ֥ר וְאַדְבְּאֵ֖ל וּמִבְשָֽׂם׃
And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 2:4
וַתֵּתַצַּ֥ב אֲחֹת֖וֹ מֵרָחֹ֑ק לְדֵעָ֕ה מַה־יֵּעָשֶׂ֖ה לֽוֹ׃
And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ׃
And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river; and her maidens walked along by the river-side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it.
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.’
Middle skip 500, forward from Leviticus 15:19
וְאִשָּׁה֙ כִּֽי־תִהְיֶ֣ה זָבָ֔ה דָּ֛ם יִהְיֶ֥ה זֹבָ֖הּ בִּבְשָׂרָ֑הּ שִׁבְעַ֤ת יָמִים֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה בְנִדָּתָ֔הּ וְכָל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּ֖הּ יִטְמָ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃
And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days; and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.
וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֗י תִּֽקַּֽח־לָהּ֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י תֹרִ֔ים א֥וֹ שְׁנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יוֹנָ֑ה וְהֵבִיאָ֤ה אוֹתָם֙ אֶל־הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting.
… יַחְגֹּ֔ר וּבְמִצְנֶ֥פֶת בַּ֖ד יִצְנֹ֑ף בִּגְדֵי־קֹ֣דֶשׁ הֵ֔ם וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם אֶת־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ …
He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired; they are the holy garments; and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and put them on.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Numbers 7:12
וַיְהִ֗י הַמַּקְרִ֛יב בַּיּ֥וֹם הָרִאשׁ֖וֹן אֶת־קָרְבָּנ֑וֹ נַחְשׁ֥וֹן בֶּן־עַמִּינָדָ֖ב לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃
And he that presented his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah;
בְּאַרְבָּעָ֣ה עָשָֽׂר־י֠וֹם בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֜ה בֵּ֧ין הָֽעֲרְבַּ֛יִם תַּעֲשׂ֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ בְּמוֹעֲד֑וֹ כְּכָל־חֻקֹּתָ֥יו וּכְכָל־מִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו תַּעֲשׂ֥וּ אֹתֽוֹ׃
In the fourteenth day of this month, at dusk, ye shall keep it in its appointed season; according to all the statutes of it, and according to all the ordinances thereof, shall ye keep it.’
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְקוָ֜ק פִּתְאֹ֗ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־מִרְיָ֔ם צְא֥וּ שְׁלָשְׁתְּכֶ֖ם אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּֽם׃
And the LORD spoke suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam: ‘Come out ye three unto the tent of meeting.’ And they three came out.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 15:22
וְקִינָ֥ה וְדִֽימוֹנָ֖ה וְעַדְעָדָֽה׃
and Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah;
וְקֶ֥דֶשׁ וְחָצ֖וֹר וְיִתְנָֽן׃
and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan;
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 7:11
וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֙ מַה־יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ וְאַחַר֙ תֶּחֱזַ֣קְנָה יָדֶ֔יךָ וְיָרַדְתָּ֖ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיֵּ֤רֶד הוּא֙ וּפֻרָ֣ה נַעֲר֔וֹ אֶל־קְצֵ֥ה הַחֲמֻשִׁ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃
And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thy hands be strengthened to go down upon the camp.’ Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the outermost part of the armed men that were in the camp.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם מִמֶּ֥נִּי תִרְא֖וּ וְכֵ֣ן תַּעֲשׂ֑וּ וְהִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֥י בָא֙ בִּקְצֵ֣ה הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה כַאֲשֶׁר־אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה כֵּ֥ן תַּעֲשֽׂוּן׃
And he said unto them: ‘Look on me, and do likewise; and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.
… גִּדְעוֹן֩ בְּכָל־הַ֨ר אֶפְרַ֜יִם לֵאמֹ֗ר רְד֞וּ לִקְרַ֤את מִדְיָן֙ וְלִכְד֤וּ לָהֶם֙ …
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying: ‘Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.’ So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 187 | 146 |
| 11 to 100 | 1,533 | 1,462 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 14,935 | 14,569 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 63,278 | 63,706 |
| 5,001 to 152,424 | 1,143,083 | 1,158,265 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 16,655. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 16,655 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 0/100 | 16,185 | 15,810 to 16,508 |
| Words within each verse | 9/100 | 16,498 | 16,166 to 16,740 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 574,108 | 552,959 |
| Exodus | 317,705 | 330,131 |
| Leviticus | 143,152 | 168,122 |
| Numbers | 154,581 | 146,770 |
| Deuteronomy | 33,470 | 40,167 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 11,010,010 | 12,607,178 |
| Prophets | 14,689,434 | 13,489,674 |
| Writings | 2,836,603 | 2,266,819 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set דוד beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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