Elijah אליהו
Five times his name loses a letter, and Rashi says Jacob holds it as a pledge. The closing lines of Malachi are one of the five.
- Found in the Torah
- 132,991
- Chance alone: 139,221
- Skips 2 to 76,212
- Found in the Tanakh
- 2,242,050
- Chance alone: 2,243,649
- Skips 2 to 299,260
Create a free accountFree, and this search opens as soon as you are in.
His usual name, אליהו, means my God is the Lord, and it stands 63 times in Kings and elsewhere. Four verses of 2 Kings 1 and the closing lines of Malachi, at 3:23, spell it short, אליה, without the ו. That makes five, and it is the other half of a pair: the Tanakh writes Jacob with an extra ו in exactly five places. Rashi on Leviticus 26:42 joins the two, saying Jacob took the letter as a pledge that Elijah would come to announce the redemption. The short form is a poor thing to search, because אליה is also the ordinary Hebrew for to her and stands 84 times in that spelling, mostly with no Elijah in sight.
- As a whole word
- 63
- First, with any prefix
- 1 Kings 17:1
The measurement
A name the Torah never uses still has 132,991 sequences there, 4.5 percent under the formula, and the short form has 1,785,162. Nearly all the short form's count is to her. Rashi's five letters do not show up in a figure like this, and were never meant to.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 132,991 | 2,242,050 |
| Chance alone | 139,221 | 2,243,649 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 0.86 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 76,094 | 299,124 |
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 17,456 against 17,665 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| אליהו63 as a word | 132,991 chance 139,221 | 2,242,050 chance 2,243,649 |
| אליה84 as a word | 1,785,162 chance 1,853,377 | 27,718,693 chance 27,630,095 |
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, backward from Exodus 35:31
וַיְמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱ־לֹהִ֑ים בְּחָכְמָ֛ה בִּתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכָל־מְלָאכָֽה׃
And He hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רְא֛וּ קָרָ֥א יְקוָ֖ק בְּשֵׁ֑ם בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל בֶּן־אוּרִ֥י בֶן־ח֖וּר לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃
And Moses said unto the children of Israel: ‘See, the LORD hath called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
Short skip 50, forward from Genesis 20:5
הֲלֹ֨א ה֤וּא אָֽמַר־לִי֙ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֔וא וְהִֽיא־גַם־הִ֥וא אָֽמְרָ֖ה אָחִ֣י ה֑וּא בְּתָם־לְבָבִ֛י וּבְנִקְיֹ֥ן כַּפַּ֖י עָשִׂ֥יתִי זֹֽאת׃
Said he not himself unto me: She is my sister? and she, even she herself said: He is my brother. In the simplicity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.’
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אֵלָ֨יו הָֽאֱ־לֹהִ֜ים בַּחֲלֹ֗ם גַּ֣ם אָנֹכִ֤י יָדַ֨עְתִּי֙ כִּ֤י בְתָם־לְבָבְךָ֙ עָשִׂ֣יתָ זֹּ֔את וָאֶחְשֹׂ֧ךְ גַּם־אָנֹכִ֛י אֽוֹתְךָ֖ מֵחֲטוֹ־לִ֑י עַל־כֵּ֥ן לֹא־נְתַתִּ֖יךָ …
And God said unto him in the dream: ‘Yea, I know that in the simplicity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
וְעַתָּ֗ה הָשֵׁ֤ב אֵֽשֶׁת־הָאִישׁ֙ כִּֽי־נָבִ֣יא ה֔וּא וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֥ל בַּֽעַדְךָ֖ וֶֽחְיֵ֑ה וְאִם־אֵֽינְךָ֣ מֵשִׁ֗יב דַּ֚ע כִּי־מ֣וֹת תָּמ֔וּת אַתָּ֖ה וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לָֽךְ׃
Now therefore restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.’
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַיִּקְרָא֙ לְכָל־עֲבָדָ֔יו וַיְדַבֵּ֛ר אֶת־כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה בְּאָזְנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּֽירְא֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים מְאֹֽד׃
And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears; and the men were sore afraid.
Middle skip 500, backward from Numbers 23:3
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר בִּלְעָ֜ם לְבָלָ֗ק הִתְיַצֵּב֮ עַל־עֹלָתֶךָ֒ וְאֵֽלְכָ֗ה אוּלַ֞י יִקָּרֵ֤ה יְקוָק֙ לִקְרָאתִ֔י וּדְבַ֥ר מַה־יַּרְאֵ֖נִי וְהִגַּ֣דְתִּי לָ֑ךְ וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ שֶֽׁפִי׃
And Balaam said unto Balak: ‘Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go; peradventure the LORD will come to meet me; and whatsoever He showeth me I will tell thee.’ And he went to a bare height.
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ מַלְאַ֨ךְ יְקוָ֜ק אֶל־בִּלְעָ֗ם לֵ֚ךְ עִם־הָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְאֶ֗פֶס אֶת־הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יךָ אֹת֣וֹ תְדַבֵּ֑ר וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ בִּלְעָ֖ם עִם־שָׂרֵ֥י בָלָֽק׃
And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam: ‘Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak.’ So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
וַתֵּ֤רֶא הָֽאָתוֹן֙ אֶת־מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְקוָ֔ק וַתִּרְבַּ֖ץ תַּ֣חַת בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֣ף בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיַּ֥ךְ אֶת־הָאָת֖וֹן בַּמַּקֵּֽל׃
And the ass saw the angel of the LORD, and she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff.
… אֶת־פִּי֙ יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהָ֔י לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת קְטַנָּ֖ה א֥וֹ גְדוֹלָֽה׃
And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak: ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do any thing, small or great.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם לִ֤ינוּ פֹה֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ דָּבָ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יְדַבֵּ֥ר יְקוָ֖ק אֵלָ֑י וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ שָׂרֵֽי־מוֹאָ֖ב עִם־בִּלְעָֽם׃
And he said unto them: ‘Lodge here this night, and I will bring you back word, as the LORD may speak unto me’; and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
Wide skip 5,001, forward from Deuteronomy 21:13
… מֵעָלֶ֗יהָ וְיָֽשְׁבָה֙ בְּבֵיתֶ֔ךָ וּבָֽכְתָ֛ה אֶת־אָבִ֥יהָ וְאֶת־אִמָּ֖הּ יֶ֣רַח יָמִ֑ים וְאַ֨חַר …
and she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thy house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month; and after that thou mayest go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
וְהָיָ֗ה הַבְּכוֹר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּלֵ֔ד יָק֕וּם עַל־שֵׁ֥ם אָחִ֖יו הַמֵּ֑ת וְלֹֽא־יִמָּחֶ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And it shall be, that the first-born that she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother that is dead, that his name be not blotted out of Israel.
יַכְּכָ֨ה יְקוָ֜ק בִּשְׁחִ֣ין רָ֗ע עַל־הַבִּרְכַּ֨יִם֙ וְעַל־הַשֹּׁקַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תוּכַ֖ל לְהֵרָפֵ֑א מִכַּ֥ף רַגְלְךָ֖ וְעַ֥ד קָדְקֳדֶֽךָ׃
The LORD will smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore boil, whereof thou canst not be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the crown of thy head.
לְאַֽהֲבָה֙ אֶת־יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ בְּקֹל֖וֹ וּלְדָבְקָה־ב֑וֹ …
to love the LORD thy God, to hearken to His voice, and to cleave unto Him; for that is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
יוֹר֤וּ מִשְׁפָּטֶ֨יךָ֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְתוֹרָתְךָ֖ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יָשִׂ֤ימוּ קְטוֹרָה֙ בְּאַפֶּ֔ךָ וְכָלִ֖יל עַֽל־מִזְבְּחֶֽךָ׃
They shall teach Jacob Thine ordinances, And Israel Thy law; They shall put incense before Thee, And whole burnt-offering upon Thine altar.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Judges 7:13
… מִתְהַפֵּךְ֙ בְּמַחֲנֵ֣ה מִדְיָ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֣א עַד־הָ֠אֹהֶל וַיַּכֵּ֧הוּ וַיִּפֹּ֛ל וַיַּהַפְכֵ֥הוּ לְמַ֖עְלָה וְנָפַ֥ל הָאֹֽהֶל׃
And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man telling a dream unto his follow, and saying: ‘Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it that it fell, and turned it upside down, that the tent lay flat.’
Middle skip 500, forward from Joshua 19:50
עַל־פִּ֨י יְקוָ֜ק נָ֣תְנוּ ל֗וֹ אֶת־הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁאָ֔ל אֶת־תִּמְנַת־סֶ֖רַח בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיִּבְנֶ֥ה אֶת־הָעִ֖יר וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בָּֽהּ׃
according to the commandment of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah in the hill-country of Ephraim; and he built the city, and dwelt therein.
… אָ֣ז יָשׁ֣וּב הָרוֹצֵ֗חַ וּבָ֤א אֶל־עִירוֹ֙ וְאֶל־בֵּית֔וֹ אֶל־הָעִ֖יר אֲשֶׁר־נָ֥ס מִשָּֽׁם׃
And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days; then may the manslayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.’
… אַהֲרֹ֨ן הַכֹּהֵ֜ן מִן־הַלְוִיִּ֗ם מִמַּטֵּ֣ה יְ֠הוּדָה וּמִמַּטֵּ֨ה הַשִּׁמְעֹנִ֜י וּמִמַּטֵּ֤ה בִנְיָמִן֙ …
And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites; and the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.
וְלִבְנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֗ן נָֽתְנוּ֙ אֶת־עִיר֙ מִקְלַ֣ט הָרֹצֵ֔חַ אֶת־חֶבְר֖וֹן וְאֶת־מִגְרָשֶׁ֑הָ וְאֶת־לִבְנָ֖ה וְאֶת־מִגְרָשֶֽׁהָ׃
And unto the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with the open land about it, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Libnah with the open land about it;
אֶת־אַיָּלוֹן֙ וְאֶת־מִגְרָשֶׁ֔הָ אֶת־גַּת־רִמּ֖וֹן וְאֶת־מִגְרָשֶׁ֑הָ עָרִ֖ים אַרְבַּֽע׃
Aijalon with the open land about it, Gath-rimmon with the open land about it; four cities.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 26 | 32.9 |
| 11 to 100 | 313 | 329 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 3,143 | 3,265 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 13,974 | 14,039 |
| 5,001 to 76,212 | 115,535 | 121,556 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 3,482. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 3,482 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 100/100 | 3,615 | 3,493 to 3,785 |
| Words within each verse | 95/100 | 3,582 | 3,433 to 3,744 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 37,755 | 35,653 |
| Exodus | 24,705 | 29,014 |
| Leviticus | 18,585 | 20,457 |
| Numbers | 26,001 | 29,020 |
| Deuteronomy | 25,945 | 25,077 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 625,616 | 571,389 |
| Prophets | 1,081,654 | 1,037,975 |
| Writings | 534,780 | 634,286 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set אליהו beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
Create a free accountFree, and this search opens as soon as you are in.