Esther אסתר
A Persian name, a Hebrew one beside it, and a verb in Genesis written with the same four letters, I shall be hid.
- Found in the Torah
- 63,350
- Chance alone: 57,880
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 724,481
- Chance alone: 731,114
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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She has two names, and Esther 2:7 gives both in one breath: Hadassah, that is, Esther. הדסה is a myrtle. The Talmud in Megillah 13a says the nations called her Esther after Istahar, a name for a bright star. But the same four letters also make a Hebrew verb, and that is where a reader's eye goes. Cain says in Genesis 4:14, from Thy face shall I be hid, ומפניך אסתר. Job asks the same of God in Job 13:20. The Talmud, in Chullin 139b, asks where Esther is in the Torah and answers with Deuteronomy 31:18, where God says He will surely hide His face, הסתר אסתיר, a fitting source for the one book that never names Him. It is a lovely reading, and it is a reading of plain text. It owes nothing to a sequence at a skip.
- As a whole word
- 44
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 4:14
- Last
- Esther 9:32
The measurement
One of the widest gaps among the people on this site, in the formula's terms: 63,350 in the Torah against 57,879.7, 9.5 percent over. Then every letter shuffle passes the real 1,037. The surplus is all at long skips, and the Tanakh as a whole falls 0.9 percent short.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 63,350 | 724,481 |
| Chance alone | 57,880 | 731,114 |
| P (≥ found) | 2.4 × 10⁻¹¹¹ | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 4 | 3 |
| Longest skip | 101,174 | 397,854 |
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 5,397 against 5,555 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| אסתר44 as a word | 63,350 chance 57,880 | 724,481 chance 731,114 |
| הדסהone whole word | 38,893 chance 36,388 | 601,325 chance 597,721 |
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 4, forward from Genesis 11:29
וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָ֧ם וְנָח֛וֹר לָהֶ֖ם נָשִׁ֑ים שֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָם֙ שָׂרָ֔י וְשֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־נָחוֹר֙ מִלְכָּ֔ה בַּת־הָרָ֥ן אֲבִֽי־מִלְכָּ֖ה וַֽאֲבִ֥י יִסְכָּֽה׃
And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
וַתְּהִ֥י שָׂרַ֖י עֲקָרָ֑ה אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ וָלָֽד׃
And Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Short skip 51, forward from Exodus 22:30
וְאַנְשֵׁי־קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּהְי֣וּן לִ֑י וּבָשָׂ֨ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֤ה טְרֵפָה֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ לַכֶּ֖לֶב תַּשְׁלִכ֥וּן אֹתֽוֹ׃
And ye shall be holy men unto Me; therefore ye shall not eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.
לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֖א שֵׁ֣מַע שָׁ֑וְא אַל־תָּ֤שֶׁת יָֽדְךָ֙ עִם־רָשָׁ֔ע לִהְיֹ֖ת עֵ֥ד חָמָֽס׃
Thou shalt not utter a false report; put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
וְדָ֕ל לֹ֥א תֶהְדַּ֖ר בְּרִיבֽוֹ׃
neither shalt thou favour a poor man in his cause.
כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֞ה חֲמ֣וֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ֗ רֹבֵץ֙ תַּ֣חַת מַשָּׂא֔וֹ וְחָדַלְתָּ֖ מֵעֲזֹ֣ב ל֑וֹ עָזֹ֥ב תַּעֲזֹ֖ב עִמּֽוֹ׃
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under its burden, thou shalt forbear to pass by him; thou shalt surely release it with him.
Middle skip 502, backward from Deuteronomy 1:5
בְּעֵ֥בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מוֹאָ֑ב הוֹאִ֣יל מֹשֶׁ֔ה בֵּאֵ֛ר אֶת־הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לֵאמֹֽר׃
beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, took Moses upon him to expound this law, saying:
וְלֹֽא־תִסֹּ֧ב נַחֲלָ֛ה מִמַּטֶּ֖ה לְמַטֶּ֣ה אַחֵ֑ר כִּי־אִישׁ֙ בְּנַ֣חֲלָת֔וֹ יִדְבְּק֕וּ מַטּ֖וֹת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
So shall no inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; for the tribes of the children of Israel shall cleave each one to its own inheritance.’
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אֶת־אֲדֹנִי֙ צִוָּ֣ה יְקוָ֔ק לָתֵ֨ת אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ בְּנַחֲלָ֛ה בְּגוֹרָ֖ל לִבְנֵ֣י …
and they said: ‘The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the children of Israel; and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters.
וּמָצָ֤א אֹתוֹ֙ גֹּאֵ֣ל הַדָּ֔ם מִח֕וּץ לִגְב֖וּל עִ֣יר מִקְלָט֑וֹ וְרָצַ֞ח גֹּאֵ֤ל הַדָּם֙ אֶת־הָ֣רֹצֵ֔חַ אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ דָּֽם׃
and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him;
Wide skip 5,002, backward from Numbers 31:22
אַ֥ךְ אֶת־הַזָּהָ֖ב וְאֶת־הַכָּ֑סֶף אֶֽת־הַנְּחֹ֨שֶׁת֙ אֶת־הַבַּרְזֶ֔ל אֶֽת־הַבְּדִ֖יל וְאֶת־הָעֹפָֽרֶת׃
Howbeit the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
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.
… כָּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהֵ֣מָּה בֹכִ֔ים פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.
… מַלְאָכִ֜ים אֶל־בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֗וֹר פְּ֠תוֹרָה אֲשֶׁ֧ר עַל־הַנָּהָ֛ר אֶ֥רֶץ בְּנֵי־עַמּ֖וֹ לִקְרֹא־ל֑וֹ …
And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying: ‘Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 3, forward from Judges 16:5
… וַאֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙ נִתַּן־לָ֔ךְ אִ֕ישׁ אֶ֥לֶף וּמֵאָ֖ה כָּֽסֶף׃
And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her: ‘Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.’
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר דְּלִילָה֙ אֶל־שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן הַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א לִ֔י בַּמֶּ֖ה כֹּחֲךָ֣ גָד֑וֹל וּבַמֶּ֥ה תֵאָסֵ֖ר לְעַנּוֹתֶֽךָ׃
And Delilah said to Samson: ‘Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.’
Middle skip 501, forward from 2 Samuel 10:7
וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ אֶת־יוֹאָ֔ב וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־הַצָּבָ֖א הַגִּבֹּרִֽים׃
And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.
וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְדָוִ֗ד וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֖א חֵלָ֑אמָה וַיַּעַרְכ֤וּ אֲרָם֙ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֔ד וַיִּלָּחֲמ֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ׃
And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.
וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ דָּוִ֨ד מַלְאָכִ֜ים וַיִּקָּחֶ֗הָ וַתָּב֤וֹא אֵלָיו֙ וַיִּשְׁכַּ֣ב עִמָּ֔הּ וְהִ֥יא מִתְקַדֶּ֖שֶׁת מִטֻּמְאָתָ֑הּ וַתָּ֖שָׁב אֶל־בֵּיתָֽהּ׃
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness; and she returned unto her house.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־אוּרִיָּ֗ה שֵׁ֥ב בָּזֶ֛ה גַּם־הַיּ֖וֹם וּמָחָ֣ר אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֑ךָּ וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב אוּרִיָּ֧ה בִירוּשָׁלִַ֛ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא וּמִֽמָּחֳרָֽת׃
And David said to Uriah: ‘Tarry here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee depart.’ So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 12 | 10.3 |
| 11 to 100 | 82 | 102 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 943 | 1,020 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 4,360 | 4,422 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 57,953 | 52,325 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 1,037. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 1,037 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 100/100 | 1,136 | 1,046 to 1,221 |
| Words within each verse | 58/100 | 1,047 | 958 to 1,116 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 17,592 | 14,822 |
| Exodus | 12,059 | 12,062 |
| Leviticus | 9,375 | 8,505 |
| Numbers | 12,326 | 12,065 |
| Deuteronomy | 11,998 | 10,425 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 188,965 | 186,193 |
| Prophets | 338,033 | 338,234 |
| Writings | 197,483 | 206,688 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set אסתר beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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