Isaac יצחק
His name is a laugh, told three ways in Genesis. The prophets and a psalm spell it with a different letter.
- Found in the Torah
- 15,377
- Chance alone: 15,135
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 217,062
- Chance alone: 215,791
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Everyone laughs before he is born. Abraham laughs in Genesis 17:17, Sarah in 18:12, and in 21:6 she says that everyone who hears will laugh on account of her. His name comes from that, the verb צחק, and the Torah keeps the spelling with צ. A few later passages swap the letter. Amos 7:9 has the high places of ישחק, Jeremiah 33:26 and Psalm 105:9 do the same, and it is the same man with a ש. The two verbs צחק and שחק are by-forms of each other, and ישחק is also a plain verb in Job 39:22, where JPS has he mocketh. So the spelling you search changes the answer, and the second spelling catches words that are not Isaac at all.
- As a whole word
- 82
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 17:17
The measurement
A P of 0.025 in the Torah looks as if it means something. At skips 2 to 1,000 the picture flips, and nearly every letter shuffle, 99 runs in 100, passes the real 258. A figure depends on the range you pick, which is why the laboratory counts every range you try.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 15,377 | 217,062 |
| Chance alone | 15,135 | 215,791 |
| P (≥ found) | 0.03 | 0.0031 |
| Shortest skip | 10 | 6 |
| Longest skip | 101,422 | 398,576 |
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 1,425 against 1,453 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| יצחק82 as a word | 15,377 chance 15,135 | 217,062 chance 215,791 |
| ישחק8 as a word | 63,092 chance 59,575 | 813,443 chance 838,526 |
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 10, backward from Genesis 25:7
וְאֵ֗לֶּה יְמֵ֛י שְׁנֵֽי־חַיֵּ֥י אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־חָ֑י מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֛ה וְשִׁבְעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְחָמֵ֥שׁ שָׁנִֽים׃
And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years.
וְלִבְנֵ֤י הַפִּֽילַגְשִׁים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם נָתַ֥ן אַבְרָהָ֖ם מַתָּנֹ֑ת וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֞ם מֵעַ֨ל יִצְחָ֤ק בְּנוֹ֙ בְּעוֹדֶ֣נּוּ חַ֔י קֵ֖דְמָה אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ קֶֽדֶם׃
But unto the sons of the concubines, that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
Short skip 56, backward from Exodus 26:37
וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ לַמָּסָ֗ךְ חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַמּוּדֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֔ים וְצִפִּיתָ֤ אֹתָם֙ זָהָ֔ב וָוֵיהֶ֖ם זָהָ֑ב וְיָצַקְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֔ם חֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אַדְנֵ֥י נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃
And thou shalt make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold; and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.
וְשַׂמְתָּ֤ אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָן֙ מִח֣וּץ לַפָּרֹ֔כֶת וְאֶת־הַמְּנֹרָה֙ נֹ֣כַח הַשֻּׁלְחָ֔ן עַ֛ל צֶ֥לַע הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן תֵּימָ֑נָה וְהַ֨שֻּׁלְחָ֔ן תִּתֵּ֖ן עַל־צֶ֥לַע צָפֽוֹן׃
And thou shalt set the table without the veil, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
… וְהִבְדִּילָ֤ה הַפָּרֹ֨כֶת֙ לָכֶ֔ם בֵּ֣ין הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וּבֵ֖ין קֹ֥דֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִֽׁים׃
And thou shalt hang up the veil under the clasps, and shalt bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony; and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
Middle skip 518, backward from Deuteronomy 15:11
כִּ֛י לֹא־יֶחְדַּ֥ל אֶבְי֖וֹן מִקֶּ֣רֶב הָאָ֑רֶץ עַל־כֵּ֞ן אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּ֠תֹחַ תִּפְתַּ֨ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֜ לְאָחִ֧יךָ לַעֲנִיֶּ֛ךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ בְּאַרְצֶֽךָ׃
For the poor shall never cease out of the land; therefore I command thee, saying: ‘Thou shalt surely open thy hand unto thy poor and needy brother, in thy land.’
אֶ֕פֶס כִּ֛י לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־בְּךָ֖ אֶבְי֑וֹן כִּֽי־בָרֵ֤ךְ יְבָֽרֶכְךָ֙ יְקוָ֔ק בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹֽתֵן־לְךָ֥ נַחֲלָ֖ה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃
Howbeit there shall be no needy among you—for the LORD will surely bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it—
… כִּֽי־יִרְחַ֤ק מִמְּךָ֙ הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִבְחַר֙ יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֔יךָ לָשׂ֥וּם שְׁמ֖וֹ …
And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, because the place is too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set His name there, when the LORD thy God shall bless thee;
וְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁ֧ר אֵֽין־ל֛וֹ סְנַפִּ֥יר וְקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂת לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֑לוּ טָמֵ֥א ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם׃
and whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye shall not eat; it is unclean unto you.
Wide skip 5,008, forward from Leviticus 13:6
וְרָאָה֩ הַכֹּהֵ֨ן אֹת֜וֹ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי֮ שֵׁנִית֒ וְהִנֵּה֙ כֵּהָ֣ה …
And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day; and, behold, if the plague be dim, and the plague be not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is a scab; and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
וְיָצָ֧א הַכֹּהֵ֛ן מִן־הַבַּ֖יִת אֶל־פֶּ֣תַח הַבָּ֑יִת וְהִסְגִּ֥יר אֶת־הַבַּ֖יִת שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃
then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days.
וְזָרַ֨ק הַכֹּהֵ֤ן אֶת־הַדָּם֙ עַל־מִזְבַּ֣ח יְקוָ֔ק פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְהִקְטִ֣יר הַחֵ֔לֶב לְרֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיקוָֽק׃
And the priest shall dash the blood against the altar of the LORD at the door of the tent of meeting, and make the fat smoke for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
וִהְיִ֤יתֶם לִי֙ קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אֲנִ֣י יְקוָ֑ק וָאַבְדִּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִן־הָֽעַמִּ֖ים לִהְי֥וֹת לִֽי׃
And ye shall be holy unto Me; for I the LORD am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that ye should be Mine.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 6, backward from Psalm 35:20
כִּ֤י לֹ֥א שָׁל֗וֹם יְדַ֫בֵּ֥רוּ וְעַ֥ל רִגְעֵי־אֶ֑רֶץ דִּבְרֵ֥י מִ֝רְמוֹת יַחֲשֹׁבֽוּן׃
For they speak not peace; But they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
אַֽל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִ֣י אֹיְבַ֣י שֶׁ֑קֶר שֹׂנְאַ֥י חִ֝נָּ֗ם יִקְרְצוּ־עָֽיִן׃
Let not them that are wrongfully mine enemies rejoice over me; Neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
Middle skip 500, forward from Isaiah 24:9
בַּשִּׁ֖יר לֹ֣א יִשְׁתּוּ־יָ֑יִן יֵמַ֥ר שֵׁכָ֖ר לְשֹׁתָֽיו׃
They drink not wine with a song; Strong drink is bitter to them that drink it.
וְהָיָה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יִפְקֹ֧ד יְקוָ֛ק עַל־צְבָ֥א הַמָּר֖וֹם בַּמָּר֑וֹם וְעַל־מַלְכֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה עַל־הָאֲדָמָֽה׃
And it shall come to pass in that day, That the LORD will punish the host of the high heaven on high, And the kings of the earth upon the earth.
בִּלַּ֤ע הַמָּ֨וֶת֙ לָנֶ֔צַח וּמָחָ֨ה אֲדֹנָ֧י יְקוִ֛ק דִּמְעָ֖ה …
He will swallow up death for ever; And the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; And the reproach of His people will He take away from off all the earth; For the LORD hath spoken it.
אֹ֥רַח לַצַּדִּ֖יק מֵֽישָׁרִ֑ים יָשָׁ֕ר מַעְגַּ֥ל צַדִּ֖יק תְּפַלֵּֽס׃
The way of the just is straight; Thou, Most Upright, makest plain the path of the just.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 1 | 2.7 |
| 11 to 100 | 24 | 26.8 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 233 | 267 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 1,167 | 1,156 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 13,952 | 13,683 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 258. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 258 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 99/100 | 299 | 253 to 333 |
| Words within each verse | 79/100 | 273 | 245 to 321 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 5,074 | 3,876 |
| Exodus | 3,404 | 3,154 |
| Leviticus | 1,708 | 2,224 |
| Numbers | 2,555 | 3,155 |
| Deuteronomy | 2,636 | 2,726 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 43,715 | 54,955 |
| Prophets | 101,842 | 99,831 |
| Writings | 71,505 | 61,005 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set יצחק beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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