Jacob יעקב
Five times the Tanakh writes יעקוב in full. Rashi pairs those five with five short spellings of Elijah's name.
- Found in the Torah
- 103,738
- Chance alone: 97,712
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 1,495,399
- Chance alone: 1,525,701
- Skips 2 to 399,013
Create a free accountFree, and this search opens as soon as you are in.
The usual spelling is יעקב, and it comes from the heel: his hand had hold of Esau's heel, עקב, in Genesis 25:26. Five times, the Tanakh adds a ו. Leviticus 26:42 has it, and Jeremiah has the other four. Five times, in the other direction, the name of Elijah loses its ו and is written אליה. Rashi puts these two facts together on Leviticus 26:42: Jacob took a letter from Elijah's name as a pledge, that he would come and announce his children's redemption. It is one of the best-known remarks ever made about spelling. Whatever you make of it, he was counting letters, and he was counting them in the plain text. You can compare both spellings below, and Elijah's page has the other half.
- As a whole word
- 270
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 25:26
The measurement
Both spellings stand above the formula in the Torah, by 6.2 percent and 5.3 percent. The surplus is not in the short skips, where word shuffles pass the real 1,942 more often than not. It sits in the long ones, where nobody could read a sequence as Hebrew anyway.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 103,738 | 1,495,399 |
| Chance alone | 97,712 | 1,525,701 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.7 × 10⁻⁸¹ | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 3 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,285 | 398,867 |
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 9,524 against 9,377 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| יעקב270 as a word | 103,738 chance 97,712 | 1,495,399 chance 1,525,701 |
| יעקוב5 as a word | 7,730 chance 7,340 | 122,697 chance 123,892 |
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 3, forward from Genesis 50:7
וַיַּ֥עַל יוֹסֵ֖ף לִקְבֹּ֣ר אֶת־אָבִ֑יו וַיַּֽעֲל֨וּ אִתּ֜וֹ כָּל־עַבְדֵ֤י פַרְעֹה֙ זִקְנֵ֣י בֵית֔וֹ וְכֹ֖ל זִקְנֵ֥י אֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,
Shortest skip 3, forward from Numbers 22:36
וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע בָּלָ֖ק כִּ֣י בָ֣א בִלְעָ֑ם וַיֵּצֵ֨א לִקְרָאת֜וֹ אֶל־עִ֣יר מוֹאָ֗ב אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־גְּב֣וּל אַרְנֹ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֖ר בִּקְצֵ֥ה הַגְּבֽוּל׃
And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto Ir-moab, which is on the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border.
Short skip 51, forward from Deuteronomy 9:9
… לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔לְתִּי וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֥א שָׁתִֽיתִי׃
When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights; I did neither eat bread nor drink water.
… הָֽאֲבָנִ֔ים כְּתֻבִ֖ים בְּאֶצְבַּ֣ע אֱ־לֹהִ֑ים וַעֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כְּֽכָל־הַדְּבָרִ֡ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּר֩ יְקוָ֨ק …
And the LORD delivered unto me the two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spoke with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
וַיְהִ֗י מִקֵּץ֙ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָ֑יְלָה נָתַ֨ן יְקוָ֜ק אֵלַ֗י אֶת־שְׁנֵ֛י לֻחֹ֥ת הָאֲבָנִ֖ים לֻח֥וֹת הַבְּרִֽית׃
And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.
Middle skip 501, forward from Exodus 36:11
וַיַּ֜עַשׂ לֻֽלְאֹ֣ת תְּכֵ֗לֶת עַ֣ל שְׂפַ֤ת הַיְרִיעָה֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת מִקָּצָ֖ה בַּמַּחְבָּ֑רֶת כֵּ֤ן עָשָׂה֙ בִּשְׂפַ֣ת הַיְרִיעָ֔ה הַקִּ֣יצוֹנָ֔ה בַּמַּחְבֶּ֖רֶת הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃
And he made loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain that was outmost in the first set; likewise he made in the edge of the curtain that was outmost in the second set.
עֶ֥שֶׂר אַמֹּ֖ת אֹ֣רֶךְ הַקָּ֑רֶשׁ וְאַמָּה֙ וַחֲצִ֣י הָֽאַמָּ֔ה רֹ֖חַב הַקֶּ֥רֶשׁ הָאֶחָֽד׃
Ten cubits was the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each board.
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ בְּרִיחֵ֖י עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים חֲמִשָּׁ֕ה לְקַרְשֵׁ֥י צֶֽלַע־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן הָאֶחָֽת׃
And he made bars of acacia-wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
וַיִּצֹ֣ק ל֗וֹ אַרְבַּע֙ טַבְּעֹ֣ת זָהָ֔ב עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פַּעֲמֹתָ֑יו וּשְׁתֵּ֣י טַבָּעֹ֗ת עַל־צַלְעוֹ֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת וּשְׁתֵּי֙ טַבָּע֔וֹת עַל־צַלְע֖וֹ הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃
And he cast for it four rings of gold, in the four feet thereof: even two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
Wide skip 5,000, backward from Leviticus 14:17
… יָדוֹ֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית וְעַל־בֹּ֥הֶן רַגְל֖וֹ הַיְמָנִ֑ית עַ֖ל דַּ֥ם הָאָשָֽׁם׃
And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the guilt-offering.
כֹּל֩ הוֹלֵ֨ךְ עַל־גָּח֜וֹן וְכֹ֣ל הוֹלֵ֣ךְ עַל־אַרְבַּ֗ע עַ֚ד כָּל־מַרְבֵּ֣ה רַגְלַ֔יִם לְכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לֹ֥א תֹאכְל֖וּם כִּי־שֶׁ֥קֶץ הֵֽם׃
Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all fours, or whatsoever hath many feet, even all swarming things that swarm upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are a detestable thing.
… וְֽחַלַּ֨ת לֶ֥חֶם שֶׁ֛מֶן אַחַ֖ת וְרָקִ֣יק אֶחָ֑ד וַיָּ֨שֶׂם֙ עַל־הַ֣חֲלָבִ֔ים וְעַ֖ל …
And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat, and upon the right thigh.
… לַכֹּהֵ֑ן וְהַכֹּהֵ֗ן יְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָ֛יו בְּאֵ֥יל הָאָשָׁ֖ם וְנִסְלַ֥ח לֽוֹ׃
And he shall make restitution for that which he hath done amiss in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt-offering, and he shall be forgiven.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from 1 Samuel 17:1
וַיַּאַסְפ֨וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֤ים אֶת־מַֽחֲנֵיהֶם֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וַיֵּאָ֣סְפ֔וּ שֹׂכֹ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִיהוּדָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֛וּ בֵּין־שׂוֹכֹ֥ה וּבֵין־עֲזֵקָ֖ה בְּאֶ֥פֶס דַּמִּֽים׃
Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.
Middle skip 500, forward from Jeremiah 2:30
לַשָּׁוְא֙ הִכֵּ֣יתִי אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֔ם מוּסָ֖ר לֹ֣א לָקָ֑חוּ אָכְלָ֧ה חַרְבְּכֶ֛ם נְבִֽיאֵיכֶ֖ם כְּאַרְיֵ֥ה מַשְׁחִֽית׃
In vain have I smitten your children— They received no correction; Your sword hath devoured your prophets, Like a destroying lion.
שְׂאִֽי־עֵינַ֨יִךְ עַל־שְׁפָיִ֜ם וּרְאִ֗י אֵיפֹה֙ לֹ֣א שגלתשֻׁכַּ֔בְתְּ עַל־דְּרָכִים֙ יָשַׁ֣בְתְּ לָהֶ֔ם כַּעֲרָבִ֖י בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַתַּחֲנִ֣יפִי אֶ֔רֶץ בִּזְנוּתַ֖יִךְ וּבְרָעָתֵֽךְ׃
Lift up thine eyes unto the high hills, and see: Where hast thou not been lain with? By the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy harlotries and with thy wickedness.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְקוָק֙ אֵלַ֔י צִדְּקָ֥ה נַפְשָׁ֖הּ מְשֻׁבָ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִבֹּגֵדָ֖ה יְהוּדָֽה׃
even the LORD said unto me—backsliding Israel hath proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔מָּה יֵלְכ֥וּ בֵית־יְהוּדָ֖ה עַל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְיָבֹ֤אוּ יַחְדָּו֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֔וֹן עַל־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִנְחַ֖לְתִּי אֶת־אֲבוֹתֵיכֶֽם׃
In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.’
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 23 | 17.3 |
| 11 to 100 | 179 | 173 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 1,740 | 1,722 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 7,582 | 7,466 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 94,214 | 88,335 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 1,942. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 1,942 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 32/100 | 1,916 | 1,834 to 2,003 |
| Words within each verse | 63/100 | 1,951 | 1,847 to 2,057 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 32,109 | 25,023 |
| Exodus | 22,882 | 20,363 |
| Leviticus | 12,590 | 14,358 |
| Numbers | 19,022 | 20,368 |
| Deuteronomy | 17,135 | 17,600 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 347,673 | 388,549 |
| Prophets | 693,115 | 705,832 |
| Writings | 454,611 | 431,320 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set יעקב 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.