Joseph יוסף
One psalm spells his name with an extra ה. In the division of the land, his two sons take shares in his place.
- Found in the Torah
- 32,360
- Chance alone: 30,437
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 590,783
- Chance alone: 580,272
- Skips 2 to 399,013
Create a free accountFree, and this search opens as soon as you are in.
Rachel names him for what she wants next: the Lord add to me another son, Genesis 30:24, using the verb יסף. That is the whole reason for the name. His story fills the end of Genesis, 145 bare mentions there. Then Psalm 81:6 does something no other verse does, and writes ביהוסף, with a ה in the middle, the only time the name takes that shape. Traditional readers have asked why, and the Talmud in Sotah 36b answers that the added letter is one from the Name, given to him on the night he learned the seventy languages. His place among the tribes is unusual too. His portion goes to his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as Genesis 48:5 arranges, so that the count of twelve holds with Levi set aside.
- As a whole word
- 203
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 30:24
The measurement
The default skips give 3,240 sequences against 2,921 by chance. The odd spelling of Psalm 81:6, which the Torah never uses, has 2,229 at every skip against 2,100.8. Both run high by a similar margin, so whatever is behind the surplus is not the name.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 32,360 | 590,783 |
| Chance alone | 30,437 | 580,272 |
| P (≥ found) | 5.3 × 10⁻²⁸ | 2.3 × 10⁻⁴³ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,016 | 398,501 |
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 3,240 against 2,921 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| יוסף203 as a word | 32,360 chance 30,437 | 590,783 chance 580,272 |
| יהוסף0 as a word | 2,229 chance 2,101 | 37,413 chance 37,070 |
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 41:41
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶל־יוֹסֵ֑ף רְאֵה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי אֹֽתְךָ֔ עַ֖ל כָּל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: ‘See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.’
וַיָּ֨סַר פַּרְעֹ֤ה אֶת־טַבַּעְתּוֹ֙ מֵעַ֣ל יָד֔וֹ וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֖הּ עַל־יַ֣ד יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיַּלְבֵּ֤שׁ אֹתוֹ֙ בִּגְדֵי־שֵׁ֔שׁ וַיָּ֛שֶׂם רְבִ֥ד הַזָּהָ֖ב עַל־צַוָּארֽוֹ׃
And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Exodus 23:8
וְשֹׁ֖חַד לֹ֣א תִקָּ֑ח כִּ֤י הַשֹּׁ֨חַד֙ יְעַוֵּ֣ר פִּקְחִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽים׃
And thou shalt take no gift; for a gift blindeth them that have sight, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
Short skip 50, backward from Numbers 13:2
שְׁלַח־לְךָ֣ אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וְיָתֻ֨רוּ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י …
’Send thou men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel; of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a prince among them.’
וְאַחַ֛ר נָסְע֥וּ הָעָ֖ם מֵחֲצֵר֑וֹת וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָֽן׃
And afterward the people journeyed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.
וַתִּסָּגֵ֥ר מִרְיָ֛ם מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וְהָעָם֙ לֹ֣א נָסַ֔ע עַד־הֵאָסֵ֖ף מִרְיָֽם׃
And Miriam was shut up without the camp seven days; and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.
… אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה וְאָבִ֨יהָ֙ יָרֹ֤ק יָרַק֙ בְּפָנֶ֔יהָ הֲלֹ֥א תִכָּלֵ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים …
And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘If her father had but spit in her face, should she not hide in shame seven days? let her be shut up without the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.’
Middle skip 524, backward from Deuteronomy 9:1
שְׁמַ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אַתָּ֨ה עֹבֵ֤ר הַיּוֹם֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לָבֹא֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת גּוֹיִ֔ם גְּדֹלִ֥ים וַעֲצֻמִ֖ים מִמֶּ֑ךָּ עָרִ֛ים גְּדֹלֹ֥ת וּבְצֻרֹ֖ת בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
Hear, O Israel: thou art to pass over the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fortified up to heaven,
פֶּן־תֹּאכַ֖ל וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבָתִּ֥ים טוֹבִ֛ים תִּבְנֶ֖ה וְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ׃
lest when thou hast eaten and art satisfied, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
… שָׁנָ֖ה בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר לְמַ֨עַן עַנֹּֽתְךָ֜ לְנַסֹּֽתְךָ֗ לָדַ֜עַת אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֧ר בִּֽלְבָבְךָ֛ הֲתִשְׁמֹ֥ר …
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that He might afflict thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no.
… אֱ־לֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ לְכָל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה יָרֵ֖א מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃
the great trials which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out; so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the peoples of whom thou art afraid.
Wide skip 5,030, backward from Leviticus 25:34
וּֽשְׂדֵ֛ה מִגְרַ֥שׁ עָרֵיהֶ֖ם לֹ֣א יִמָּכֵ֑ר כִּֽי־אֲחֻזַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם ה֖וּא לָהֶֽם׃
But the fields of the open land about their cities may not be sold; for that is their perpetual possession.
שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒ וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבָּתוֹן֙ מִקְרָא־קֹ֔דֶשׁ …
Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of work; it is a sabbath unto the LORD in all your dwellings.
וְכִפֶּר֩ עָלָ֨יו הַכֹּהֵ֜ן בְּאֵ֤יל הָֽאָשָׁם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְקוָ֔ק עַל־חַטָּאת֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֑א וְנִסְלַ֣ח ל֔וֹ מֵחַטָּאת֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָטָֽא׃
And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt-offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned; and he shall be forgiven for his sin which he hath sinned.
… בַּד֙ יַחְגֹּ֔ר וּבְמִצְנֶ֥פֶת בַּ֖ד יִצְנֹ֑ף בִּגְדֵי־קֹ֣דֶשׁ הֵ֔ם וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם …
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.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Isaiah 2:21
לָבוֹא֙ בְּנִקְר֣וֹת הַצֻּרִ֔ים וּבִסְעִפֵ֖י הַסְּלָעִ֑ים מִפְּנֵ֞י פַּ֤חַד יְקוָק֙ וּמֵהֲדַ֣ר גְּאוֹנ֔וֹ בְּקוּמ֖וֹ לַעֲרֹ֥ץ הָאָֽרֶץ׃
To go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crevices of the crags, From before the terror of the LORD, And from the glory of His majesty, When he ariseth to shake mightily the earth.
Middle skip 500, forward from 2 Kings 12:18
אָ֣ז יַעֲלֶ֗ה חֲזָאֵל֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֔ם וַיִּלָּ֥חֶם עַל־גַּ֖ת וַֽיִּלְכְּדָ֑הּ וַיָּ֤שֶׂם חֲזָאֵל֙ פָּנָ֔יו לַעֲל֖וֹת עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
Then Hazael king of Aram went up, and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יְקוָ֖ק בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֞ם בְּיַ֣ד חֲזָאֵ֣ל מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֗ם וּבְיַ֛ד בֶּן־הֲדַ֥ד בֶּן־חֲזָאֵ֖ל כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, continually.
וַיַּֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְקוָ֑ק לֹ֣א סָ֗ר מִכָּל־חַטֹּ֞אות יָרָבְעָ֧ם בֶּן־נְבָ֛ט אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱטִ֥יא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּ֥הּ הָלָֽךְ׃
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; but he walked therein.
וַיִּקְצֹ֨ף עָלָ֜יו אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱ־לֹהִ֗ים וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ …
And the man of God was wroth with him, and said: ‘Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Aram till thou hadst consumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Aram but thrice.’
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 6 | 5.4 |
| 11 to 100 | 61 | 53.9 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 557 | 536 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 2,616 | 2,326 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 29,120 | 27,516 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 624. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 624 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 15/100 | 595 | 528 to 653 |
| Words within each verse | 88/100 | 652 | 582 to 710 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 9,576 | 7,795 |
| Exodus | 6,785 | 6,343 |
| Leviticus | 4,212 | 4,472 |
| Numbers | 6,363 | 6,344 |
| Deuteronomy | 5,424 | 5,482 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 124,786 | 147,778 |
| Prophets | 280,586 | 268,450 |
| Writings | 185,411 | 164,044 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set יוסף 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.