Naphtali נפתלי
A name from a wrestling match between two sisters, and in Genesis 30:8 Rachel says she has won it.
- Found in the Torah
- 8,152
- Chance alone: 7,318
- Skips 2 to 76,212
- Found in the Tanakh
- 113,220
- Chance alone: 112,974
- Skips 2 to 299,260
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With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, says Rachel in Genesis 30:8, and have prevailed. The name is the strongest thing anyone in that family says aloud. The Hebrew נפתולי א־להים literally has the word God in it, which JPS turns into mighty. He is born to Bilhah, and Rachel takes him as her own. Jacob's blessing in Genesis 49:21 calls him a hind let loose. Deborah's song says that Zebulun and Naphtali risked their lives on the high places of the field, Judges 5:18, and Barak of Kedesh, who led the army, came from this tribe. The name is five letters long and always spelled the same way, so a reader has no choice of spelling to make here.
- As a whole word
- 39
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 30:8
The measurement
11.4 percent over the formula, 8,152 against 7,317.7, and the shuffled Torahs shrug: about half of them reach the real 190 at skips 2 to 1,000. The default skips, by contrast, give 932 against 928.5, so the whole gap lies at long skips.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 8,152 | 113,220 |
| Chance alone | 7,318 | 112,974 |
| P (≥ found) | 5.2 × 10⁻²² | 0.23 |
| Shortest skip | 9 | 3 |
| Longest skip | 75,973 | 298,851 |
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 932 against 929 by chance. How these figures are made.
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 9, backward from Genesis 31:31
Short skip 58, forward from Exodus 28:38
… אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַקְדִּ֨ישׁוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְכָֽל־מַתְּנֹ֖ת קָדְשֵׁיהֶ֑ם וְהָיָ֤ה עַל־מִצְחוֹ֙ תָּמִ֔יד …
And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity committed in the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow, even in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
וְשִׁבַּצְתָּ֙ הַכְּתֹ֣נֶת שֵׁ֔שׁ וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ מִצְנֶ֣פֶת שֵׁ֑שׁ וְאַבְנֵ֥ט תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה רֹקֵֽם׃
And thou shalt weave the tunic in chequer work of fine linen, and thou shalt make a mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make a girdle, the work of the weaver in colours.
וְלִבְנֵ֤י אַהֲרֹן֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה כֻתֳּנֹ֔ת וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ לָהֶ֖ם אַבְנֵטִ֑ים וּמִגְבָּעוֹת֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם לְכָב֖וֹד וּלְתִפְאָֽרֶת׃
And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make tunics, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and head-tires shalt thou make for them, for splendour and for beauty.
וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֤ אֹתָם֙ אֶת־אַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֔יךָ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖יו אִתּ֑וֹ וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֨ אֹתָ֜ם וּמִלֵּאתָ֧ אֶת־יָדָ֛ם וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֥ אֹתָ֖ם וְכִהֲנ֥וּ לִֽי׃
And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and upon his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto Me in the priest’s office.
וַעֲשֵׂ֤ה לָהֶם֙ מִכְנְסֵי־בָ֔ד לְכַסּ֖וֹת בְּשַׂ֣ר עֶרְוָ֑ה מִמָּתְנַ֥יִם וְעַד־יְרֵכַ֖יִם יִהְיֽוּ׃
And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach.
Middle skip 505, forward from Deuteronomy 21:7
וְעָנ֖וּ וְאָמְר֑וּ יָדֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֤א שפכהשָֽׁפְכוּ֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְעֵינֵ֖ינוּ לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ׃
And they shall speak and say: ‘Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
וְהָיָ֗ה בְּיוֹם֙ הַנְחִיל֣וֹ אֶת־בָּנָ֔יו אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־יִהְיֶ֖ה ל֑וֹ לֹ֣א יוּכַ֗ל לְבַכֵּר֙ אֶת־בֶּן־הָ֣אֲהוּבָ֔ה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י בֶן־הַשְּׂנוּאָ֖ה הַבְּכֹֽר׃
then it shall be, in the day that he causeth his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved the first-born before the son of the hated, who is the first-born;
… אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְלֹ֣א יְדַעְתּ֑וֹ וַאֲסַפְתּוֹ֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ בֵּיתֶ֔ךָ וְהָיָ֣ה עִמְּךָ֗ עַ֣ד …
And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, and thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it home to thy house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother require it, and thou shalt restore it to him.
גְּדִלִ֖ים תַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֑ךְ עַל־אַרְבַּ֛ע כַּנְפ֥וֹת כְּסוּתְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּכַסֶּה־בָּֽהּ׃
Thou shalt make thee twisted cords upon the four corners of thy covering, wherewith thou coverest thyself.
… נְבָלָה֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִזְנ֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יהָ וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥ הָרָ֖ע מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃
then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die; because she hath wrought a wanton deed in Israel, to play the harlot in her father’s house; so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.
Wide skip 5,003, forward from Numbers 5:2
צַ֚ו אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וִֽישַׁלְּחוּ֙ מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה כָּל־צָר֖וּעַ וְכָל־זָ֑ב וְכֹ֖ל טָמֵ֥א לָנָֽפֶשׁ׃
’Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is unclean by the dead;
כַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת׃
one golden pan of ten shekels, full of incense;
וּתְקַעְתֶּ֖ם תְּרוּעָ֑ה וְנָֽסְעוּ֙ הַֽמַּחֲנ֔וֹת הַחֹנִ֖ים קֵֽדְמָה׃
And when ye blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall take their journey.
וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ עַד־נַ֣חַל אֶשְׁכֹּ֗ל וַיִּכְרְת֨וּ מִשָּׁ֤ם זְמוֹרָה֙ וְאֶשְׁכּ֤וֹל עֲנָבִים֙ אֶחָ֔ד וַיִּשָּׂאֻ֥הוּ בַמּ֖וֹט בִּשְׁנָ֑יִם וּמִן־הָרִמֹּנִ֖ים וּמִן־הַתְּאֵנִֽים׃
And they came unto the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it upon a pole between two; they took also of the pomegranates, and of the figs.—
וַיִּקַּ֣ח קֹ֔רַח בֶּן־יִצְהָ֥ר בֶּן־קְהָ֖ת בֶּן־לֵוִ֑י וְדָתָ֨ן וַאֲבִירָ֜ם בְּנֵ֧י אֱלִיאָ֛ב וְא֥וֹן בֶּן־פֶּ֖לֶת בְּנֵ֥י רְאוּבֵֽן׃
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men;
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 3, forward from 2 Chronicles 24:11
וַיְהִ֡י בְּעֵת֩ יָבִ֨יא אֶת־הָֽאָר֜וֹן אֶל־פְּקֻדַּ֣ת הַמֶּלֶךְ֮ בְּיַ֣ד הַלְוִיִּם֒ וְכִרְאוֹתָ֞ם כִּי־רַ֣ב הַכֶּ֗סֶף …
And it was so, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king’s officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it back to its place…
Middle skip 504, backward from Psalm 68:17
לָ֤מָּה תְּֽרַצְּדוּן֮ הָרִ֪ים גַּבְנֻ֫נִּ֥ים הָהָ֗ר חָמַ֣ד אֱ־לֹהִ֣ים לְשִׁבְתּ֑וֹ אַף־יְ֝קוָ֗ק יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָנֶֽצַח׃
Why look ye askance, ye mountains of peaks, At the mountain which God hath desired for His abode? Yea, the LORD will dwell therein for ever.
כְּהִנְדֹּ֥ף עָשָׁ֗ן תִּ֫נְדֹּ֥ף כְּהִמֵּ֣ס דּ֭וֹנַג מִפְּנֵי־אֵ֑שׁ יֹאבְד֥וּ רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים מִפְּנֵ֥י אֱ־לֹהִֽים׃
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melteth before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
אֲשֶׁר־פָּצ֥וּ שְׂפָתָ֑י וְדִבֶּר־פִּ֝֗י בַּצַּר־לִֽי׃
Which my lips have uttered, And my mouth hath spoken, when I was in distress.
עִ֭טַּרְתָּ שְׁנַ֣ת טוֹבָתֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מַעְגָּלֶ֗יךָ יִרְעֲפ֥וּן דָּֽשֶׁן׃
Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and Thy paths drop fatness.
וַיֹּרֵ֗ם אֱ־לֹ֫הִ֥ים חֵ֥ץ פִּתְא֑וֹם הָ֝י֗וּ מַכּוֹתָֽם׃
But God doth shoot at them with an arrow suddenly; thence are their wounds.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 1 | 1.7 |
| 11 to 100 | 14 | 17.3 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 175 | 172 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 742 | 738 |
| 5,001 to 76,212 | 7,220 | 6,389 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 190. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 190 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 50/100 | 190 | 156 to 227 |
| Words within each verse | 46/100 | 188 | 154 to 225 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 2,078 | 1,874 |
| Exodus | 1,499 | 1,525 |
| Leviticus | 1,172 | 1,075 |
| Numbers | 2,180 | 1,525 |
| Deuteronomy | 1,223 | 1,318 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 28,936 | 28,771 |
| Prophets | 45,001 | 52,265 |
| Writings | 39,283 | 31,938 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set נפתלי beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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