Peace שלום
שלום in the Tanakh often asks after someone's health long before it ends a war. A word for wholeness, and also a man's name.
- Found in the Torah
- 905,582
- Chance alone: 924,271
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 15,420,836
- Chance alone: 15,327,830
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Jacob reaches a well in Haran and asks the shepherds about Laban. Is it well with him? The Hebrew of Genesis 29:6 is הֲשָׁלוֹם לוֹ, and the shepherds answer שלום. That is the word's first bare appearance, and it sets the usual tone: David sends messengers to ask after a man's שלום, and Joseph asks his brothers about the שלום of their father. It means whole, sound, nothing missing. Peace between armies is one use of a wider word. The priestly blessing in Numbers 6:26 ends on it. The same letters also spell a man's name, Shallum, a king of Israel in 2 Kings 15:13, and that is why the count below cannot be read as a count of peace.
- As a whole word
- 135
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 15:15
The measurement
Almost every letter shuffle beats the real text here: 99 of 100 reach its 17,729 at skips 2 to 1,000. Word shuffles within verses split evenly around it, 62 of 100, so the shortfall tells you that Hebrew does not arrange these letters at random.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 905,582 | 15,420,836 |
| Chance alone | 924,271 | 15,327,830 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 8.5 × 10⁻¹²⁵ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,556 | 398,894 |
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 88,226 against 88,703 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 2, forward from Genesis 11:4
וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ הָ֣בָה נִבְנֶה־לָּ֣נוּ עִ֗יר וּמִגְדָּל֙ וְרֹאשׁ֣וֹ בַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֖נוּ שֵׁ֑ם פֶּן־נָפ֖וּץ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And they said: ‘Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, with its top in heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’
Shortest skip 2, forward from Genesis 36:37
וַיָּ֖מָת שַׂמְלָ֑ה וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו שָׁא֖וּל מֵרְחֹב֥וֹת הַנָּהָֽר׃
And Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his stead.
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 23:33
לֹ֤א יֵשְׁבוּ֙ בְּאַרְצְךָ֔ פֶּן־יַחֲטִ֥יאוּ אֹתְךָ֖ לִ֑י כִּ֤י תַעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־אֱ־לֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־יִהְיֶ֥ה לְךָ֖ לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ׃
They shall not dwell in thy land—lest they make thee sin against Me, for thou wilt serve their gods—for they will be a snare unto thee.
וְאֶל־מֹשֶׁ֨ה אָמַ֜ר עֲלֵ֣ה אֶל־יְקוָ֗ק אַתָּה֙ וְאַהֲרֹן֙ נָדָ֣ב וַאֲבִיה֔וּא וְשִׁבְעִ֖ים מִזִּקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֖ם מֵרָחֹֽק׃
And unto Moses He said: ‘Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off;
וְנִגַּ֨שׁ מֹשֶׁ֤ה לְבַדּוֹ֙ אֶל־יְקוָ֔ק וְהֵ֖ם לֹ֣א יִגָּ֑שׁוּ וְהָעָ֕ם לֹ֥א יַעֲל֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ׃
and Moses alone shall come near unto the LORD; but they shall not come near; neither shall the people go up with him.’
Middle skip 500, forward from Leviticus 4:29
וְסָמַךְ֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ הַֽחַטָּ֑את וְשָׁחַט֙ אֶת־הַ֣חַטָּ֔את בִּמְק֖וֹם הָעֹלָֽה׃
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin-offering, and kill the sin-offering in the place of burnt-offering.
… בְנִבְלַ֨ת חַיָּ֜ה טְמֵאָ֗ה א֤וֹ בְּנִבְלַת֙ בְּהֵמָ֣ה טְמֵאָ֔ה א֕וֹ בְּנִבְלַ֖ת …
or if any one touch any unclean thing, whether it be the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean cattle, or the carcass of unclean swarming things, and be guilty, it being hidden from him that he is unclean;
וְאֶת־הַשֵּׁנִ֛י יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה עֹלָ֖ה כַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט וְכִפֶּ֨ר עָלָ֧יו הַכֹּהֵ֛ן מֵחַטָּאת֥וֹ אֲשֶׁר־חָטָ֖א וְנִסְלַ֥ח לֽוֹ׃
And he shall prepare the second for a burnt-offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin which he hath sinned, and he shall be forgiven.
וְ֠הֵבִיא אַ֣יִל תָּמִ֧ים מִן־הַצֹּ֛אן בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ לְאָשָׁ֖ם אֶל־הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וְכִפֶּר֩ …
And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, according to thy valuation, for a guilt-offering, unto the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the error which he committed, though he knew it not, and he shall be forgiven.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Numbers 3:34
וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם֙ בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר כָּל־זָכָ֔ר מִבֶּן־חֹ֖דֶשׁ וָמָ֑עְלָה שֵׁ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים וּמָאתָֽיִם׃
And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred;
… וּבָ֨אוּ בָ֜הּ הַמַּ֤יִם הַמְאָֽרֲרִים֙ לְמָרִ֔ים וְצָבְתָ֣ה בִטְנָ֔הּ וְנָפְלָ֖ה יְרֵכָ֑הּ …
And when he hath made her drink the water, then it shall come to pass, if she be defiled, and have acted unfaithfully against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away…
קָרְבָּנ֞וֹ קַֽעֲרַת־כֶּ֣סֶף אַחַ֗ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וּמֵאָה֮ מִשְׁקָלָהּ֒ מִזְרָ֤ק אֶחָד֙ כֶּ֔סֶף …
his offering was one silver dish, the weight thereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering;
וַיִּצְעַ֥ק הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֤ל מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־יְקוָ֔ק וַתִּשְׁקַ֖ע הָאֵֽשׁ׃
And the people cried unto Moses; and Moses prayed unto the LORD, and the fire abated.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Judges 4:20
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלֶ֔יהָ עֲמֹ֖ד פֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֑הֶל וְהָיָה֩ אִם־אִ֨ישׁ יָב֜וֹא וּשְׁאֵלֵ֗ךְ וְאָמַ֛ר הֲיֵֽשׁ־פֹּ֥ה אִ֖ישׁ וְאָמַ֥רְתְּ אָֽיִן׃
And he said unto her: ‘Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say: Is there any man here? that thou shalt say: No.’
Middle skip 500, forward from Joshua 10:8
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְקוָ֤ק אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ֙ אַל־תִּירָ֣א מֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֥י בְיָדְךָ֖ נְתַתִּ֑ים לֹֽא־יַעֲמֹ֥ד אִ֛ישׁ מֵהֶ֖ם בְּפָנֶֽיךָ׃
And the LORD said unto Joshua: ‘Fear them not; for I have delivered them into thy hand; there shall not a man of them stand against thee.’
וַיָּ֤שָׁב יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ֙ וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל עִמּ֔וֹ אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה הַגִּלְגָּֽלָה׃
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
… יַרְמ֔וּת אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ לָכִ֖ישׁ אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ עֶגְלֽוֹן׃
And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.
וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר יְ֠הוֹשֻׁעַ וְכָֽל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל עִמּ֛וֹ מִמַּקֵּדָ֖ה לִבְנָ֑ה וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם עִם־לִבְנָֽה׃
And Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 178 | 164 |
| 11 to 100 | 1,638 | 1,636 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 15,913 | 16,284 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 70,497 | 70,619 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 817,356 | 835,568 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 17,729. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 17,729 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 99/100 | 18,093 | 17,703 to 18,434 |
| Words within each verse | 62/100 | 17,758 | 17,392 to 18,073 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 205,136 | 236,696 |
| Exodus | 199,548 | 192,619 |
| Leviticus | 130,435 | 135,813 |
| Numbers | 207,626 | 192,661 |
| Deuteronomy | 162,837 | 166,481 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 4,154,605 | 3,903,530 |
| Prophets | 7,013,326 | 7,091,082 |
| Writings | 4,252,905 | 4,333,219 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set שלום beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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