Prophet נביא
Abraham is the Torah's first נביא, and the word is spoken in a dream to a Philistine king. 1 Samuel adds a note on how the word changed.
- Found in the Torah
- 688,593
- Chance alone: 707,143
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 11,003,757
- Chance alone: 11,026,154
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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God tells Abimelech in a dream to give Sarah back, for her husband is a נביא, and he will pray for thee. That is Genesis 20:7, the word's first use, and what it asks of a prophet is intercession. In Exodus 7:1 Aaron is called Moses's prophet because he will speak for him, and that gives the plainest sense of the word: one who speaks for another. The Tanakh even keeps a note on its own vocabulary. He that is now called a prophet, says 1 Samuel 9:9, was beforetime called a seer. With the article the word stands 120 times, and the bare form 29. The Torah Codex takes no view on anything these four letters may say at a skip. It counts them.
- As a whole word
- 29
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 20:7
The measurement
Both families agree for once, and only a few runs in each, 3 and 4 out of 100, reach the real 14,056. That is the sort of result you should expect from a few terms on any list this long. Run a hundred terms and some will land here by chance alone.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 688,593 | 11,003,757 |
| Chance alone | 707,143 | 11,026,154 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,378 | 398,977 |
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 69,229 against 67,865 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 11:5
וַיֵּ֣רֶד יְקוָ֔ק לִרְאֹ֥ת אֶת־הָעִ֖יר וְאֶת־הַמִּגְדָּ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנ֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָֽם׃
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Genesis 24:62
וְיִצְחָק֙ בָּ֣א מִבּ֔וֹא בְּאֵ֥ר לַחַ֖י רֹאִ֑י וְה֥וּא יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הַנֶּֽגֶב׃
And Isaac came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the land of the South.
וַיֵּצֵ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק לָשׂ֥וּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לִפְנ֣וֹת עָ֑רֶב וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּ֥ה גְמַלִּ֖ים בָּאִֽים׃
And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 8:21
וַיִּקְרָ֣א פַרְעֹ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וּֽלְאַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לְכ֛וּ זִבְח֥וּ לֵֽא־לֹהֵיכֶ֖ם בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said: ‘Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.’
… נָכוֹן֙ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת כֵּ֔ן כִּ֚י תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם נִזְבַּ֖ח לַיקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֵ֑ינוּ הֵ֣ן נִזְבַּ֞ח אֶת־תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת מִצְרַ֛יִם לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א יִסְקְלֻֽנוּ׃
And Moses said: ‘It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God; lo, if we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us?
דֶּ֚רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים נֵלֵ֖ךְ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וְזָבַ֨חְנוּ֙ לַֽיקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֵ֔ינוּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר יֹאמַ֥ר אֵלֵֽינוּ׃
We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as He shall command us.’
Middle skip 500, forward from Leviticus 4:17
וְטָבַ֧ל הַכֹּהֵ֛ן אֶצְבָּע֖וֹ מִן־הַדָּ֑ם וְהִזָּ֞ה שֶׁ֤בַע פְּעָמִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְקוָ֔ק אֵ֖ת פְּנֵ֥י הַפָּרֹֽכֶת׃
And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil.
וְאֶת־כָּל־חֶלְבּוֹ֙ יַקְטִ֣יר הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה כְּחֵ֖לֶב זֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִ֑ים וְכִפֶּ֨ר עָלָ֧יו הַכֹּהֵ֛ן מֵחַטָּאת֖וֹ וְנִסְלַ֥ח לֽוֹ׃
And all the fat thereof shall he make smoke upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace-offerings; and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin, and he shall be forgiven.
וְאֶת־כָּל־חֶלְבָּ֣ה יָסִ֗יר כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר יוּסַ֥ר חֵֽלֶב־הַכֶּשֶׂב֮ מִזֶּ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֒ וְהִקְטִ֨יר …
And all the fat thereof shall he take away, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of peace-offerings; and the priest shall make them smoke on the altar, upon the offerings of the LORD made by fire; and the priest shall make atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned…
… אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֗א שְׁתֵּ֥י תֹרִ֛ים אֽוֹ־שְׁנֵ֥י בְנֵֽי־יוֹנָ֖ה לַֽיקוָ֑ק אֶחָ֥ד לְחַטָּ֖את …
And if his means suffice not for a lamb, then he shall bring his forfeit for that wherein he hath sinned, two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD: one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Deuteronomy 1:7
… וּבְח֣וֹף הַיָּ֑ם אֶ֤רֶץ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַלְּבָנ֔וֹן עַד־הַנָּהָ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל נְהַר־פְּרָֽת׃
turn you, and take your journey, and go to the hill-country of the Amorites and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the Arabah, in the hill-country, and in the Lowland, and in the South, and by the sea-shore; the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.
יָאִ֣יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֗ה לָקַח֙ אֶת־כָּל־חֶ֣בֶל אַרְגֹּ֔ב עַד־גְּב֥וּל …
Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth-jair, unto this day.—
… לָ֔ךְ עַ֚ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־יְקוָ֥ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃
Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God commanded thee; that thy days may be long, and that it may go well with thee, upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
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,
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 3:11
הִנֵּה֙ אֲר֣וֹן הַבְּרִ֔ית אֲד֖וֹן כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ עֹבֵ֥ר לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם בַּיַּרְדֵּֽן׃
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth on before you over the Jordan.
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 18:19
… לְאָ֣ב וּלְכֹהֵ֑ן הֲט֣וֹב הֱיוֹתְךָ֣ כֹהֵ֗ן לְבֵית֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֔ד א֚וֹ …
And they said unto him: ‘Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest; is it better for thee to be priest unto the house of one man, or to be priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?’
… אוֹתָ֖ם לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב וְאֶת־הָעִ֖יר שָׂרְפ֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃
And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.
וַיֶּחֱזַק־בּ֤וֹ חֹֽתְנוֹ֙ אֲבִ֣י הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔ה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב אִתּ֖וֹ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וַיֹּאכְלוּ֙ וַיִּשְׁתּ֔וּ וַיָּלִ֖ינוּ שָֽׁם׃
And his father-in-law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days; so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
הֵ֣ם עִם־יְב֔וּס וְהַיּ֖וֹם רַ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הַנַּ֜עַר אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֗יו לְכָה־נָּ֛א וְנָס֛וּרָה אֶל־עִֽיר־הַיְבוּסִ֥י הַזֹּ֖את וְנָלִ֥ין בָּֽהּ׃
When they were by Jebus—the day was far spent—the servant said unto his master: ‘Come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.’
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 149 | 125 |
| 11 to 100 | 1,306 | 1,252 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 12,601 | 12,459 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 55,173 | 54,029 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 619,364 | 639,278 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 14,056. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 14,056 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 3/100 | 13,843 | 13,469 to 14,152 |
| Words within each verse | 4/100 | 13,897 | 13,551 to 14,146 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 189,762 | 181,092 |
| Exodus | 127,561 | 147,369 |
| Leviticus | 93,551 | 103,908 |
| Numbers | 170,569 | 147,402 |
| Deuteronomy | 107,150 | 127,372 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 2,708,842 | 2,808,024 |
| Prophets | 4,823,032 | 5,101,006 |
| Writings | 3,471,883 | 3,117,124 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set נביא beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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