Redemption גאלה
גאלה begins as a term of land law in Leviticus 25, buying back a field for a poor relative, and Ruth 4 shows it being done.
- Found in the Torah
- 120,608
- Chance alone: 123,868
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 2,032,240
- Chance alone: 2,020,087
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Before it was a word of hope, this was a word of property law. Leviticus 25:24 uses it for the right to buy land back after a relative has had to sell it, and that is the setting of three of its four bare appearances. The person who does this is the גואל, the near kinsman. Ruth 4 shows the procedure in full: Boaz offers the first refusal to a closer relative, and verse 7 explains, for readers who no longer remember, how such a transfer was sealed with a shoe. The verb reaches further: in Exodus 6:6 a whole people is bought out of Egypt with it. The Tanakh's usual spelling has no ו; the plene form with it stands once, in that verse of Ruth, and is the one a modern writer would use.
- As a whole word
- 4
- First, with any prefix
- Leviticus 25:24
- Last
- Psalm 69:19
The measurement
The short skips are thin. Skips 2 to 10 hold 11 sequences against 21.9 by chance, half of what the formula expects, and the other bands recover. The fuller spelling גאולה has 9,021 in the Torah against 9,304.6.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 120,608 | 2,032,240 |
| Chance alone | 123,868 | 2,020,087 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 6.6 × 10⁻¹⁸ |
| Shortest skip | 3 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,359 | 398,510 |
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 11,975 against 11,888 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| גאלה4 as a word | 120,608 chance 123,868 | 2,032,240 chance 2,020,087 |
| גאולה0 as a word | 9,021 chance 9,305 | 165,108 chance 164,037 |
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, backward from Leviticus 25:44
וְעַבְדְּךָ֥ וַאֲמָתְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִהְיוּ־לָ֑ךְ מֵאֵ֣ת הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם מֵהֶ֥ם תִּקְנ֖וּ עֶ֥בֶד וְאָמָֽה׃
And as for thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, whom thou mayest have: of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
Short skip 50, backward from Numbers 25:8
וַ֠יָּבֹא אַחַ֨ר אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־הַקֻּבָּ֗ה וַיִּדְקֹר֙ אֶת־שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֚ת אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־קֳבָתָ֑הּ וַתֵּֽעָצַר֙ הַמַּגֵּפָ֔ה מֵעַ֖ל בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And he went after the man of Israel into the chamber, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
וַיַּ֗רְא פִּֽינְחָס֙ בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וַיָּ֨קָם֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הָֽעֵדָ֔ה וַיִּקַּ֥ח רֹ֖מַח בְּיָדֽוֹ׃
And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand.
… וַיַּקְרֵ֤ב אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֔ית לְעֵינֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה וּלְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהֵ֣מָּה …
And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.
Middle skip 500, backward from Deuteronomy 27:17
אָר֕וּר מַסִּ֖יג גְּב֣וּל רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְאָמַ֥ר כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן׃
Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour’s landmark. And all the people shall say: Amen.
אֲבָנִ֤ים שְׁלֵמוֹת֙ תִּבְנֶ֔ה אֶת־מִזְבַּ֖ח יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֑יךָ וְהַעֲלִ֤יתָ עָלָיו֙ עוֹלֹ֔ת לַיקוָ֖ק אֱ־לֹהֶֽיךָ׃
Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of unhewn stones; and thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God.
אֶת־יְקוָ֥ק הֶאֱמַ֖רְתָּ הַיּ֑וֹם לִהְיוֹת֩ לְךָ֨ לֵֽא־לֹהִ֜ים וְלָלֶ֣כֶת בִּדְרָכָ֗יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר חֻקָּ֧יו וּמִצְוֺתָ֛יו וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֥עַ בְּקֹלֽוֹ׃
Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and that thou wouldest walk in His ways, and keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and hearken unto His voice.
וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֣ בְכָל־הַטּ֗וֹב אֲשֶׁ֧ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֛ יְקוָ֥ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֖יךָ וּלְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ אַתָּה֙ וְהַלֵּוִ֔י וְהַגֵּ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃
And thou shalt rejoice in all the good which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is in the midst of thee.
Wide skip 5,001, backward from Exodus 21:36
א֣וֹ נוֹדַ֗ע כִּ֠י שׁ֣וֹר נַגָּ֥ח הוּא֙ מִתְּמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם וְלֹ֥א …
Or if it be known that the ox was wont to gore in time past, and its owner hath not kept it in; he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his own.
וַיֹּאמֶר֮ יִתְרוֹ֒ בָּר֣וּךְ יְקוָ֔ק אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִצִּ֥יל אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִיַּ֥ד מִצְרַ֖יִם וּמִיַּ֣ד פַּרְעֹ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִצִּיל֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת יַד־מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And Jethro said: ‘Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
… וַיָּ֨שָׁב הַיָּ֜ם לִפְנ֥וֹת בֹּ֨קֶר֙ לְאֵ֣יתָנ֔וֹ וּמִצְרַ֖יִם נָסִ֣ים לִקְרָאת֑וֹ וַיְנַעֵ֧ר …
And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
וְעָבַרְתִּ֣י בְאֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם֮ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַזֶּה֒ וְהִכֵּיתִ֤י כָל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מֵאָדָ֖ם וְעַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה וּבְכָל־אֱ־לֹהֵ֥י מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֥ה שְׁפָטִ֖ים אֲנִ֥י יְקוָֽק׃
For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, backward from Judges 1:15
… וְנָתַתָּ֥ה לִ֖י גֻּלֹּ֣ת מָ֑יִם וַיִּתֶּן־לָ֣הּ כָּלֵ֗ב אֵ֚ת גֻּלֹּ֣ת עִלִּ֔ית וְאֵ֖ת גֻּלֹּ֥ת תַּחְתִּֽית׃
And she said unto him: ‘Give me a blessing; for that thou hast set me in the Southland, give me therefore springs of water.’ And Caleb gave her the Upper Springs and the Nether Springs.
Middle skip 500, forward from Joshua 19:14
וְנָסַ֤ב אֹתוֹ֙ הַגְּב֔וּל מִצְּפ֖וֹן חַנָּתֹ֑ן וְהָיוּ֙ תֹּֽצְאֹתָ֔יו גֵּ֖י יִפְתַּח־אֵֽל׃
And the border turned about it on the north to Hannathon; and the goings out thereof were at the valley of Iphtahel;
וְשָׁ֨ב מִזְרַ֣ח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ֮ בֵּ֣ית דָּגֹן֒ וּפָגַ֣ע בִּ֠זְבֻלוּן וּבְגֵ֨י יִפְתַּח־אֵ֥ל צָפ֛וֹנָה בֵּ֥ית הָעֵ֖מֶק וּנְעִיאֵ֑ל וְיָצָ֥א אֶל־כָּב֖וּל מִשְּׂמֹֽאל׃
And it turned toward the sunrising to Beth-dagon, and reached to Zebulun and to the valley of Iphtahel northward at Beth-emek and Neiel; and it went out to Cabul on the left hand,
לְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵי־דָ֖ן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם יָצָ֖א הַגּוֹרָ֥ל הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי׃
The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
… אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וַיְכַלּ֕וּ מֵֽחַלֵּ֖ק אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tent of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the land.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 11 | 21.9 |
| 11 to 100 | 227 | 219 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 2,216 | 2,182 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 9,521 | 9,464 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 108,633 | 111,980 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 2,454. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 2,454 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 23/100 | 2,414 | 2,290 to 2,622 |
| Words within each verse | 16/100 | 2,414 | 2,229 to 2,508 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 34,167 | 31,721 |
| Exodus | 20,821 | 25,814 |
| Leviticus | 21,331 | 18,201 |
| Numbers | 22,244 | 25,820 |
| Deuteronomy | 22,045 | 22,311 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 454,477 | 514,454 |
| Prophets | 1,042,397 | 934,548 |
| Writings | 535,366 | 571,084 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set גאלה beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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