Shofar שופר
The horn at Sinai is written two ways within four verses. The ram's horn, in war, at the Jubilee, and in a day the Torah leaves unnamed.
- Found in the Torah
- 155,981
- Chance alone: 148,737
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 2,167,753
- Chance alone: 2,183,611
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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A horn sounds at Sinai before anyone speaks. Exodus 19:16 writes it short, קל שפר, and three verses later the same horn is written in full, השופר. The Torah's bare שופר first stands in the Jubilee law of Leviticus 25:9, blown through the land in the seventh month. It is a little odd that the Torah never names the instrument of the day we now know it for. Numbers 29:1 calls the first of the seventh month a day of blowing and says no more. In the rest of the Tanakh it is mostly a call to battle, from Judges 3:27 on, and in Ezekiel 33 a watchman's warning. The short spelling has other work as well: it is a mountain, Shepher, in Numbers 33:23, and an Aramaic verb in Daniel 6:2.
- As a whole word
- 23
- First, with any prefix
- Exodus 19:19
The measurement
Both spellings run about 5 percent above the formula in the Torah, and the long one falls below it across the Tanakh. They share the letters ש, פ and ר, so the two figures are close to one measurement taken twice.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 155,981 | 2,167,753 |
| Chance alone | 148,737 | 2,183,611 |
| P (≥ found) | 8.8 × 10⁻⁷⁸ | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,464 | 398,863 |
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 14,118 against 14,274 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| שופר23 as a word | 155,981 chance 148,737 | 2,167,753 chance 2,183,611 |
| שפר8 as a word | 2,346,347 chance 2,227,574 | 29,710,003 chance 30,252,076 |
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 33:7
וַתִּגַּ֧שׁ גַּם־לֵאָ֛ה וִילָדֶ֖יהָ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֑וּ וְאַחַ֗ר נִגַּ֥שׁ יוֹסֵ֛ף וְרָחֵ֖ל וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֽוּ׃
And Leah also and her children came near, and bowed down; and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed down.
Shortest skip 2, backward from Genesis 10:18
וְאֶת־הָֽאַרְוָדִ֥י וְאֶת־הַצְּמָרִ֖י וְאֶת־הַֽחֲמָתִ֑י וְאַחַ֣ר נָפֹ֔צוּ מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת הַֽכְּנַעֲנִֽי׃
and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite; and afterward were the families of the Canaanite spread abroad.
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 37:29
וַיַּ֜עַשׂ אֶת־שֶׁ֤מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה֙ קֹ֔דֶשׁ וְאֶת־קְטֹ֥רֶת הַסַּמִּ֖ים טָה֑וֹר מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה רֹקֵֽחַ׃
And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.
וַיַּ֛עַשׂ אֶת־מִזְבַּ֥ח הָעֹלָ֖ה עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים חָמֵשׁ֩ אַמּ֨וֹת אָרְכּ֜וֹ וְחָֽמֵשׁ־אַמּ֤וֹת רָחְבּוֹ֙ רָב֔וּעַ וְשָׁלֹ֥שׁ אַמּ֖וֹת קֹמָתֽוֹ׃
And he made the altar of burnt-offering of acacia-wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof, four-square, and three cubits the height thereof.
וַיַּ֣עַשׂ קַרְנֹתָ֗יו עַ֚ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פִּנֹּתָ֔יו מִמֶּ֖נּוּ הָי֣וּ קַרְנֹתָ֑יו וַיְצַ֥ף אֹת֖וֹ נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃
And he made the horns thereof upon the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of one piece with it; and he overlaid it with brass.
וַיַּ֜עַשׂ אֶֽת־כָּל־כְּלֵ֣י הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ אֶת־הַסִּירֹ֤ת וְאֶת־הַיָּעִים֙ וְאֶת־הַמִּזְרָקֹ֔ת אֶת־הַמִּזְלָגֹ֖ת וְאֶת־הַמַּחְתֹּ֑ת כָּל־כֵּלָ֖יו עָשָׂ֥ה נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃
And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, the flesh-hooks, and the fire-pans; all the vessels thereof made he of brass.
Middle skip 500, forward from Deuteronomy 11:6
… וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־אָהֳלֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־הַיְקוּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּרַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם בְּקֶ֖רֶב כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
and what He did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben; how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and every living substance that followed them, in the midst of all Israel;
וְנָתַתִּ֧י מְטַֽר־אַרְצְכֶ֛ם בְּעִתּ֖וֹ יוֹרֶ֣ה וּמַלְק֑וֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ֣ דְגָנֶ֔ךָ וְתִֽירֹשְׁךָ֖ וְיִצְהָרֶֽךָ׃
that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
וְהוֹרִ֧ישׁ יְקוָ֛ק אֶת־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֥ם הָאֵ֖לֶּה מִלִּפְנֵיכֶ֑ם וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם גּוֹיִ֔ם גְּדֹלִ֥ים וַעֲצֻמִ֖ים מִכֶּֽם׃
then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves.
כִּ֤י אַתֶּם֙ עֹבְרִ֣ים אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לָבֹא֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְקוָ֥ק אֱ־לֹהֵיכֶ֖ם נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֥ם אֹתָ֖הּ וִֽישַׁבְתֶּם־בָּֽהּ׃
For ye are to pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God giveth you, and ye shall possess it, and dwell therein.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Leviticus 10:1
… אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ בָהֵן֙ אֵ֔שׁ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עָלֶ֖יהָ קְטֹ֑רֶת וַיַּקְרִ֜בוּ …
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them.
וְאִם־תַּחְתֶּ֜יהָ תַּעֲמֹ֤ד הַבַּהֶ֨רֶת֙ לֹ֣א פָשָׂ֔תָה צָרֶ֥בֶת הַשְּׁחִ֖ין הִ֑וא וְטִהֲר֖וֹ הַכֹּהֵֽן׃
But if the bright spot stay in its place, and be not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
וְשִׁלַּ֞ח אֶת־הַצִּפֹּ֧ר הַֽחַיָּ֛ה אֶל־מִח֥וּץ לָעִ֖יר אֶל־פְּנֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וְכִפֶּ֥ר עַל־הַבַּ֖יִת וְטָהֵֽר׃
But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open field; so shall he make atonement for the house; and it shall be clean.
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֛ם הָאָדָ֖ם וָחַ֣י בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְקוָֽק׃
Ye shall therefore keep My statutes, and Mine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Isaiah 63:15
הַבֵּ֤ט מִשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ וּרְאֵ֔ה מִזְּבֻ֥ל קָדְשְׁךָ֖ וְתִפְאַרְתֶּ֑ךָ אַיֵּ֤ה קִנְאָֽתְךָ֙ וּגְב֣וּרֹתֶ֔ךָ הֲמ֥וֹן מֵעֶ֛יךָ וְֽרַחֲמֶ֖יךָ אֵלַ֥י הִתְאַפָּֽקוּ׃
Look down from heaven, and see, even from Thy holy and glorious habitation; Where is Thy zeal and Thy mighty acts, The yearning of Thy heart and Thy compassions, Now restrained toward me?
Middle skip 500, forward from 2 Samuel 16:5
וּבָ֛א הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ דָּוִ֖ד עַד־בַּֽחוּרִ֑ים וְהִנֵּ֣ה מִשָּׁם֩ אִ֨ישׁ יוֹצֵ֜א מִמִּשְׁפַּ֣חַת בֵּית־שָׁא֗וּל וּשְׁמוֹ֙ שִׁמְעִ֣י בֶן־גֵּרָ֔א יֹצֵ֥א יָצ֖וֹא וּמְקַלֵּֽל׃
And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and kept on cursing as he came.
וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ דָּוִ֛ד וַאֲנָשָׁ֖יו בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ וְשִׁמְעִ֡י הֹלֵךְ֩ בְּצֵ֨לַע הָהָ֜ר לְעֻמָּת֗וֹ הָלוֹךְ֙ וַיְקַלֵּ֔ל וַיְסַקֵּ֤ל בָּֽאֲבָנִים֙ לְעֻמָּת֔וֹ וְעִפַּ֖ר בֶּעָפָֽר׃
So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill-side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.
וַיַּטּ֧וּ לְאַבְשָׁל֛וֹם הָאֹ֖הֶל עַל־הַגָּ֑ג וַיָּבֹ֤א אַבְשָׁלוֹם֙ אֶל־פִּֽלַגְשֵׁ֣י אָבִ֔יו לְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.—
… יָ֠דַעְתָּ אֶת־אָבִ֨יךָ וְאֶת־אֲנָשָׁ֜יו כִּ֧י גִבֹּרִ֣ים הֵ֗מָּה וּמָרֵ֥י נֶ֨פֶשׁ֙ הֵ֔מָּה …
Hushai said moreover: ‘Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are embittered in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 28 | 26.3 |
| 11 to 100 | 241 | 263 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 2,553 | 2,620 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 11,296 | 11,364 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 141,863 | 134,463 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 2,822. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 2,822 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 94/100 | 2,913 | 2,762 to 3,061 |
| Words within each verse | 51/100 | 2,823 | 2,658 to 3,010 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 36,517 | 38,090 |
| Exodus | 37,006 | 30,997 |
| Leviticus | 23,545 | 21,856 |
| Numbers | 34,399 | 31,004 |
| Deuteronomy | 24,514 | 26,791 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 554,576 | 556,099 |
| Prophets | 1,005,921 | 1,010,199 |
| Writings | 607,256 | 617,313 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set שופר beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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