Solomon שלמה
He had two names, and the letters of the famous one stand in the Torah three times, meaning a garment and a just weight.
- Found in the Torah
- 856,635
- Chance alone: 849,259
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 12,036,060
- Chance alone: 12,058,611
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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The letters שלמה stand in the Torah three times, and none of them is a king. In Exodus 22:8 they are a garment, the same word as שמלה with two letters swapped. In Deuteronomy 25:15 they stand twice for a perfect weight and a perfect measure. The king's name comes much later. 2 Samuel 12:24 gives it, and the next verse adds a second one from Nathan, Jedidiah, beloved of the Lord, which nobody ever uses again. 1 Chronicles 22:9 explains the first name: he shall be a man of rest, for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace, שלום. The name and the word for peace do share a root, and that is one case where the Tanakh's explanation is a good fit for the letters.
- As a whole word
- 253
- First, with any prefix
- Exodus 22:8
The measurement
In Exodus 19:10 the closest sequence falls inside the word שמלתם, their garments, the same noun whose letters swap to make his name. The count of 856,635 in the Torah takes in that and every perfect weight, and it stands 0.9 percent over the formula.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 856,635 | 12,036,060 |
| Chance alone | 849,259 | 12,058,611 |
| P (≥ found) | 6.6 × 10⁻¹⁶ | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,520 | 398,941 |
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 81,926 against 81,504 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 Exodus 19:10
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְקוָ֤ק אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֙ לֵ֣ךְ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֥ם הַיּ֖וֹם וּמָחָ֑ר וְכִבְּס֖וּ שִׂמְלֹתָֽם׃
And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their garments,
וְהָי֥וּ נְכֹנִ֖ים לַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י כִּ֣י בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י יֵרֵ֧ד יְקוָ֛ק לְעֵינֵ֥י כָל־הָעָ֖ם עַל־הַ֥ר סִינָֽי׃
and be ready against the third day; for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Leviticus 16:15
וְשָׁחַ֞ט אֶת־שְׂעִ֤יר הַֽחַטָּאת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָעָ֔ם וְהֵבִיא֙ אֶת־דָּמ֔וֹ אֶל־מִבֵּ֖ית לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת וְעָשָׂ֣ה …
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the ark-cover, and before the ark-cover.
Short skip 50, forward from Genesis 1:13
וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם שְׁלִישִֽׁי׃
And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱ־לֹהִ֗ים יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם לְהַבְדִּ֕יל בֵּ֥ין הַיּ֖וֹם וּבֵ֣ין הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְהָי֤וּ לְאֹתֹת֙ וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים וּלְיָמִ֖ים וְשָׁנִֽים׃
And God said: ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;
וְהָי֤וּ לִמְאוֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם לְהָאִ֖יר עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן׃
and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so.
וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱ־לֹהִ֔ים אֶת־שְׁנֵ֥י הַמְּאֹרֹ֖ת הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים אֶת־הַמָּא֤וֹר הַגָּדֹל֙ לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַיּ֔וֹם וְאֶת־הַמָּא֤וֹר הַקָּטֹן֙ לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַלַּ֔יְלָה וְאֵ֖ת הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃
And God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; and the stars.
Middle skip 500, forward from Numbers 4:31
וְזֹאת֙ מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת מַשָּׂאָ֔ם לְכָל־עֲבֹדָתָ֖ם בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד קַרְשֵׁי֙ הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן וּבְרִיחָ֖יו וְעַמּוּדָ֥יו וַאֲדָנָֽיו׃
And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tent of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof;
אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֗י מִשְׁפְּחֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י גֵרְשׁ֔וֹן כָּל־הָעֹבֵ֖ד בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד אֲשֶׁ֨ר פָּקַ֥ד מֹשֶׁ֛ה וְאַהֲרֹ֖ן עַל־פִּ֥י יְקוָֽק׃
These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that did serve in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD.
מִזָּכָ֤ר עַד־נְקֵבָה֙ תְּשַׁלֵּ֔חוּ אֶל־מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה תְּשַׁלְּח֑וּם וְלֹ֤א יְטַמְּאוּ֙ אֶת־מַ֣חֲנֵיהֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י שֹׁכֵ֥ן בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camp, in the midst whereof I dwell.’
וְשָׁכַ֨ב אִ֣ישׁ אֹתָהּ֮ שִׁכְבַת־זֶרַע֒ וְנֶעְלַם֙ מֵעֵינֵ֣י אִישָׁ֔הּ וְנִסְתְּרָ֖ה וְהִ֣יא נִטְמָ֑אָה וְעֵד֙ אֵ֣ין בָּ֔הּ וְהִ֖וא לֹ֥א נִתְפָּֽשָׂה׃
and a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, she being defiled secretly, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken in the act;
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Deuteronomy 4:28
וַעֲבַדְתֶּם־שָׁ֣ם אֱ־לֹהִ֔ים מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֣י אָדָ֑ם עֵ֣ץ וָאֶ֔בֶן אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִרְאוּן֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּן וְלֹ֥א יֹֽאכְל֖וּן וְלֹ֥א יְרִיחֻֽן׃
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
וְיָ֣דַעְתָּ֔ כִּֽי־יְקוָ֥ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֖יךָ ה֣וּא הָֽאֱ־לֹהִ֑ים הָאֵל֙ הַֽנֶּאֱמָ֔ן שֹׁמֵ֧ר הַבְּרִ֣ית וְהַחֶ֗סֶד לְאֹהֲבָ֛יו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מצותומִצְוֺתָ֖יו לְאֶ֥לֶף דּֽוֹר׃
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God; the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations;
הֵ֚ן לַיקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֔יךָ הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּשְׁמֵ֣י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּֽהּ׃
Behold, unto the LORD thy God belongeth the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that therein is.
מֵאֱ־לֹהֵ֣י הָֽעַמִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁר֙ סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם הַקְּרֹבִ֣ים אֵלֶ֔יךָ א֖וֹ הָרְחֹקִ֣ים מִמֶּ֑ךָּ מִקְצֵ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ וְעַד־קְצֵ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃
of the gods of the peoples that are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 2:13
וְהַחֲיִתֶ֞ם אֶת־אָבִ֣י וְאֶת־אִמִּ֗י וְאֶת־אַחַי֙ וְאֶת־אחותיאַחְיוֹתַ֔י וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם וְהִצַּלְתֶּ֥ם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵ֖ינוּ מִמָּֽוֶת׃
and save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.’
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 1:18
וַיִּלְכֹּ֤ד יְהוּדָה֙ אֶת־עַזָּ֣ה וְאֶת־גְּבוּלָ֔הּ וְאֶֽת־אַשְׁקְל֖וֹן וְאֶת־גְּבוּלָ֑הּ וְאֶת־עֶקְר֖וֹן וְאֶת־גְּבוּלָֽהּ׃
Also Judah took Gaza with the border thereof, and Ashkelon with the border thereof, and Ekron with the border thereof.
… וְאֶת־ישביֹשְׁבֵ֨י ד֜וֹר וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶ֗יהָ וְאֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵ֤י יִבְלְעָם֙ וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֶ֔יהָ וְאֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵ֥י מְגִדּ֖וֹ וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶ֑יהָ …
And Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its towns, nor of Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites were resolved to dwell in that land.
וּגְבוּל֙ הָאֱמֹרִ֔י מִֽמַּעֲלֵ֖ה עַקְרַבִּ֑ים מֵהַסֶּ֖לַע וָמָֽעְלָה׃
And the border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.
וַיָּ֛מָת יְהוֹשֻׁ֥עַ בִּן־נ֖וּן עֶ֣בֶד יְקוָ֑ק בֶּן־מֵאָ֥ה וָעֶ֖שֶׂר שָׁנִֽים׃
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 152 | 150 |
| 11 to 100 | 1,462 | 1,504 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 15,145 | 14,962 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 65,167 | 64,887 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 774,709 | 767,755 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 16,759. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 16,759 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 14/100 | 16,626 | 16,255 to 16,904 |
| Words within each verse | 21/100 | 16,655 | 16,414 to 17,029 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 187,227 | 217,487 |
| Exodus | 184,911 | 176,986 |
| Leviticus | 123,760 | 124,791 |
| Numbers | 203,800 | 177,025 |
| Deuteronomy | 156,937 | 152,970 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 3,273,645 | 3,070,959 |
| Prophets | 5,480,727 | 5,578,649 |
| Writings | 3,281,688 | 3,409,002 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set שלמה beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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