Bilshan בלשן
Bilshan (בלשן) is a person named in the Tanakh. In the Torah codes, Bilshan is found 285,031 times across every skip (2–101,616), the shortest at skip 2 (Exodus 3:5) — 2.3% above the 278,569 chance alone would give (probability of 285,031 or more by chance alone: 1.6 × 10⁻³⁴).
- Found in the Torah · every skip
- 285,031
- Chance alone · every skip
- 278,569
- P (≥ found) · every skip
- 1.6 × 10⁻³⁴
- Shortest skip
- 2
- Longest skip found
- 101,232
Every skip the Torah allows for a spelling of 4 letters (2–101,616), both directions, final letters folded, the written text.
At the laboratory's default range, skips 2–5,000: 27,198 found · chance alone about 26,734 (probability of 27,198 or more by chance alone: 0.0024).
In the Torah
The Torah holds 285,031 sequences of בלשן across every skip (2–101,616), 2.3% above what chance alone gives (about 278,569); at counts this large even that difference has a probability of 1.6 × 10⁻³⁴ by chance alone.
Its smallest skip in the Torah is 2 — at Exodus 3:5, reading forward.
The longest skip at which בלשן was found in the Torah is 101,232 — at Deuteronomy 34:1, reading backward; a spelling of 4 letters fits the Torah at skips up to 101,616.
By book (where the first letter stands) · every skip
- Genesis 71,083
- Exodus 51,840
- Leviticus 40,989
- Numbers 65,031
- Deuteronomy 56,088
Examples across the range
5 of the 285,031 sequences, chosen across the range of skips — the shortest, mid-range skips and the longest found — each with its verse and its matrix.
Under each example, every letter of the sequence is listed with the verse it stands in. A letter falls in its verse by position alone — one letter every so many letters of the text — so the verses are where the letters stand, not part of the sequence's meaning.
Letter by letter
- ב ל ש נExodus 3:5
וַיֹּאמֶר אַל־תִּקְרַב הֲלֹם שַׁל־נְעָלֶיךָ מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ כִּי הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר …
And He said: ‘Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.’
skip 2, width 2 — the matrix is as wide as the skip, so the sequence reads down one column. letter 80,565 of the TorahOpen at skip 2 in the laboratory →
- ב ל ש נExodus 3:5
Letter by letter
- ב ל ש ןNumbers 17:28
כֹּל הַקָּרֵב הַקָּרֵב אֶל־מִשְׁכַּן יְהוָה יָמוּת הַאִם תַּמְנוּ לִגְוֺֽעַ
Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of the LORD, is to die; shall we wholly perish?’
skip 2, width 2 — the matrix is as wide as the skip, so the sequence reads down one column. letter 218,613 of the TorahOpen at skip 2 in the laboratory →
- ב ל ש ןNumbers 17:28
- בLeviticus 23:5
בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם פֶּסַח לַיהוָֽה
In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at dusk, is the LORD’S passover.
Letter by letter: the other 3 letters
- לLeviticus 23:7
בַּיּוֹם הָֽרִאשׁוֹן מִקְרָא־קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל־מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשֽׂוּ
In the first day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work.
- שLeviticus 23:10
דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּֽי־תָבֹאוּ אֶל …
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye are come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring the sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest.
- נLeviticus 23:11
וְהֵנִיף אֶת־הָעֹמֶר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה לִֽרְצֹנְכֶם מִֽמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת יְנִיפֶנּוּ הַכֹּהֵֽן
And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you; on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
skip 100, width 100 — one row is 100 letters, so the 21 columns shown are the letters that stand beside the sequence in the text; it reads down the middle column. letter 176,363 of the TorahOpen at skip 100 in the laboratory →
- בLeviticus 23:5
- בNumbers 32:8
כֹּה עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתֵיכֶם בְּשָׁלְחִי אֹתָם מִקָּדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ לִרְאוֹת אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ
Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.
Letter by letter: the other 3 letters
- לNumbers 32:27
וַעֲבָדֶיךָ יַֽעַבְרוּ כָּל־חֲלוּץ צָבָא לִפְנֵי יְהוָה לַמִּלְחָמָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲדֹנִי דֹּבֵֽר
but thy servants will pass over, every man that is armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.’
- שNumbers 33:4
וּמִצְרַיִם מְקַבְּרִים אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִכָּה יְהוָה בָּהֶם כָּל־בְּכוֹר וּבֵאלֹהֵיהֶם עָשָׂה יְהוָה שְׁפָטִֽים
while the Egyptians were burying them that the LORD had smitten among them, even all their first-born; upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.
- נNumbers 33:39
וְאַהֲרֹן בֶּן־שָׁלֹשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה בְּמֹתוֹ בְּהֹר הָהָֽר
And Aaron was a hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.
skip 1,000, width 1,000 — one row is 1,000 letters, so the 21 columns shown are the letters that stand beside the sequence in the text; it reads down the middle column. letter 242,392 of the TorahOpen at skip 1,000 in the laboratory →
- בNumbers 32:8
- בDeuteronomy 34:1
וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה מֵֽעַרְבֹת מוֹאָב אֶל־הַר נְבוֹ רֹאשׁ …
And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, even Gilead as far as Dan;
Letter by letter: the other 3 letters
- לNumbers 8:12
… אֶת־הָאֶחָד חַטָּאת וְאֶת־הָאֶחָד עֹלָה לַֽיהוָה לְכַפֵּר עַל־הַלְוִיִּֽם
And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks; and offer thou the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, unto the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites.
- שExodus 16:9
… אֱמֹר אֶֽל־כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל קִרְבוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה כִּי שָׁמַע …
And Moses said unto Aaron: ‘Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel: Come near before the LORD; for He hath heard your murmurings.’
- ןGenesis 1:11
… זַרְעוֹ־בוֹ עַל־הָאָרֶץ וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן
And God said: ‘Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth.’ And it was so.
skip 101,232, width 101,232 — one row is 101,232 letters, so the 21 columns shown are the letters that stand beside the sequence in the text; it reads up the middle column. letter 304,211 of the TorahOpen at skip 101,232 in the laboratory →
- בDeuteronomy 34:1
Across the Tanakh
Across every skip (2–399,013), בלשן appears 4,250,706 times in the whole Tanakh; chance alone would give about 4,295,225, so the count is in line with chance.
At the laboratory's default range, skips 2–5,000: 106,541 found · chance alone about 106,951 (probability of 106,541 or more by chance alone: 0.90).
By book (where the first letter stands) · every skip
- Genesis 284,305
- Exodus 208,369
- Leviticus 163,544
- Numbers 245,259
- Deuteronomy 205,222
- Joshua 146,602
- Judges 141,588
- Samuel 333,416
- Kings 375,893
- Isaiah 216,672
- Jeremiah 301,176
- Ezekiel 252,288
- The Twelve 188,389
- Psalms 249,402
- Proverbs 99,420
- Job 97,941
- Song of Songs 16,600
- Ruth 15,241
- Lamentations 23,397
- Ecclesiastes 36,968
- Esther 39,136
- Daniel 77,904
- Ezra–Nehemiah 146,562
- Chronicles 385,412
Outside the Torah
Letter by letter
- ב ל ש נProverbs 30:15
לַֽעֲלוּקָה שְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת הַב הַב שָׁלוֹשׁ הֵנָּה לֹא תִשְׂבַּעְנָה אַרְבַּע לֹא־אָמְרוּ הֽוֹן
The horseleech hath two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ There are three things that are never satisfied, Yea, four that say not: ‘Enough’:
skip 2, width 2 — the matrix is as wide as the skip, so the sequence reads down one column. letter 962,536 of the TanakhOpen at skip 2 in the laboratory →
- ב ל ש נProverbs 30:15
- בJoshua 22:8
… רַב־מְאֹד בְּכֶסֶף וּבְזָהָב וּבִנְחֹשֶׁת וּבְבַרְזֶל וּבִשְׂלָמוֹת הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד חִלְקוּ שְׁלַל …
and spoke unto them, saying: ‘Return with much wealth unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.’
Letter by letter: the other 3 letters
- לJoshua 22:9
… יִשְׂרָאֵל מִשִּׁלֹה אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶֽרֶץ־כְּנָעַן לָלֶכֶת אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד אֶל־אֶרֶץ …
And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed…
- שJoshua 22:10
… בְנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַֽמְנַשֶּׁה שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ עַל־הַיַּרְדֵּן …
And when they came unto the region about the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to look upon.
- נJoshua 22:11
… אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶל־מוּל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֶל־גְּלִילוֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן אֶל־עֵבֶר …
And the children of Israel heard say: ‘Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that pertaineth to the children of Israel.’
skip 100, width 100 — one row is 100 letters, so the 21 columns shown are the letters that stand beside the sequence in the text; it reads down the middle column. letter 338,976 of the TanakhOpen at skip 100 in the laboratory →
- בJoshua 22:8
- ב2 Chronicles 36:22
… כּוֹרֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרַס וַיַּֽעֲבֶר־קוֹל בְּכָל־מַלְכוּתוֹ וְגַם־בְּמִכְתָּב לֵאמֹֽר
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying:
Letter by letter: the other 3 letters
- לEzekiel 46:18
… יַנְחִל אֶת־בָּנָיו לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יָפֻצוּ עַמִּי אִישׁ מֵאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ
Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance, to thrust them wrongfully out of their possession; he shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession; that My people be not scattered every man from his possession.’
- ש1 Samuel 11:9
… הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וַיָּבֹאוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים וַיַּגִּידוּ לְאַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁ וַיִּשְׂמָֽחוּ
And they said unto the messengers that came: ‘Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead: To-morrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have deliverance.’ And the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
- נGenesis 1:2
וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּֽיִם
Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.
skip 398,954, width 398,954 — one row is 398,954 letters, so the 21 columns shown are the letters that stand beside the sequence in the text; it reads up the middle column. letter 1,196,914 of the TanakhOpen at skip 398,954 in the laboratory →
- ב2 Chronicles 36:22
The spelling
בלשן — the Tanakh's own spelling. Searched as בלשן, 4 letters, with a standard gematria value of 382.
As a plain word it stands 2 times in the Tanakh, first at Ezra 2:2. Every word of the Tanakh in the Word Index →
Questions
Does Bilshan appear in the Torah codes?
The Torah holds 285,031 sequences of בלשן across every skip (2–101,616), 2.3% above what chance alone gives (about 278,569); at counts this large even that difference has a probability of 1.6 × 10⁻³⁴ by chance alone.
What is the shortest skip for Bilshan in the Torah?
Skip 2, reading forward from Exodus 3:5 — the shortest of 285,031 sequences across every skip (2–101,616), where chance alone would give about 278,569.
How is Bilshan spelled in Hebrew?
Bilshan is spelled בלשן — 4 letters searched, with a standard gematria value of 382.
Is Bilshan in the Bible code across the whole Tanakh?
Across every skip (2–399,013), בלשן appears 4,250,706 times in the whole Tanakh; chance alone would give about 4,295,225, so the count is in line with chance.
Search it yourself
The laboratory runs the same search live in your browser — every sequence, the matrix around it, and the chance figure (about 278,569 across every skip (2–101,616) here) beside the count.