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After much research, both on Israeli websites (here) and other locations, I have yet to figure out what the total amount of pesukim there are in the Torah. I've even physically counted the pesukim in Tikum Simanim and came up with 5,846. Yet other say 5,845. I realize that the verse 35:22 in Vayishlach is an issue, but even then it would be 5,847!!! Also need to consider Ta'am Elyon and Ta'am Tachton, both in Vayishlach and in the Aseret Hadibrot (in Yitro and V'etchanan). Parashat Tzav has 97 pesukim as per main sources as well.

For those who question why this is important; it is the result of something I heard that the G'ra wrote in Sifrei D'tzniusa that pesukim of the Torah correlate to the Jewish years.

As an aside note, I have found in my research that the cute gematria words used to remember the amount of pesukim has it source from a non-Jewish person, although numbering of verses were first utilized in Hebrew by Rabbi Isaac Nathan ben Kalonymus, who begun in 1438 and finished in 1448, his Hebrew Biblical Concordance called, "Meir Nativ." The Meir Nativ, with its complete introduction, was first published in Venice on the 26th of Tishrei, 5284 (October 15, 1523) and printed by Daniel Bomberg, a Christian printer, born in Antwerp.

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  • I'm not sure that there is a complete agreement on the number of psukim, since you mentioned some of the nuances in what's a verse. I think that in addition to the list you mentioned, there may be a dispute in those places having an etnachta in the middle of a parsha, which occurs in about 5 places. I don't know if these are counted as 1 or 2 verses. +1 for an interesting question.
    – DanF
    Aug 26, 2015 at 19:59
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    BTW, so that we know, usually the term "count" and "amount" are synonymous. Is there something else that you're looking for? Otherwise, I suggest you use the term "number" which would be the correct term to use in the question title.
    – DanF
    Aug 26, 2015 at 20:01
  • I see that you said Breishit 35:22 is an "issue". I looked it up just now, and yes, it's b/c there's a dispute regarding any verse having a parsha break at a trope note other than sof pasuk. There are about 5 such occurrences in the Torah. The question is does the sof pasuk determine the end of a verse, or does the end of a parsha automatically end a verse regardless of what note it occurs? In these cases, all breaks occur at an etnachta. There's prob. a Masoretic meaning behind this, but I don't know what it is. Anyone know?
    – DanF
    Aug 26, 2015 at 21:49
  • @DanF I've never heard of the dispute you mention in the last comment.
    – Double AA ♦
    Aug 26, 2015 at 22:33
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    Aug 27, 2015 at 0:15

2 Answers 2

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I have an article explaining this at Count of Pesukim in each Parsha

The counts were taken from the Art Scroll Chumash notes at the end of each parsha. Note that while the masoretic count of Tzav is 96, A physical count of Pesukim shows 97.

An interesting point is that one could say that

The Masoretic note at the end of the parashah is "Tzav Siman" without the number of verses. The Masoretes specifically omitted the number of verses, because from the first word Tzav on the 2nd pasuk it is 96 verses exactly. Luckily that precise note was kept.

Pekudei does not have a note at the end of the parsha but the Art Scroll commentary says the edition of the Chumash printed with the Malbim's commentary.gives it as 92 (which matches the physical count in the chumash)

However we find that R Menachem Mendel Schneerson z"l (1902-1994; the Lubavitcher Rebbe) was once asked why, and he responded as follows:

It is necessary to check older prints of the chumash, for in my opinion, this originates from a printers omission, which was later copied by other printers. Perhaps the original siman consisted of the phrase bli kol / without any [see Devarim 28:55], which has a gematria of 92. Perhaps a young printers apprentice saw the phrase bli kol siman / without any siman and misunderstood its meaning, so that Parashat Pekudei was, in fact, left without any siman. (Quoted in Otzrot Tzaddikei Ugeonei Hadorot)

Yisro appears to use the taamei elyon count (10 pesukim) instead of the taamei tachton count (13 pesukim) for the total given at the comment at the end. This is based on comparing the note to the physical count as printed in the Chumash.

The mesorah note for Vayeilech of 70 appears for the combined parshiyos of Nitzavim and Vayeilech. This means 40 in Nitzavim and 30 in Vayeilech

The Art Scroll (Stone Edition) Mesorah note for Bo says:

ק"ה פסוקים. ימנ"ה סימן: This Masoretic note means: There are 105 verses in the Sidrah, numerically corresponding to the mnemonic יִמְנֶה he will count.

This alludes to the law that each person must count himself as part of a group that brings the pesach-offerings (R' David Feinstein)

@DoubleAA points out that the classical simanim are the names of people in Tanach so it would be the son of אשר.

It is possible that Bo 13:1 is treated by the mesorah count as part of 13:2 as shown by the trop. Note that the English translation ends with a comma not a period.

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Parsha counts:

Parsha Count Sefer Total
Breishis 146 146 146
Noach 153 299 299
Lech Lecha 126 425 425
Vayera 147 572 572
Chayei Sara 105 677 677
Toldos 106 783 783
Vayetzei 148 931 931
Vayishlach 154 1085 1085
Vayeshev 112 1197 1197
Miketz 146 1343 1343
Vayigash 106 1449 1449
Vaychi 85 1534 1534
Shmos 124 124 1658
Vaeira 121 245 1779
Bo 105 350 1884
Beshalach 116 466 2000
Yisro 72 538 2072
Mishpatim 118 656 2190
Terumah 96 752 2286
Tetzaveh 101 853 2387
Ki Sisa 139 992 2526
Vayakhel 122 1114 2648
Pekudei 92 1206 2740
Vayikra 111 111 2851
Tzav 96 207 2947
Shmini 91 298 3038
Tazria 67 365 3105
Metzora 90 455 3195
Acharei Mos 80 535 3275
Kedoshim 64 599 3339
Emor 124 723 3463
Behar 57 780 3520
Bechukosai 78 858 3598
Bamidbar 159 159 3757
Naso 176 335 3933
Beha'aloscha 136 471 4069
Shlach 119 590 4188
Korach 95 685 4283
Chukas 87 772 4370
Balak 104 876 4474
Pinchas 168 1044 4642
Mattos 112 1156 4754
Masei 132 1288 4886
Devarim 105 105 4991
Va'eschanan 119 224 5110
Eikev 111 335 5221
Re'eh 126 461 5347
Shoftim 97 558 5444
Ki Seitzei 110 668 5554
Ki Savo 122 790 5676
Nitzavim 40 830 5716
Vayeilech 30 860 5746
Ha'azinu 52 912 5798
Vezos Habrachah 41 953 5839
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  • "It is necessary to check older prints of the chumash" Indeed he was right about that, because the rest of his speculation ended up being completely false. If you're curious what the older editions actually reveal (as he was) you should read judaism.stackexchange.com/a/82887/759 (and please don't keep quoting these mistaken speculations in public without explaining the truth as well; it's highly misleading)
    – Double AA ♦
    Mar 13, 2018 at 23:27
  • The question was how many verses are there. Did you verify every number being posted? So the source for this answer is essentially "I counted"? How did you pick to count regarding the Tachton or Elyon number?
    – Double AA ♦
    Mar 13, 2018 at 23:30
  • @DoubleAA According to the counts, and a note from you, the individual parsha mesorah uses the taamei elyon while the book total uses the taamei tachton in the Art Scroll counts for Yisro and Vaeschanan. The difference in each set is three, 72 to 75 in Yisro and 119 to 122 in Vaeschanan.
    – sabbahillel
    Mar 14, 2018 at 2:33
  • There should be 106 pesukim in Bo? !!!! Count them!
    – Shmuel Goldstein
    Mar 15, 2018 at 20:27
  • 29+10+51+16=106 !!! Add it again.
    – Shmuel Goldstein
    Mar 19, 2018 at 2:15
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The Gemara Kiddushin 30a says that there are 5,888 verses in the Torah.

Regarding discrepancies and other issues you raised, see the following article which discusses in length and detail: http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%207%20EpsteinGreenberger.pdf

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  • It is certainly interesting that the author of this article in Hakira also acknowledges the blatant issue, but says as follows: "Most Chumashim indicate that there are 5,845 verses and offer a numerically equivalent “siman,” but an actual count shows 5,846 verses. A discussion of this type of discrepancy, which sometimes also appears in the number of verses in a parashah and the parashah’s siman, is beyond the scope of this paper."
    – Shmuel Goldstein
    Sep 10, 2015 at 13:38
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    The Gemara probably originally said 8,888 verses (meant Midrashicly) but was later 'corrected' to what someone thought may have been intended. For instance we have Geonic responsa where they ask "How could it be 8,888?" and the answer is it's not.
    – Double AA ♦
    Jul 18, 2016 at 20:15

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