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I'm trying to find out correct verse, word and letter statistics for Genesis. Some sources say that Genesis should have:

  1. 1533 or 1534 verses
  2. 20614 words
  3. 76064 letters

I'm not totally aware where these numbers are based.

To compare current variations of the Genesis I'm using four different text corpuses found from: www.unboundbible.com

namely: Hebrew Modern, Aleppo Codex, Westminster Leningrad Codex, BSH

Corresponding statistics calculated by computer are:

Hebrew modern

  1. 1533 verses
  2. 20613 words
  3. 78069 letters

Aleppo Codex

  1. 1533 verses
  2. 20230 words
  3. 78131 letters

Westminster Leningrad Codex

  1. 1533 verses
  2. 17763 words
  3. 78141 letters

BSH

  1. 1533 verses
  2. 17731 words
  3. 78057 letters

So it looks like verses are same for all editions, but why 1534 is mentioned sometimes?

Words and letters alter quite a lot. Hebrew modern edition seems to have closest correspondence. So my main question is if someone can identify where comes one word and 5 letters difference between Hebrew Modern and alleged "exact" numbers from unidentified source.

Note that Hebrew modern edition has one word less than 17064 but five letters more than 78064!

Update:

I found a site with other stats: https://sites.google.com/site/interlinearpentateuch/bible-statistics

Locating Masoretic Text and Samaritan Pentateuch it looks like Hebrew modern is very close to Masoretic Text.

Masoretic Text

  1. 1533 verses
  2. 20612 words
  3. 78064 letters

Samaritan Pentateuch

  1. 1533 verses
  2. 20899 words
  3. 79415 letters
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  • 1
    Sorry for my ignorance, but what is the source of Hebrew modern version isn't an intentionally modification of words with adding י and ו into words? curiosity? what are y9u searching.
    – kouty
    Commented Jun 28, 2016 at 7:19
  • It looks like Hebrew modern is from: crosswire.org/sword/modules/ModInfo.jsp?modName=HebModern Can't see more information about it... What do you mean by adding "י and ו into words"? Yes, stats for stichometry, curiocity.
    – MarkokraM
    Commented Jun 28, 2016 at 7:40
  • Often there is a short version of a word, and a long version. Some have the long, some have the short.
    – Mithical
    Commented Jun 28, 2016 at 7:51
  • There's a full list in the Mishne Totah, I think.
    – Mithical
    Commented Jun 28, 2016 at 7:51
  • ו & י are letter which are used as a kind of vowels principally in not punctuated texts, especially in modern hebrew
    – kouty
    Commented Jun 28, 2016 at 10:18

1 Answer 1

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The Masoretic Text does not provide an explicit number of letters and words for the Book of Genesis. Notwithstanding, the numbers of verses are available. According to the last page of the Book of Genesis in the Codex Leningradis, the verse statistics are as follows:

This image comes from the last page of the Book of Genesis, and depicts the summary of verses for the entire book, which are 1,534.

Please click to enlarge; this same image can be found within the Codex online on the middle of Page 67.

The translation states, “Sum of the verses of this book: One thousand, five hundred and thirty and four...”

Finally, the same number appears at the endnotes of the Pentateuch (Massorah Gadolah) as follows:

This image depicts the actual number of verses for the entire Book of Genesis, which are 1,534.

Please click to enlarge; this same image can be found within the Codex online on the top left hand side of Page 245.

The translation is, “All of Genesis: 1,534 (verses)...”

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4
  • How אך is 1500? א is Eleph = 1000, לד is 34, it is clear, but how ך is 500?
    – kouty
    Commented Jun 29, 2016 at 8:41
  • 1
    @kouty - ך is 500 - please see the numerical lists.
    – Joseph
    Commented Jun 29, 2016 at 12:14
  • That is quite intetesting. Verse numbering was a late adaption to biblical text. Thus word or letter count makes more sense on older manuscripts. Anyway when I followed to the digital version of Leningrad codex, it still counts 1533 verses: tanach.us/TextServer?Genesis*&content=Consonants Can you track where this one verse difference comes from?
    – MarkokraM
    Commented Jun 29, 2016 at 13:36
  • @MarkokraM - Whew, that would be very time consuming, but I too would be interested to know how/why the discrepancy exists, which I am sure is for a very good reason.
    – Joseph
    Commented Jun 29, 2016 at 14:03

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