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תֹּהוּ

𐤕𐤄𐤅

tôhûw

H8414 noun

SILEX Entry

Root תהו to be empty, formless, to lie waste

Definition

A state of formlessness, emptiness, or desolation; specifically, an uninhabited or undistinguished expanse (as in the primeval earth "without form"), or, by extension, a place or situation characterized by disorder, futility, or utter lack. In prophetic and poetic contexts, also denotes chaos, futility, or that which is unreal or insubstantial.

Semantic Range

formlessness, emptiness, desolation, chaotic void, wasteland, futility, vanity, worthlessness, in vain, unreal or nothingness

Root / Etymology

The term תֹּהוּ (tohu) is likely derived from a root conveying 'emptiness' or 'waste', but no cognate verb occurs in biblical Hebrew itself; related forms are attested in Northwest Semitic languages with senses like 'waste' or 'desolate.' The etymology remains uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Pentateuch (Gen 1:2), תֹּהוּ describes the initial, unshaped state of the earth, implying absence of order and structure. In poetic and prophetic passages (Isaiah, Psalms), it frequently appears to denote utter ruin, chaos, or existential futility, often paired with בֹּהוּ (bohu) to intensify the sense of complete desolation. The term shifts from a physical sense of wilderness or wasteland to a metaphorical or existential nuance—worthlessness, ineffectiveness, or nullity. English translations like 'void,' 'chaos,' or 'waste' reflect some aspects but rarely capture the full Hebrew connotation, especially the sense of primordial non-being or futility present in certain texts (Isa 34:11; 45:18). In later biblical Hebrew, it took on a broader figurative sense of 'worthlessness' or 'nought,' but it is not a synonym for moral evil or simple wilderness. It notably differs from מִדְבָּר (midbar, 'desert/wilderness'), which denotes an arid or unsettled expanse, by focusing more on lack of order or purpose than dry terrain. The word is not used as a personal insult or value judgment; rather, it describes existential or physical absence and lack.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning to lie waste; a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain; confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

תהו (t-h-w) — emptiness, formlessness, desolation

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8414-05 תֹ֨הוּ֙ tohu HNcmsa formless formless waste 10
H8414-07 בַ/תֹּ֖הוּ vatohu HRd/Ncmsa and confusion formless emptiness 4
H8414-01 בְּ/תֹ֣הוּ betohu HR/Ncmsc in a wasteland in formlessness 2
H8414-03 כַּ/תֹּ֥הוּ katohu HRd/Ncmsa like chaos like formless waste 1
H8414-02 הַ/תֹּ֗הוּ hatohu HTd/Ncmsa the futile things the formless waste 1
H8414-06 וּ/בְ/תֹ֖הוּ uvetohu HC/R/Ncmsa and in desolation and in formlessness 1
H8414-04 לְ/תֹ֥הוּ letohu HR/Ncmsa for nothing to formlessness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

20 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8414-05 Genesis 1:2 תֹ֨הוּ֙ tohu HNcmsa formless formless waste
H8414-06 Deuteronomy 32:10 וּ/בְ/תֹ֖הוּ uvetohu HC/R/Ncmsa and in desolation and in formlessness
H8414-02 1 Samuel 12:21 הַ/תֹּ֗הוּ hatohu HTd/Ncmsa the futile things the formless waste
H8414-05 1 Samuel 12:21 תֹ֥הוּ tohu HNcmsa futile formless waste
H8414-05 Isaiah 24:10 תֹּ֑הוּ tohu HNcmsa chaos formless waste
H8414-07 Isaiah 29:21 בַ/תֹּ֖הוּ vatohu HRd/Ncmsa with emptiness formless emptiness
H8414-05 Isaiah 34:11 תֹ֖הוּ tohu HNcmsa of confusion formless waste
H8414-07 Isaiah 40:17 וָ/תֹ֖הוּ vatohu HC/Ncmsa and emptiness formless emptiness
H8414-03 Isaiah 40:23 כַּ/תֹּ֥הוּ katohu HRd/Ncmsa like chaos like formless waste
H8414-07 Isaiah 41:29 וָ/תֹ֖הוּ vatohu HC/Ncmsa and confusion formless emptiness
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