תֹּהוּ
𐤕𐤄𐤅
tôhûw
H8414 noun
SILEX Entry
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
| Language | Bantu Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuka | tuhu | emptiness, futility | |
| Embu | tuhu | emptiness, nothingness, futility | |
| Ga | olutuho | empty, emptiness, nothingness | |
| Kamba | tuhu | emptiness, nothingness, futility | |
| Kikuyu | tuhu | empty |
Root Family
תהו (tôhûw) — to be empty, formless, to lie waste
Word Forms
7 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8414-05 |
תֹ֥הוּ | tohu | HNcmsa |
formless | formless waste | formless waste | 10 |
H8414-07 |
בַ/תֹּ֖הוּ | vatohu | HRd/Ncmsa |
and confusion | formless emptiness | and confusion | 4 |
H8414-01 |
בְּ/תֹ֣הוּ | betohu | HR/Ncmsa |
in a wasteland | in formlessness | in formlessness | 2 |
H8414-02 |
הַ/תֹּ֗הוּ | hatohu | HTd/Ncmsa |
the futile things | the formless waste | the futile things | 1 |
H8414-03 |
כַּ/תֹּ֥הוּ | katohu | HRd/Ncmsa |
like chaos | like formless waste | like formless waste | 1 |
H8414-04 |
לְ/תֹ֥הוּ | letohu | HR/Ncmsa |
for nothing | to formlessness | to formlessness | 1 |
H8414-06 |
וּ/בְ/תֹ֖הוּ | uvetohu | HC/R/Ncmsa |
and in desolation | and in formlessness | and in desolation of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
20 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8414-05 |
Genesis 1:2 | תֹ֨הוּ֙ | tohu | HNcmsa |
formless | formless waste | formless waste |
H8414-06 |
Deuteronomy 32:10 | וּ/בְ/תֹ֖הוּ | uvetohu | HC/R/Ncmsa |
and in desolation | and in formlessness | and in desolation of |
H8414-02 |
1 Samuel 12:21 | הַ/תֹּ֗הוּ | hatohu | HTd/Ncmsa |
the futile things | the formless waste | the futile things |
H8414-05 |
1 Samuel 12:21 | תֹ֥הוּ | tohu | HNcmsa |
futile | formless waste | futility |
H8414-05 |
Isaiah 24:10 | תֹּ֑הוּ | tohu | HNcmsa |
chaos | formless waste | formless waste |
H8414-07 |
Isaiah 29:21 | בַ/תֹּ֖הוּ | vatohu | HRd/Ncmsa |
with emptiness | formless emptiness | to formless emptiness |
H8414-05 |
Isaiah 34:11 | תֹ֖הוּ | tohu | HNcmsa |
of confusion | formless waste | of formless waste |
H8414-07 |
Isaiah 40:17 | וָ/תֹ֖הוּ | vatohu | HC/Ncmsa |
and emptiness | formless emptiness | and emptiness |
H8414-03 |
Isaiah 40:23 | כַּ/תֹּ֥הוּ | katohu | HRd/Ncmsa |
like chaos | like formless waste | like formless waste |
H8414-07 |
Isaiah 41:29 | וָ/תֹ֖הוּ | vatohu | HC/Ncmsa |
and confusion | formless emptiness | and confusion |
H8414-05 |
Isaiah 44:9 | תֹּ֔הוּ | tohu | HNcmsa |
nothing | formless waste | formless waste |
H8414-05 |
Isaiah 45:18 | תֹ֥הוּ | tohu | HNcmsa |
waste | formless waste | formless waste |
H8414-05 |
Isaiah 45:19 | תֹּ֣הוּ | tohu | HNcmsa |
vain | formless waste | formless waste |
H8414-04 |
Isaiah 49:4 | לְ/תֹ֥הוּ | letohu | HR/Ncmsa |
for nothing | to formlessness | to formlessness |
H8414-05 |
Isaiah 59:4 | תֹּ֨הוּ֙ | tohu | HNcmsa |
confusion | formless waste | formless waste |
H8414-05 |
Jeremiah 4:23 | תֹ֖הוּ | tohu | HNcmsa |
formless | formless waste | formless waste |
H8414-01 |
Psalms 107:40 | בְּ/תֹ֣הוּ | betohu | HR/Ncmsc |
in-a-trackless-waste | in formlessness | in formlessness |
H8414-07 |
Job 6:18 | בַ/תֹּ֣הוּ | vatohu | HRd/Ncmsa |
into the wasteland | formless emptiness | into the wasteland |
H8414-01 |
Job 12:24 | בְּ/תֹ֣הוּ | betohu | HR/Ncmsa |
in a wasteland | in formlessness | in formlessness |
H8414-05 |
Job 26:7 | תֹּ֑הוּ | tohu | HNcmsa |
empty space | formless waste | formless waste |