תוהו ובוהו

Hebrew

Phrase

תוהו ובוהו / תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ • (tóhu va-vóhu)

1. shapelessness and formlessness, primordial chaos
   • Tanach, Genesis 1:2, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם׃

     V-ha-áretz haytá tóhu va-vóhu v-ḥóshekh 'al-p'néi t'hóm v-rúaḥ Elohím m'raḥéfet 'al-p'néi ha-máyim.

     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.

   • Tanach, Jeremiah 4:23, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     רָאִיתִי אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה־תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְאֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵין אוֹרָם׃

     Ra'íti et ha-áretz v-hinéh tóhu va-vóhu v-el ha-shamáyim v-ein orám.

     I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

Descendants

• English: tohu-bohu, tohubohu
• French: tohu-bohu
• Esperanto: tohuvabohuo
• German: Tohuwabohu