What does תֹּהוּ (tōhû) mean in the Bible?
תֹּהוּ (tōhû): Primordial chaos and emptiness; moves from cosmic formlessness to moral/spiritual worthlessness and futility.
Hebrew · H8414
תֹּהוּ
A desolation (of surface), i.e. desert ; figuratively, a worthless thing ; adverbially, in vain
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תֹּהוּ H8414
Pronunciation tōhû
What does תֹּהוּ (tōhû) mean in the Bible?
תֹּהוּ (tōhû): Primordial chaos and emptiness; moves from cosmic formlessness to moral/spiritual worthlessness and futility.
Full entry for תֹּהוּ (H8414) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8414?
The BSB source-word alignment has 20 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include of chaos (2), wasteland (2), and emptiness (1), and it was formless (1), and who with false charges (1).
Where does תֹּהוּ (tōhû) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (11), Job (3), 1 Samuel (2), Deuteronomy (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It of chaos 2× Isaiah 24:10, Isaiah 34:11
wasteland 2× Job 12:24, Psalms 107:40
and emptiness 1× Isaiah 40:17
and it was formless 1× Jeremiah 4:23
and who with false charges 1× Isaiah 29:21
are as empty 1× Isaiah 41:29
are nothing 1× Isaiah 44:9
empty 1× 1 Samuel 12:21
empty [pleas] 1× Isaiah 59:4
empty space 1× Job 26:7
formless 1× Genesis 1:2
in a barren 1× Deuteronomy 32:10
in a wasteland 1× Isaiah 45:19
in futility 1× Isaiah 49:4
into the wasteland 1× Job 6:18
it to be empty 1× Isaiah 45:18
meaningless 1× Isaiah 40:23
worthless 1× 1 Samuel 12:21
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:2 תֹ֙הוּ֙ to formless Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:10 וּבְתֹ֖הוּ to in a barren Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 12:21 הַתֹּ֗הוּ to worthless Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 12:21 תֹ֥הוּ to empty Noun - masculine singular Job 6:18 בַתֹּ֣הוּ to into the wasteland Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Job 12:24 בְּתֹ֣הוּ to wasteland Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular Job 26:7 תֹּ֑הוּ to empty space Noun - masculine singular Psalms 107:40 בְּתֹ֣הוּ to wasteland Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular Isaiah 24:10 תֹּ֑הוּ to of chaos Noun - masculine singular Isaiah 29:21 בַתֹּ֖הוּ to and who with false charges Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 1:2
Aligned rows 20
Books represented 7
Genesis 1 Deuteronomy 1 1 Samuel 2 Job 3 Psalms 1 Isaiah 11 Jeremiah 1
Source forms
בְּתֹ֣הוּ 2x bə·ṯō·hū Job 12:24, Psalms 107:40
וָתֹ֖הוּ 2x wā·ṯō·hū Isaiah 40:17, Isaiah 41:29
תֹ֥הוּ 2x ṯō·hū 1 Samuel 12:21, Isaiah 45:18
תֹ֖הוּ 2x ṯō·hū Isaiah 34:11, Jeremiah 4:23
תֹּ֑הוּ 2x tō·hū Job 26:7, Isaiah 24:10
בַתֹּ֣הוּ 1x ḇat·tō·hū Job 6:18
בַתֹּ֖הוּ 1x ḇat·tō·hū Isaiah 29:21
הַתֹּ֗הוּ 1x hat·tō·hū 1 Samuel 12:21
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 10x Genesis 1:2, 1 Samuel 12:21, Job 26:7, Isaiah 24:10
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 2x Isaiah 40:17, Isaiah 41:29
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular 2x Job 12:24, Psalms 107:40
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 2x Job 6:18, Isaiah 29:21
Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x 1 Samuel 12:21
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 32:10
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x Isaiah 40:23
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 1x Isaiah 49:4
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Primordial chaos and emptiness; moves from cosmic formlessness to moral/spiritual worthlessness and futility.
Source Gloss
a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert ; figuratively, a worthless thing ; adverbially, in vain
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Primordial chaos and emptiness; moves from cosmic formlessness to moral/spiritual worthlessness and futility.
a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain BDB: formlessness Usage: confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Formlessness or desolation.
Emptiness or chaos.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 20 lexical occurrence verses.
Why This Word Matters
The city of chaos reflects societal breakdown under judgment. Isaiah 24:7-13
Indicates deliberate reversal of ordered habitation. Isaiah 34:9-17
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain