What does תְּהוֹם (tĕhwōm) mean in the Bible?
תְּהוֹם (tĕhwōm): Cosmic chaos-water personified; represents untamed, primordial forces opposing divine order and human stability.
Hebrew · H8415
תְּהוֹם
An abyss (as a surging mass of water), especially the deep (the main sea or the subterranean watersupply)
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תְּהוֹם H8415
Pronunciation tĕhwōm
What does תְּהוֹם (tĕhwōm) mean in the Bible?
תְּהוֹם (tĕhwōm): Cosmic chaos-water personified; represents untamed, primordial forces opposing divine order and human stability.
Full entry for תְּהוֹם (H8415) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8415?
The BSB source-word alignment has 36 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include of the deep (6), deep (5), the deep (4), The depths (4), the watery depths (2).
Where does תְּהוֹם (tĕhwōm) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (12), Genesis (4), Job (4), Proverbs (4).
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 the deep 6× Genesis 1:2, Genesis 8:2, Job 38:16, Job 38:30
deep 5× Genesis 7:11, Psalms 42:7, Isaiah 51:10, Amos 7:4
the deep 4× Job 41:32, Ezekiel 26:19, Ezekiel 31:15, Habakkuk 3:10
The depths 4× Exodus 15:5, Exodus 15:8, Psalms 33:7, Psalms 77:16
the watery depths 2× Proverbs 3:20, Jonah 2:5
through the depths 2× Psalms 106:9, Isaiah 63:13
and ocean depths 1× Psalms 148:7
and springs 1× Deuteronomy 8:7
and the deep waters 1× Deuteronomy 33:13
as the seas 1× Psalms 78:15
Even from the depths 1× Psalms 71:20
it with the deep 1× Psalms 104:6
like the deepest sea 1× Psalms 36:6
of the depths 1× Genesis 49:25
the deep springs 1× Ezekiel 31:4
The ocean depths 1× Job 28:14
their depths 1× Psalms 135:6
to the depths 1× Psalms 107:26
watery depths 1× Proverbs 8:24
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:2 תְה֑וֹם to of the deep Noun - common singular Genesis 7:11 תְּה֣וֹם to deep Noun - common singular Genesis 8:2 תְּה֔וֹם to of the deep Noun - common singular Genesis 49:25 תְּה֖וֹם to of the depths Noun - common singular Exodus 15:5 תְּהֹמֹ֖ת to The depths Noun - common plural Exodus 15:8 תְהֹמֹ֖ת to the depths Noun - common plural Deuteronomy 8:7 וּתְהֹמֹ֔ת to and springs Conjunctive waw | Noun - common plural Deuteronomy 33:13 וּמִתְּה֖וֹם to and the deep waters Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - common singular Job 28:14 תְּה֣וֹם to The ocean depths Noun - common singular Job 38:16 תְּ֝ה֗וֹם to of the deep Noun - common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 1:2
Aligned rows 36
Books represented 11
Genesis 4 Exodus 2 Deuteronomy 2 Job 4 Psalms 12 Proverbs 4 Isaiah 2 Ezekiel 3 Amos 1 Jonah 1 Habakkuk 1
Source forms
תְּה֣וֹם 7x tə·hō·wm Genesis 7:11, Job 28:14, Job 41:32, Psalms 36:6
תְּה֔וֹם 3x tə·hō·wm Genesis 8:2, Ezekiel 26:19, Ezekiel 31:15
תְּה֖וֹם 3x tə·hō·wm Genesis 49:25, Ezekiel 31:4, Jonah 2:5
תְּהוֹמֽוֹת׃ 2x tə·hō·w·mō·wṯ Psalms 33:7, Psalms 135:6
בַּ֝תְּהֹמ֗וֹת 1x bat·tə·hō·mō·wṯ Psalms 106:9
בַּתְּהֹמ֑וֹת 1x bat·tə·hō·mō·wṯ Isaiah 63:13
וּמִתְּה֖וֹם 1x ū·mit·tə·hō·wm Deuteronomy 33:13
וּֽמִתְּהֹמ֥וֹת 1x ū·mit·tə·hō·mō·wṯ Psalms 71:20
Parsing patterns
Noun - common singular 21x Genesis 1:2, Genesis 7:11, Genesis 8:2, Genesis 49:25
Noun - common plural 9x Exodus 15:5, Exodus 15:8, Psalms 33:7, Psalms 77:16
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common plural 2x Psalms 106:9, Isaiah 63:13
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common plural 1x Deuteronomy 8:7
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct 1x Psalms 71:20
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - common singular 1x Deuteronomy 33:13
Preposition-k | Noun - common plural construct 1x Psalms 78:15
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Cosmic chaos-water personified; represents untamed, primordial forces opposing divine order and human stability.
Source Gloss
an abyss (as a surging mass of water), especially the deep (the main sea or the subterranean watersupply)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Cosmic chaos-water personified; represents untamed, primordial forces opposing divine order and human stability.
an abyss (as a surging mass of water), especially the deep (the main sea or the subterranean watersupply) BDB: deep Usage: deep (place), depth.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
תְּהוֹם is built from this root:
הוּם H1949
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