What does tohu wa-bohu mean in Hebrew?

Tohu wa-bohu (תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ) is a Hebrew phrase from Genesis 1:2 meaning 'formless and void' or 'chaos and emptiness.' It describes the primordial state of the earth before God's creative act brought order and life.

Where does tohu wa-bohu appear in the Bible?

The phrase tohu wa-bohu appears in Genesis 1:2: 'And the earth was formless and void (tohu wa-bohu), and darkness was over the surface of the deep.' The terms also appear separately in other prophetic texts like Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Does Genesis support creation from nothing (ex nihilo)?

This is debated among scholars. Some interpret tohu wa-bohu as supporting creation ex nihilo, where chaos itself is God's first creation. Others see it as describing pre-existing primordial matter that God shaped into ordered creation.

תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ

Genesis Posts

Biblical origins and interpretations of tohu wa-bohu

January 13, 2026·4 min

Primordial Chaos in World Mythology

From Greek Chaos to Norse Ginnungagap to Babylonian Tiamat: how ancient cultures imagined the void before creation.

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