Lexical Definition

‎תֹּהוּ‎ tôhûw (to'-hoo) formlessness ^H:N-M
from an unused root meaning to lie waste

confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.

• a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert
• figuratively, a worthless thing
• adverbially, in vain

1) formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness
1a) formlessness (of primeval earth)
1a1) nothingness, empty space
1b) that which is empty or unreal (of idols) (fig)
1c) wasteland, wilderness (of solitary places)
1d) place of chaos
1e) vanity

See Greek: ἄδικος · ἀόρατος · δίψος · ἔρημος · κενός · μάταιος

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎תֹּ֫הוּ‎ noun masculine^{1Sam 12:21} (Albr^{ZAW xvi (1896), 112}) formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness (primary meaning difficult to seize; Vrss usually Κενόν, οὐδέν, μάταιον, inane, vacuum, vanum; compare Lag^{Or. ii. 60}; BN 144); —

1. formlessness, of primaeval earth Gen 1:2 (P), of land reduced to primaeval chaos Jer 4:23 (both + ‎וָבֹהוּ‎ and voidness), Isa 34:11 ‎׳‎‎קַותֿֿ‎ (|| ‎אַבְנֵי בֹהוּ‎), Isa 45:18 ‎בְרָאָהּ‎ ‎׳‎‎לֹא ת‎ (|| ‎לָשֶׁבֶת יְצָרָתּ‎); Isa 24:10 ‎׳‎‎קִרְיַתאתּ‎ city of chaos (of ruined city); = nothingness, empty space, Job 26:7 ‎תֹּלֶה אֶרֶץ‎ ‎׳‎‎עַלתּֿ‎; of empty, trackless waste Deut 32:10 (|| ‎מִדְבָּר‎), Job 6:18; Job 12:24 = Ps 107:40.

2. figurative of what is empty, unreal, as idols 1Sam 12:21 (collective: ‎אֲשֶׁר‎ ‎׳‎‎אַחֲרֵי הַתּ‎ ‎לֹא יוֺעִילוּ‎), v1Sam 12:21; Isa 41:29 ‎נִסְכֵּיהֶם‎ ‎׳‎‎רוּחַ וָת‎, Isa 44:9 (of idol-makers), groundless arguments or considerations, Isa 29:21 ‎צַדִּיק‎ ‎׳‎‎וַיַּטּוּ בַתּ‎, Isa 59:4 moral unreality or falsehood ‎׳‎‎בָּטוֺחַ עַלאתּ‎ (|| ‎וְדַבֶּרשָֿׁוְא‎); = a thing of nought (compare Eccl 41:10 ‎מתהו אל תהו‎), Isa 40:17 (|| ‎אַיִן‎ ‎אֶפֶס‎), vIsa 40:23 ‎עָשָׂה‎ ‎׳‎‎שֹׁפְטֵי אֶרֶץ כַּתּ‎ (|| ‎לְאַיִן‎), worthlessness Isa 49:19 ‎וְהֶבֶל כֹּחִי כִלֵּיתִי‎ ‎׳‎‎לְת‎ (|| ‎לְרִיק יָגַעְתִּי‎); as adverb accusative Isa 45:19 I said not, ‎תֹּהוּ בַקְּשׁוּנִי‎ seek me emptily, to no purpose. compare Isa 29:13 ᵐ5 ‎וְתֹהוּ‎ for ‎וַתְּהִי‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References