תֹּהוּ

n.m. 1 S 12, 21 (AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 112) formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness (primary meaning difficult to seize; Vrss usually κενόν, οὐδέν, μάταιον, inane, vacuum, vanum; cf. LagOr. ii. 60; BN 144);— formlessness, of primaeval earth Gn 1:2 (P), of land reduced to primaeval chaos Je 4:23 (both + וָבֹהוּ and voidness), Is 34:11 קַו־תֿ׳ (‖ אבְנֵי בֹהוּ), 45:18 לֹא ת׳ בְרָאָהּ (‖ לָשֶׁבֶת יְצָרָהּ); 24:10 קִרְיַת־תּ׳ city of chaos (of ruined city); = nothingness, empty space, Jb 26:7 נֹטֶה צָפן עַל־תּ׳; of empty, trackless waste Dt 32:10 (‖ מִדְבָּר), Jb 6:18; 12:24 = ψ 107:40. fig. of what is empty, unreal, as idols 1 S 12:21 (coll.: אַחֲרֵי הַתּ׳ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יוֹעִילוּ), v 21 Is 41:29 רוּחַ וָת׳ נִסְכֵּיהֶם, 44:9 (of idol-makers), groundless arguments or considerations, Is 29:21 וַיַּטּוּ בַתּ׳ צַדִּיק, 59:4 moral unreality or falsehood בָּטוֹהַ עַל־תּ׳ (‖ וְדַבֶּר־שָׁוְא); = a thing of nought (cf. Ecclus 41:10 מתהו אל תהו), Is 40:17 (‖ אַיִן, אֶפֶס), v 23 שֹׁפְטֵי אֶרֶץ כַּתּ׳ עָשָׂה (‖ לְאַיִן), worthlessness 49:4 לְת׳ וְהֶבֶל כֹּחִי כִלֵּיתִי (‖ לְרִיק יָגַעְתִּי); as adv. acc. 45:19 I said not, תֹּהוּ בַקְּשׁוּנִי seek me emptily, to no purpose. cf. 29:13 𝔊 וְתֹהוּ for וַתֹּהִי.