Tohu va bohu
Encyclopedia
Tohu wa bohu is a Biblical Hebrew phrase found in the Book of Genesis 1:2. It is usually translated "formless and empty," or some variation of the same, and describes the condition of the earth before God said, "Let there be light." Precise translation of the phrase is difficult, as only the first word, "tohu," appears to have any independent meaning. "Tohu," is used 20 times in the Hebrew bible, and is used to mean "vain" or "waste." "Bohu" appears only three times in the Hebrew bible, always together with "tohu," and always quoting the Genesis verse. Rabbi Judah taught that Akiva said Tohu is a green line encompassing the world from which darkness emanates.
In modern French, "tohu-bohu" is used as an idiom for "confusion" or "commotion". Also in colloquial German, "Tohuwabohu" means "great confusion"; "tohuvabohu" has the same meaning in Estonian
and Hungarian
.
In his book "Path of the Kabbalah", Dr. David Sheinkin explains that, in Hebrew, Tohu relates to the concept of "confusion" and Bohu can be subdivided as "Bo" meaning "in it" and "Hu" meaning "he". Therefore, he argues, it is something that seems to signify "he is in it", a connotation almost opposite to the traditional translation.
וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְהֹ֑ום וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃
- Genesis 1:2, original Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex)
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
- Genesis 1:2, English translation (New International Version
New International VersionThe New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
)
In modern French, "tohu-bohu" is used as an idiom for "confusion" or "commotion". Also in colloquial German, "Tohuwabohu" means "great confusion"; "tohuvabohu" has the same meaning in Estonian
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
and Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
.
In his book "Path of the Kabbalah", Dr. David Sheinkin explains that, in Hebrew, Tohu relates to the concept of "confusion" and Bohu can be subdivided as "Bo" meaning "in it" and "Hu" meaning "he". Therefore, he argues, it is something that seems to signify "he is in it", a connotation almost opposite to the traditional translation.