תֹּהוּ
tôhûw · to'-hoo
a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain
Lexicon
Derivation: from an unused root meaning to lie waste;
a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain
- a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert
- figuratively, a worthless thing
- adverbially, in vain
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.
Letters
- תTav400
Picture: a crossed mark
- Concrete
- mark · sign · cross · signature
- Extended
- a covenant · to seal · to sign · the end · monument
- הHe5
Picture: a person with both arms raised
- Concrete
- a man calling out · a window · breath
- Extended
- behold! · revelation · to reveal · the (definite article)
- וVav6
Picture: tent peg or hook
- Concrete
- nail · peg · hook
- Extended
- to fasten · to secure · to establish · and (joining)
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
the mark, the covenant sign › to reveal, behold › to fasten and establish
The mark, the covenant sign that works to reveal, behold that works to fasten and establish.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of תֹּהוּ above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
20 occurrences · 20 OT · 0 NT · 15 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- of confusion2 · 10%
- without form1 · 5%
- and in the waste1 · 5%
- vain1 · 5%
- for they are vain1 · 5%
- to nothing1 · 5%
- in a wilderness1 · 5%
- over the empty place1 · 5%
- in the wilderness1 · 5%
- for a thing of nought1 · 5%
- and vanity1 · 5%
- as vanity1 · 5%
- and confusion1 · 5%
- are all of them vanity1 · 5%
- it not in vain1 · 5%
- ye me in vain1 · 5%
- for nought1 · 5%
- in vanity1 · 5%
- and, lo, it was without form1 · 5%
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.