The Hebrew assonance tohu wa-bohu is often translated in English as “formless void” or some equivalent, but in some translations and languages attempts have been made to recreate some of its literary flavor:
English: wild and waste (Everett Fox 1995); welter and waste (Robert Alter 2004); void and vacant (James Moffatt 1935); complete chaos (NRSVue 2021)
German: Irrsal und Wirrsal (Buber / Rosenzweig 1976); wüst und wirr (Einheitsübersetzung, 1980/2016)
French: vide et vague (La Bible de Jérusalem, 1975)
Ancient Greek: aóratos kaí akataskévastos (ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος) (Septuagint)
A number of modern languages have also adopted form of tohu wa-bohu as an idiom for a state of chaos. These include:
For “The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing,” see James 5:4.
Note that this quote in the New Testament is not taken from the Hebrew Bible but from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) which translates into English as “in the ears of the Lord Sabaoth.” (Translation by NETS — for the Greek version see the title’s tooltip)
For “My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights,” see Hebrews 12:5 and Hebrews 12:6.
Note that this quote in the New Testament is not taken from the Hebrew Bible but from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) which translates into English as “My son, do not belittle the Lord’s discipline nor break down when you are reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines, and he punishes every son he accepts.” (Translation by NETS — for the Greek version see the title’s tooltip)
For the phrase “a root sprouting poisonous and bitter growth,” see Hebrews 12:15.
Note that this quote in the New Testament is not taken from the Hebrew Bible but from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) which translates into English as “a root growing up with gall and bitterness.” (Translation by NETS — for the Greek version see the title’s tooltip)
For the section “For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. (…) the righteous live by their faith,” see Hebrews 10:37 and Hebrews 10:38.
Note that this quote in the New Testament is not taken from the Hebrew Bible but from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) which translates into English as “For there is still a vision for an appointed time, and it will rise up at the end and not in vain. If it a should tarry, wait for it, for when it comes it will come and not delay. If it a draws back, my soul is not pleased in it. But the just shall live by my faith.” (Translation by NETS — for the Greek version see the title’s tooltip)
For the phrase “let the fire for your adversaries consume them,” see Hebrews 10:27.
Note that this quote in the New Testament is not taken from the Hebrew Bible but from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) which translates into English as “fire will now consume the adversaries.” (Translation by NETS — for the Greek version see the title’s tooltip)
For the phrase “Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear.´Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, ‘Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, O my God.'” see Hebrews 10:5, Hebrews 10:6, and Hebrews 10:7.
Note that this quote in the New Testament is not taken from the Hebrew Bible but from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) which translates into English as “Sacrifice and offering you did not want, but ears you fashioned for me. Whole burnt offering and one for sin you did not request. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come; in a scroll of a book it is written of me. To do your will, O my God, I desired.'” (Translation by NETS — for the Greek version see the title’s tooltip)
For the section “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” see Hebrews 8:8, Hebrews 8:9, Hebrews 8:10, Hebrews 8:11, and Hebrews 8:12.
Note that this quote in the New Testament is not taken from the Hebrew Bible but from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) which translates into English as “Behold, days are coming, quoth the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Iouda. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not abide in my covenant, and I was unconcerned for them, quoth the Lord, because this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, quoth the Lord. Giving I will give my laws in their mind, and I will write them on their hearts, and I will become a god to them, and they shall become a people to me. And they shall not teach, each his fellow citizen and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they shall all know me, from their small even to their great, because I will be gracious regarding their injustices, and remember their sins no more.” (Translation by NETS — for the Greek version see the title’s tooltip)
