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Genesis 1:2
“The earth was waste and void; and darkness was on the surface of the deep. God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.”
This verse describes the state of the world just before God begins the work of creation in the book of Genesis. It sets the scene for the ordered cosmos that is about to emerge, contrasting it with a primordial, unformed state.
How does imagining the world starting from 'waste and void' shape our understanding of order, meaning, and purpose?
Then — the setting
For the ancient Israelites, living in the 1st millennium BCE, the phrase 'tohu va vohu' (waste and void) in Genesis 1:2 would have evoked a state of utter disorder, emptiness, and formlessness. It wasn't necessarily 'nothingness' or non-existence, but rather a chaotic, uninhabitable environment. This stood in stark contrast to the ordered, habitable cosmos created by God. Their neighbors' creation myths often depicted creation as a struggle between divine forces, with order emerging from conflict. The Israelite account emphasizes God's sovereign, effortless ordering of pre-existing, formless matter through divine word.
Across the Testaments
In the Old Testament, 'tohu va vohu' primarily appears here to describe the primordial state. The concept of God bringing order from chaos is a foundational theme. The New Testament doesn't explicitly reuse the phrase 'tohu va vohu,' but it builds upon the theological framework established in Genesis. For instance, John 1:1-3 presents Jesus (the Word) as the agent of creation, reinforcing the idea of divine ordering power. Passages like Colossians 1:15-17 and Hebrews 1:3 affirm Christ's role in sustaining and giving coherence to the created order, reflecting God's ongoing ability to prevent the world from reverting to 'waste and void.'
Keep thinking
Read alongside it
This prophecy uses similar language to describe the desolation of Judah, echoing creation's unformed state.
This psalm celebrates God's power in bringing order to the primordial waters and establishing the earth.
This New Testament passage references the creation by water and anticipates a future judgment by fire, showing God's continued power over chaos.
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