Quotation for Genesis 1:2
וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃
Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.
Sefer HaBahir
Rabbi Berachiah said: It is written (Gen. 1:2), "the earth being tohu (unformed) and bohu (void)." What is the meaning of the word "was" in this verse? This indicates that the tohu existed previously. What is tohu? Something that confounds (taha) people. What is bohu? It is something that has substance. This is the reason that it is called "bohu", that is, "bo hu" - "it is in it."
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