H8415 H8415
The deep, abyss — primordial waters, ocean depths, subterranean springs, or a metaphor for the unfathomable.
One of the most evocative words in the Hebrew Bible, appearing in the second verse of Genesis over the formless void. It names the vast, dark, uncharted waters — whether the primeval deep of creation (Gen 1:2), the catastrophic flood springs (Gen 7:11), the sea that God splits for Israel (Exod 15:5, 8), or the underground waters that bless the land (Deut 33:13). Spanish 'abismo' and French 'abîme' both descend from Greek 'abyssos,' itself the Septuagint's translation of this very word — showing how tehom shaped Western vocabulary for the fathomless. The word carries an undertone of awe: these waters belong to God alone to command, and even the deep 'trembles' at His voice (Ps 77:16).
Senses
1. ocean depths / deep waters — The ocean depths and deep waters — vast bodies of water that God commands, divides, or through which He leads His people. This is the most frequent sense, covering the Red Sea crossing (Exod 15:5, 8), the flood narrative (Gen 7:11; 8:2), and the psalmist's recollection of God's power over the waters (Ps 77:16; 106:9). Spanish uniformly uses 'abismo(s),' French 'abîme,' and German 'Tiefe' — all pointing to overwhelming depth. Isaiah 63:13 and Psalm 106:9 use the rare articled form 'the deep,' suggesting a known, specific body of water in Israel's memory. 21×
AR["الأعْمَاقِ", "الأَعماقَ", "الأَعْمَاقَ", "اللُّجَجُ", "اللُّجَجِ", "الْ-غَمْرِ", "الْأَعْمَاقُ", "الْغَمْرَ", "الْغَمْرِ", "بِ-الْأَعْمَاقِ", "في-اللُّجَج"]·ben["অতল", "অতল-জল", "অতলের", "গভীর-জল", "গভীরতা", "গভীরতাকে", "গভীরতাগুলি", "গভীরতাতে", "গভীরতায়", "গভীরতার", "গভীরে।", "গভীরের", "সেই-গভীরের"]·DE["Tiefe", "[תהום]", "[תהום]", "[תהומות]", "[תהמות]", "deeps", "der-Tiefe", "der-depths", "durch-der-Tiefe"]·EN["deep", "deeps", "depths", "the-deep", "the-deeps", "the-depths", "through-the-depths"]·FR["abîme", "dans-abîme", "deeps", "le-depths", "profond"]·heb["ב-תהומות", "תהום", "תהומות"]·HI["अथाह-सागर-के", "गहरा", "गहराइयाँ", "गहराइयों", "गहराइयों-में", "गहराई-की", "गहराई-के", "गहराई-को", "गहरे-जल-के", "तेहोमोत"]·ID["Samudera", "air-samudera", "di-samudera", "jurang-jurang", "kedalaman", "melalui-samudera", "samudera", "samudera-raya", "samudera-samudera"]·IT["abisso", "deeps", "il-depths", "profondo"]·jav["Teleng", "ing-samodra", "jero-jero", "jurang", "samodra", "samodra-ageng", "samodra-jero", "samudera-jero", "teleng", "wonten-ing-salebeting-jurang"]·KO["깊은-곳들-이", "깊음", "깊음-에서", "깊음-의", "깊음들-에", "깊음들-에서", "깊음들아", "깊음들이", "깊음을", "깊음의", "심연-들-이", "심연-의", "심연을", "심연의", "에-깊은-물을-통과하여"]·PT["Abismos", "abismo", "abismos", "aos-abismos", "do-abismo", "nos-abismos", "o-abismo", "os-abismos", "pelos-abismos"]·RU["Бездны", "бездн,", "бездна", "безднах", "бездны", "бездны;", "в-бездны", "по-безднам", "через-hа-бездны"]·ES["Abísmos", "a-los-abismos", "abismo", "abismos", "abísmos", "los-abismos", "por-los-abismos"]·SW["Vilindi", "katika-vilindi", "kilindi", "nyumba", "vilindi", "vilindini", "wa-kilindi"]·TR["derin", "derinin", "derinlerin", "derinlikler", "derinliklerde", "derinliklere", "derinlikleri"]·urd["گہراؤ", "گہراؤ-کی", "گہراؤ-کے", "گہرائی کی", "گہرائی-اُس", "گہرائی-اُس-کے", "گہرائی-کو", "گہرائی-کی", "گہرائیاں", "گہرائیو", "گہرائیوں-میں", "گہرائیوں-کے"]
2. primordial cosmic deep — The primordial cosmic deep — the watery chaos present before or at creation, sometimes personified or carrying mythological resonance. Genesis 1:2 places 'darkness over the face of the deep' before God speaks light into being. Psalm 104:6 recalls this moment: 'You covered it with the deep as with a garment.' Ezekiel 31:4, 15 draws on this imagery for Assyria's cosmic tree nourished by the deep. Job 28:14 has the deep itself speak: 'It is not in me' — a rare personification where the abyss testifies to the hiddenness of wisdom. 8×
AR["الغَمرَ", "اللُّجَّةُ", "الهاوِيَةُ", "الْغَمْرَ", "الْغَمْرُ"]·ben["অগাধ", "অতল", "গভীর", "গভীর-জল", "গভীরতাকে"]·DE["[תהום]", "der-Tiefe"]·EN["the-deep", "the-great"]·FR["abîme"]·heb["תהוֹם", "תהום"]·HI["गहराई", "गहराई-ने"]·ID["jurang-dalam", "samudera", "samudera,", "samudera-dalam", "samudera-dalam,"]·IT["[תהום]", "abisso"]·jav["Jurang", "Samodra", "samodra", "samodra-jero", "seganten-jero", "teleng"]·KO["그-깊음을", "그-깊음이", "깊은-물-로", "깊음-이", "심연이", "큰-깊음을", "큰-물이"]·PT["Com-o-abismo", "O-abismo", "abismo", "o-abismo"]·RU["Бездной", "бездна", "бездну"]·ES["Abismo", "El-abismo", "abismo", "el-abismo", "el-gran"]·SW["Kilindi", "kilindi", "kilindi-kikuu"]·TR["Derin", "derin-suyu", "derin-uçurum", "derinlik", "derinliği"]·urd["-گہرائی", "گہراؤ", "گہرائی", "گہرائی-نے"]
3. figurative abyss / metaphorical deep — A figurative or metaphorical abyss — used comparatively for things beyond human fathoming. Psalm 36:6 declares God's judgments 'a great deep,' placing divine justice beyond mortal comprehension. Psalm 42:7's haunting 'deep calls to deep' uses the word as a metaphor for overwhelming sorrow cascading upon the psalmist. Psalm 78:15 recalls God splitting rocks to give water 'as from the great depths.' French 'comme abîme' and Spanish 'como abismos' preserve the simile structure in these passages. 4×
AR["غَمْرٌ", "غَمْرٍ", "كَاللُّجَجِ"]·ben["গভীর-জল", "গভীরতা", "গভীরতার-মতো"]·DE["Tiefe", "wie-der-Tiefe"]·EN["are-a-deep", "deep", "like-the-depths"]·FR["abîme", "comme-abîme"]·heb["כ-תהומות", "תהום", "תהום-"]·HI["गहराइयों-की-तरह", "गहराई"]·ID["seperti-samudera"]·IT["abisso"]·jav["Samudera-jero", "kadosdéné-jero-jero", "samudera-jero"]·KO["깊은-곳들-같이", "깊음", "깊음-이"]·PT["Abismo", "abismo", "como-de-grandes-abismos"]·RU["бездна", "бездне", "как-из-бездн"]·ES["Abismo", "abismo", "como-abismos"]·SW["Kilindi", "kama-vilindi", "kilindi"]·TR["Derin-", "derin", "derine", "derinlikler-gibi"]·urd["جیسے-گہرائیوں", "گہرائی"]
4. subterranean water source — Subterranean water sources — underground springs and wells that rise from beneath the earth, often paired with blessings from heaven above. Genesis 49:25 and Deuteronomy 33:13 both set 'the deep crouching below' alongside 'heaven above' in patriarchal blessings over the land. Deuteronomy 8:7 describes the promised land as having 'depths springing forth in valleys and hills.' The multilingual glosses consistently attach conjunctions ('and-from-deep,' 'y-de-abismos'), reflecting the syntactic pairing with heavenly blessings. Psalm 71:20 extends this to restoration: 'from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.' 3×
AR["وَ-مِنْ-أعْماقِ", "وَأَعْمَاقٍ", "وَمِنَ-الْغَمْرِ"]·ben["এবং-গভীর-জল", "এবং-থেকে-গভীর", "ও-গভীরতা-থেকে"]·DE["und-deeps", "und-von-dem-Tiefe-", "und-von-tief"]·EN["and-deeps", "and-from-deep", "and-from-the-depths-of"]·FR["et-de-abîme", "et-de-profond", "et-deeps"]·heb["ו-מ-תהום", "ו-מ-תהומות", "ו-תהומות"]·HI["और-गहराइयों-से", "और-गहराई", "और-गहराई-से"]·ID["dan-air-yang-dalam", "dan-dari-kedalaman", "dan-dari-samudera"]·IT["e-abisso", "e-da-profondo", "e-deeps"]·jav["lan-banyu-jero", "lan-saking-samodra", "saha-saking-jero-jero"]·KO["그리고-깊은-물들이", "그리고-에서-깊은-물(접)", "깊은-곳들-에서"]·PT["e-do-abismo", "e-dos-abismos", "e-profundezas"]·RU["и-бездн", "и-из-бездн", "и-от-бездны"]·ES["y-de-abismos-de", "y-de-manantiales", "y-del-abismo"]·SW["na-kutoka-vilindi", "na-kwa-kilindi", "na-vilindi"]·TR["ve-derinliklerin", "ve-derinliklerinden-", "ve-derinlikten"]·urd["اور-گہراؤ-سے", "اور-گہرائیاں", "وَ-مِن-گہرائیوں"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† תְּהוֹם n.f. Gn 7:11 + 7 times et. m. Jb. 28:14 + 5 times (AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 62 Köii. 2. 167 Ency. Bib. Deep) deep, sea, abyss (almost always poet.);—abs. ת׳ Gn 1:2 +; pl. abs. תְּהֹמוֹת ψ 77:17 +, etc., בַּתּ׳ Is 63:13 ψ 106:9 (only here c. art.); cstr. תְּהוֹמוֹת 71:20 (but v. 5 infra);— 1. deep, of subterranean waters, Gn 49:25 (poem in J; opp. שָׁמַיִם), Dt 33:13 (opp. id.); מַעְיְנוֹת ת׳…