There is an interesting word pair in Genesis 1:2 that has been the focus of a great deal of debate among biblical scholars. In English, the terms tohu wa-bohu are famously translated as “without form, and void” (KJV), “a formless void” (NRSV), “without form and void” ESV), and the like.
The Creation, c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot
A recent issue of the journal Shūkyō Kenkyū (Religious Studies) includes a “research report” by Makoto Noguchi (Japanese PDF) on the meaning of the word pair. The report is a summary of Noguchi’s paper at the 70th Annual Convention of the Japanese Association for Religious Studies.
Though the report is only a few pages—or because it is only a few pages—perhaps it can serve to introduce students to some of the key points in the debate about the meaning of tohu wa-bohu. And for the initiated, perhaps it can help to spark further debate.
Overview
In his short report, Noguchi . . .
- Introduces a few Japanese versions that translate the word pair as “chaos” (混沌, konton).
- Very briefly introduces the “Chaoskampf theory” (that Gen 1:2 reflects ancient Near Eastern myths about the universe’s chaotic origins and not “creation from nothing” theories) and David Toshio Tsumura’s argument against it in Tsumura’s [easyazon_link asin=”1575061066″ locale=”JP” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”shogrenot20-22″ add_to_cart=”no” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Creation And Destruction: A Reappraisal of the Chaoskampf Theory in the Old Testament[/easyazon_link].
- Outlines a few reasons why he (the author) thinks the word pair refers to an empty state (or formless void) rather than to orderless chaos.
Do you know of any other Japanese treatments of this topic? If so, let us know in the comment section below.
English and Japanese Citations & Author Information
Makoto Noguchi, “Sono chi (Sōseiki 1:2a) wa konton de atta ka” [Was the Earth (Genesis 1:2a) Chaos?], Shūkyō Kenkyū 85:4 [Religious Studies 85:4] (2012): 1141–43.
野口 誠「その地（創世記一・二a）は混沌であったか」『宗教研究』85巻4歓，2012年，1141–43。
*Makoto Noguchi was formerly a professor at Ibaraki Christian University.
