From an unused root meaning to be deep. Refers to the primordial deep, the vast chaotic waters before creation. It appears at the very beginning of Scripture in Genesis 1:2 β 'darkness was upon the face of the deep.' Also refers to underground springs, ocean depths, and overwhelming forces of chaos that only God can master.
T'hom is one of the most evocative words in the Hebrew Bible. In Genesis 1:2, the Spirit of God hovers over the t'hom, bringing order from chaos. This imagery recurs throughout Scripture β God controls the deep (Psalm 104:6), the deep erupts in judgment (Genesis 7:11), and the deep obeys God's voice (Habakkuk 3:10). God alone has authority over the chaotic forces of creation.