Words the Bible translates as vain
English uses one word here. The Bible uses 4 words, and they do not mean the same thing. Each is listed with what it actually means, most frequent first.
- mataiosμάταιοςfutile: empty of any real result, so it cannot deliver what it seems to promise
- shavשָׁוְאthat which has no substance and so cannot be trusted: emptiness that shows up as futile effort, as lying speech, and as worthless idols
- reqרֵיקempty: holding nothing, and so, of people or words, without worth or substance
- riqרִיקemptiness that yields nothing: a container with nothing in it, and so work, strength, or scheming that comes back with no result
Keep looking
Every English meaning beginning with V is on its letter page, and the whole index starts at Browse.