Quick Definition
vanity: false
Strong's Definition
evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain)
Derivation: or שַׁו; from the same as H7722 (שׁוֹא) in the sense of desolating;
KJV Usage: false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity.
TWOT Reference: 2338a
Outline of Biblical Usage
Septuagint (LXX) Greek Equivalents
This Hebrew word is translated by the following Greek words in the Septuagint:
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Hebrew Lexicon
שָׁוְא (shav) — vanity: false. : false 1) emptiness, vanity, falsehood 1a) emptiness, nothingness, vanity 1b) emptiness of speech, lying 1c) worthlessness (of conduct) Also means: shav (שָׁוְא ": vain" H7723H)
שָׁוְא (shav) — vanity: vain. : vain/empty/worthless 1) emptiness, vanity, falsehood 1a) emptiness, nothingness, vanity 1b) emptiness of speech, lying 1c) worthlessness (of conduct)
UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew
noun m
Unfaithful | ≈ מִרְמָה
falsehood, deceit, deceitfulness = state in which humans are not committed towards fulfilling their obligations and show that by their actions
False | ≈ חָלָק · כָּזָב · עלם · שֶׁקֶר · תָּפֵל
false, lies literally: falsehood; hence: = state in which things that are being communicated are factually untrue
EXO 20:7 · EXO 20:7 · EXO 23:1 · DEU 5:11 · DEU 5:11 · DEU 5:20 · JOB 35:13 · PSA 12:3 · PSA 41:7 · PSA 139:20 · PSA 144:8 · PSA 144:11 · PRO 30:8 · ISA 30:28 · ISA 59:4 · LAM 2:14 · LAM 2:14 · EZK 12:24 · EZK 13:6 · EZK 13:7 · EZK 13:8 · EZK 13:9 · EZK 13:23 · EZK 21:28 · EZK 21:34 · EZK 22:28 · HOS 10:4 · ZEC 10:2
Fail | ≈ כשׁל
futility, delusion = state in which objects or activities do not serve a valid purpose and can only lead to disappointment
JOB 7:3 · JOB 15:31 · JOB 15:31 · PSA 24:4 · PSA 31:7 · PSA 60:13 · PSA 89:48 · PSA 108:13 · PSA 119:37 · PSA 127:1 · PSA 127:1 · PSA 127:2 · ISA 1:13 · JER 2:30 · JER 4:30 · JER 6:29 · JER 18:15 · JER 46:11 · HOS 12:12 · JON 2:9 · MAL 3:14
1 ISA 30:28 MT NJPS "misguiding" | RSV NIV NJB NRSV REB GNT "destruction" CEV "destroys" = שֹׁוא 2 JOB 35:13 NJPS "Surely it is false that God does not listen"
UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon
שָׁוְא n.[m.] emptiness, vanity base