κενόω G2758
To empty, make void, or render powerless; used of Christ's self-emptying and of things being deprived of their force.
Carries the root idea of making something empty or hollow—draining it of its content, significance, or power. The most celebrated use is Philippians 2:7, where Christ 'emptied himself,' the great kenosis passage that anchors Christian theology of incarnation. Elsewhere Paul applies it to theological arguments: faith would be emptied of meaning if righteousness came through the law (Rom 4:14), and the cross would be emptied of its power by clever rhetoric (1Cor 1:17). The Spanish 'sea-vaciado' (be emptied) and German 'entleeren' both preserve the concrete image of something being drained of its contents.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To empty, make void, or deprive of content, force, or significance. The concrete image of emptying a vessel is extended metaphorically throughout the NT. In Phil 2:7, Christ 'emptied himself' (the kenosis)—not of divinity but of divine prerogatives, taking the form of a servant. In Rom 4:14 and 1Cor 1:17, faith and the cross are said to be 'emptied' or rendered void if human systems supplant divine action. Paul fears his own boasting might be 'emptied' (1Cor 9:15), and in 2Cor 9:3 his confidence in the Corinthians' generosity could be made void. Spanish 'ha-sido-vaciada' and French 'rendre-vain' together capture the dual nuance: literal emptying and making something vain or powerless. 5×
AR["أَخْلى", "بَطُلَ", "يَبطُلَ", "يُفْرَغَ", "يُفْرِغُ"]·ben["শূন্য-করবে।", "শূন্য-করেছিলেন", "শূন্য-হয়", "শূন্য-হয়েছে"]·DE["entleeren"]·EN["be-emptied", "has-been-made-void", "he-emptied", "might-be-emptied", "shall-make-empty"]·FR["entleeren", "rendre-vain"]·heb["הֵרִיק,", "הֻרֵקָנָה", "יְרוֹקֵן", "יִתְרוֹקֵן", "תֵּרוֹקַן"]·HI["उस्ने-खअलि-किय,", "खाली-करे", "व्यर्थ-हुआ", "व्यर्थ-हो"]·ID["akan-mengosongkan", "dikosongkan", "mengosongkan"]·IT["ekenōsen", "svuotare"]·jav["badhe-ngicalaken.", "dados-suwung", "dados-tanpa-isi", "kosong", "ngosongaken"]·KO["비어지지-않게", "비우셨노라,", "헛되게-되리라", "헛되게-하리라", "헛되었으니"]·PT["esvazie.", "esvaziou", "foi-esvaziada", "seja-esvaziada", "seja-vazia"]·RU["опустела", "опустошил", "опустошит.", "опустошён-был", "упразднена"]·ES["ha-sido-vaciada", "sea-vaciada", "sea-vaciado", "vaciará", "vació"]·SW["alijifanya-bure", "imebatilishwa", "kunibatilishia.", "kuwa-bure", "ubatilishwe"]·TR["boslatti", "boşa-çıkmasın", "boşaltacak", "boşaltılmıştır", "haç"]·urd["بے-اثر-ہو", "بے-فائدہ-ہو-گیا", "بے-کار-ہو-جائے", "خالی-کرے", "خالی-کیا"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κενόω, Refs 5th c.BC+; Epic dialect κεινόω Refs 2nd c.BC+: future κενώσω Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἐκένωσα Refs: perfect κεκένωκα Refs 2nd c.AD+:—passive, future κενωθήσομαι Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἐκενώθην Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect κεκένωμαι Refs 5th c.BC+: (κενός): —empty, πᾶσαν ἠπείρου πλάκα Refs 5th c.BC+[same place]: with genitive, empty of a thing, ἀνδρῶν τάνδε πόλιν κενῶσαι Refs 5th c.BC+; χέρας…