H1891 H1891
to become vain, act emptily; to be deluded or filled with false hopes
A denominative verb from hevel ('vanity'), describing the process of becoming empty or worthless in a moral and spiritual sense. In 2 Kings 17:15 and Jeremiah 2:5, Israel pursued vanity and thereby became vain — a pointed wordplay on the noun. Psalm 62:10 warns against becoming demoralized through robbery. Job 27:12 asks why people show themselves utterly vain. The Hiphil in Jeremiah 23:16 describes false prophets causing others to embrace delusion.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To become vain, act emptily, or be rendered worthless — describing moral-spiritual deterioration through pursuit of empty things. The Qal captures self-inflicted futility: 2 Kings 17:15 and Jeremiah 2:5 use the pointed wordplay 'they followed hevel and became havel' (Spanish 'se hicieron vanos'). Psalm 62:10 warns against becoming demoralized by illicit gain. Job 27:12 asks accusingly why the friends show themselves utterly vain. The Hiphil in Jeremiah 23:16 shifts to causative: false prophets 'make you vain' (Spanish 'os hacen vanos'), filling hearers with delusory hopes. 5×
AR["تَبطُلونَ", "تَصيروا-باطِلينَ", "وَ-بَطَلُوا", "وَبَطَلُوا", "يُبَطِّلُونَ"]·ben["এবং-অসার-হয়েছে", "এবং-অসার-হল", "তোমরা-বলছ?", "বৃথা-হও", "যারা-অর্থহীন-করছে"]·DE["[ויהבלו]", "[מהבלים]", "[תהבלו]", "become-vain", "und-sie-became-vain"]·EN["and-became-vain", "and-they-became-vain", "become-vain", "making-vain", "you-act-vainly"]·FR["[ויהבלו]", "[מהבלים]", "et-ils-devint-vain", "être-vain", "תהבלו"]·heb["ו-הבלו", "מהבילים", "תהבלו"]·HI["आशा-रखो", "और-व्यर्थ-हुए", "और-व्यर्थ-हुए-वे", "तुम-व्यर्थ-होते-हो", "व्यर्थ-बनाते-हैं"]·ID["dan-menjadi-sia-sia", "dan-mereka-menjadi-sia-sia", "kamu-menjadi-sia-sia", "menjadi-sia-sia", "yang-menyesatkan"]·IT["[תהבלו]", "e-essere-vano", "e-essi-divenne-vain", "essere-vano", "you-act-vainly"]·jav["dados-tanpa-guna", "dados-ébah", "lan-dados-sia-sia", "lan-dados-tanpa-guna", "ndadosaken-tanpa-guna"]·KO["그들이-헛되게-되었다", "그리고-그들이-헛되었다", "헛되게-하는-자들이", "헛되이-되는냐", "헛되지-마라"]·PT["desvaneceis?", "e-tornaram-se-vãos", "iludindo", "vos-torneis-vãos"]·RU["и-стали-суетными", "обольщающие", "суетитесь", "тщеславьтесь"]·ES["os-envanezcais", "os-hacen-vanos", "y-se-hicieron-vanos", "y-se-hicieron-vanos?"]·SW["mnakuwa-wabatili", "na-wakawa-bure", "na-wakawa-ubatili", "usijisifu", "wanawadanganya"]·TR["aldatanlar", "boş-olursunuz", "boşuna-umutlanın", "ve-boş-oldular"]·urd["اور-باطل-ہو-گئے", "اور-بیکار-ہو-گئے", "بیکار-بنا-رہے-ہیں", "بیہودہ-ہوو", "بےکار ہوتے ہو"]
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
† [הָבַל] vb. denom. act emptily, become vain— Qal Je 2:5 = 2 K 17:15 they went after vanity וַיֶּהְבָּ֑לוּ and became vain, ψ 62:11 וּבְגָזֵל אַל־תֶּהְבָּ֑לוּ do not become vain (i.e. be demoralized) by robbery; with acc. cogn. Jb 27:12 לָמָּה זֶה הֶבֶל תֶּהְבָּ֑לוּ why do ye become vain with vanity (i.e. shew yourselves utterly vain)? Hiph. cause to become vain Je 23:16 (of false prophets) מַהְבִּלִים הֵמָּה אֶתְכֶם i.e. fill you with vain hopes.