H7385 H7385
Emptiness, vanity; futility or purposelessness; concretely, being physically empty or void
A noun conveying the sense of emptiness, both abstract and concrete. In most occurrences it appears in adverbial phrases meaning 'in vain' or 'to no purpose'—labor that yields nothing (Isa 49:4; Lev 26:16, 20), worship that is futile (Ps 2:1), or effort expended for emptiness (Jer 51:58; Hab 2:13). German Nichtigkeit ('nothingness') captures the philosophical weight, while Spanish en vano conveys the practical futility. A single concrete usage in Jeremiah 51:34 describes Nebuchadnezzar making Israel physically 'empty'—devouring and discarding the nation like an empty vessel. Arabic fārighan ('empty, void') and Hindi khālī confirm this tangible, physical sense.
Senses
1. emptiness, vanity, in vain — Abstract emptiness, vanity, or futility, especially in the adverbial construction lərīq meaning 'in vain, to no purpose.' God warns Israel that their strength will be spent lārīq—for nothing (Lev 26:16, 20). The Servant in Isaiah 49:4 laments laboring 'for emptiness.' The psalmist asks why nations conspire rīq—in futile rage (Ps 2:1), and whether purifying one's heart was 'in vain' (Ps 73:13). German Nichtigkeit and Spanish en vano/vacío converge on this sense of purposelessness. Jeremiah 51:58 and Habakkuk 2:13 pair it with fire: nations toil bədê rīq, 'for mere emptiness.' 11×
AR["البَاطِلَ", "الْبَاطِلِ", "باطِلاً", "بَاطِلاً", "بَاطِلًا", "عَبَثًا", "لِ-بَاطِلٍ", "لِـ-بَاطِلٍ", "وَ-فَارِغٌ"]·ben["-বৃথায়", "অর্থহীন", "অর্থহীনতাকে", "ও-শূন্যতা", "বৃথায়", "শূন্যতায়", "শূন্যতার"]·DE["Nichtigkeit", "[וריק]", "[לריק]", "[ריק]", "in-vain"]·EN["and-emptiness", "emptiness", "for-emptiness", "in-vain", "nothing"]·FR["[וריק]", "[לריק]", "[ריק]", "dans-vain", "vain", "vide", "à-לריק"]·heb["ו-ריק", "ל-ה-לריק", "ל-ריק", "ריק"]·HI["और-खाली", "व्यर्थ", "व्यर्थ-में", "व्यर्थता", "व्यर्थता-के-लिए"]·ID["dan-kekosongan", "dengan-sia-sia", "kesia-siaan", "sia-sia", "untuk-sia-sia"]·IT["[ריק]", "e-invano", "in-vain", "invano", "per-in-vain"]·jav["barang-tanpa-guna", "kaleresanipun-tanpa-guna", "kangge-muspra", "kangge-sepa", "kanggé-kosong", "kanggé-tanpa-guna", "kothong", "lan-kosong", "tanpa-gina", "tanpa-guna"]·KO["그리고-공허하게", "에-헛되이", "헛되이", "헛되이-", "헛된-것", "헛된-것-을", "헛됨의"]·PT["coisas-vãs", "e-vazio", "em-vão", "nada", "para-em-vão", "vaidade", "vazio"]·RU["впустую", "и-напрасно", "напрасно", "пустоты", "суету", "тщетное"]·ES["en-vano", "vacío", "vacío?", "vanidad", "vanidad?", "y-vacío"]·SW["bure", "na-utupu", "ubatili"]·TR["-e-boşa", "bosuna", "bosuna-", "boş-şey", "boşa", "boşluk", "boşluğu", "boşuna", "ve-faydasiz"]·urd["اور-خالی", "باطل", "باطل-کے-لیے", "بیکار-میں", "بے-فائدہ", "بےکار", "رائیگاں-کے"]
2. empty (concrete, physical) — Concrete, physical emptiness—being devoid of contents or substance. In Jeremiah 51:34, Nebuchadnezzar has swallowed Jerusalem and made her 'empty,' like a vessel drained of its contents. Arabic fārighan ('empty, void'), Hindi khālī ('empty'), and Korean bin ('empty') all point to tangible, spatial vacancy rather than abstract futility. Spanish vacía likewise carries the concrete sense of an emptied container. This single occurrence preserves the word's physical root meaning, from which the more common abstract sense of 'vanity' developed. 1×
AR["فَارِغًا"]·ben["শূন্যের"]·DE["[ריק]"]·EN["empty"]·FR["[ריק]"]·heb["ריק"]·HI["खाली"]·ID["kosong"]·IT["invano"]·jav["kosong"]·KO["빈"]·PT["vazio"]·RU["пустым"]·ES["vacía"]·SW["tupu"]·TR["boş"]·urd["خالی"]
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
† רִיק n.[m.] emptiness, vanity;—chiefly in adv. phr. לְרִיק Is 49:4 Jb 39:16 in vain (of labour without benefit), so לָר׳ Lv 26:16, 20 (H), Is 65:23; and as adv. acc. רִיק Is 30:7 ψ 73:13, prob. also 2:1 (most = empty scheme as רֵיק 2) cf. ψ 4:3 (read prob. רֵיק); בְּדֵי רִיק Je 51:58 = Hb 2:13.—Je 51:34 v. רֵיק 1.