H7386 H7386
Empty, vacant; also of persons: worthless, idle; of pursuits: vain, futile.
A vivid adjective that moves from the concrete to the moral. At its most literal, it describes a dry cistern (Gen 37:24), blighted ears of grain (Gen 41:27), or empty jars carried by Gideon's men (Judg 7:16). When applied to people, the tone shifts sharply: 'worthless men' who follow Abimelech (Judg 9:4) or the 'empty ones' before whom David danced (2 Sam 6:20). Arabic 'sufaha' (fools) and Swahili 'wapumbavu' (fools) confirm this moral coloring. Proverbs extends it one step further to futile pursuits themselves -- the 'vanidades' of those who chase empty things (Prov 12:11; 28:19).
Senses
1. empty (physically vacant) — Physically empty or vacant -- describing containers, spaces, or things devoid of contents. The pit into which Joseph was cast was 'empty, no water in it' (Gen 37:24); Pharaoh's dream featured seven empty ears of grain (Gen 41:27); Gideon's soldiers carried empty jars (Judg 7:16). Translations converge: Spanish 'vacío,' Hindi 'khali,' Arabic 'farigh,' Korean 'bin' -- all point to literal emptiness. 9×
AR["الْ-فَارِغَاتِ", "بَاطِلًا", "بَطّالونَ", "فارِغَةٌ", "فَارِغَة", "فَارِغَةً", "وَ-فارِغًا", "وَ-فَارِغَةٌ"]·ben["অকর্মা", "এবং-শূন্য", "ও-শূন্য", "খালি", "খালি-ছিল", "ফাঁকা", "শূন্য"]·DE["[וריקה]", "[רקה]", "die-leeren", "leer", "und-nur"]·EN["and-empty", "empty", "the-empty"]·FR["[וריקה]", "et-seulement", "le-vider", "vide", "vider"]·heb["ה-רקות", "ו-ריקה", "ו-רק", "ריק", "ריקה", "ריקים", "רק"]·HI["और-खाली", "खाली", "निकम्मे"]·ID["dan-kosong", "kosong", "yang-hampa"]·IT["[וריקה]", "[רקה]", "e-soltanto", "il-vuotare", "vuotare", "vuoto"]·jav["kosong", "lan-kosong", "suwung", "tanpa-guna"]·KO["건달들", "그리고-비어있다", "그리고-빈-자로", "비어서", "비었다", "빈", "헛된"]·PT["as-vazias", "e-vazia", "e-vazio", "vazia", "vazias", "vazios", "vã"]·RU["и-пуста", "и-пустой", "пуста", "пустое", "пустые", "пустых", "угли"]·ES["las-vacías", "vacía", "vacías", "vacío", "vacíos", "y-vacía", "y-vacío"]·SW["matupu", "mitupu", "na-tupu", "tupu", "vitupu", "wasiofaa"]·TR["-boş", "bos", "boş", "ve-bos", "ve-boş"]·urd["اور-خالی", "اور-خالی-ہے", "بیکار", "خالی"]
2. worthless persons (idle, reckless fellows) — Worthless, idle, reckless persons -- a moral transfer from physical emptiness to human character. Abimelech hired 'worthless and reckless men' (Judg 9:4), Jephthah gathered 'empty men' (Judg 11:3), and Michal accused David of exposing himself before 'the empty ones' (2 Sam 6:20). Arabic 'al-sufaha' (fools), Swahili 'wapumbavu' (fools), and Hindi 'nikamme' (idle) all independently select moral-deficiency vocabulary. 3×
AR["السُّفَهَاءِ", "فارِغونَ", "فَارِغِينَ"]·ben["-বাজেদের", "নিকম্মা", "শূন্য"]·DE["[רקים]", "der-worthless-die", "worthless"]·EN["the-worthless-ones", "worthless"]·FR["[רקים]", "le-sans-valeur-ceux", "worthless"]·heb["ה-רקים", "ריקים", "רקים"]·HI["निकम्मे", "निकम्मों", "मूर्खों-में-से"]·ID["kosong", "orang-orang-kosong"]·IT["[רקים]", "il-senza-valore-quelli", "indegno"]·jav["ingkang-kothong", "tanpa-guna", "tiyang-kosong"]·KO["그-빈-자들의", "빈"]·PT["os-vazios", "vazios"]·RU["пустые", "пустых"]·ES["los-vacíos", "vacíos"]·SW["wapumbavu", "wasiofaa", "watupu"]·TR["boş", "boşların", "degersizsiz"]·urd["بیکار", "خالی-دماغوں-میں-سے۔", "نکمے"]
3. vain things (vanities, futile pursuits) — Vain things, futile pursuits -- the abstract extension where emptiness characterizes not persons but their activities. 'Whoever chases empty things lacks sense' (Prov 12:11; 28:19). Spanish 'vanidades,' Hindi 'vyarth' (futile), Arabic 'abatil' (vanities), and Swahili 'ubatili' (futility) consistently render the abstract, moral-philosophical dimension. 2×
AR["أَباطِيلَ", "باطِلينَ"]·ben["অসারতাকে", "শূন্যতার-পিছনে"]·DE["[ריקים]", "[רקים]"]·EN["vain-things", "worthless-pursuits"]·FR["ריקים", "רקים"]·heb["ריקים"]·HI["व्यर्थताओं-के", "व्यर्थों-का"]·ID["hal-hal-yang-kosong", "kesia-siaan"]·IT["vain-things", "worthless-pursuits"]·jav["kang-tanpa-guna", "kothongan"]·KO["허된-것들을", "헛된-것-들-을"]·PT["coisas-vãs", "vaidades"]·RU["пустое"]·ES["vanidades"]·SW["mambo-matupu", "ubatili"]·TR["boş-şeyleri", "boş-şeylerin"]·urd["باطل-کا", "بیکاروں-کو"]
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
† [רֵיק], רֵק adj. empty, vain;—m. abs. רֵק Gn 37:24 + 2 times; f. רֵקָה Ez 24:11 Is 29:8; mpl. רֵ(י)קִים Ju 7:16 +; fpl. רֵקוֹת Gn 41:27;— 1. empty, of vessels 2 K 4:3 Ju 7:16 Ez 24:11 + (prob.) Je 14:3 (רֵ��קִים for רֵיקָם), 51:34 (רֵיק for רִיק); of pit Gn 37:24 (J), lap Ne 5:13, ears of grain Gn 41:27 (E; דַּקּוֹת v 6, 7, 23, 24); רֵקָה נַפְשׁוֹ Is 29:8 (cf. 32:6 √ 1). 2. empty, idle,…