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).
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"]
▼ 2 more senses below
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"]
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,…