Lexical Definition

‎שָׁוְא‎ shâvᵉʼ (shawv) vanity: false ^H:N-M
or שַׁו shav (shav); from the same as ‎שׁוֹא‎ in the sense of desolating

false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity.

• evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile)
• figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective
• also adverbially, in vain)

1) emptiness, vanity, falsehood
1a) emptiness, nothingness, vanity
1b) emptiness of speech, lying
1c) worthlessness (of conduct)

See Greek: ἄνομος · ἄτοπος · κενός · μάταιος · ματαιότης · ματαιόω · ματαιόω · ψευδής

Extended Information

• : false
• Also means: shav (‎ש‎ָׁ‎ו‎ְ‎א‎ ": vain" שָׁוְא)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎שָׁוְא‎ noun [masculine] emptiness, vanity; — ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ absolute Exod 23:1 + 51 t., ‎שָׁו‎ Job 15:31 (Kt); —

1. emptiness, nothingness, vanity: ‎תְּשׁוּעַת אָרָם‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Ps 60:13* vain (is) man's deliverance, = Ps 108:13* ‎לָכֶם‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Ps 127:2 it is vain (useless) for you; Ps 89:48* for (‎עַל‎) what nothingness hast thou created man ? compare ‎׳‎‎יַרְחֵי שׁ‎ Job 7:3 ‎׳‎‎הַבְלֵי שׁ‎ Ps 31:7* (idols) = Jonah 2:9*, compare Jer 18:15 + Hos 5:11 ᵐ5 (for ‎צָו‎); ‎׳‎‎מִנְחַת שׁ‎ Isa 1:13 of ineffective offering to ‎׳‎‎י‎; ‎׳‎‎נשׂא לַשּׁ‎ (‎לֹא‎) Exod 20:7 (twice in verse) take up name of God in vain (to no good purpose) = Deut 5:11 (twice in verse), compare Ps 24:4; Ps 139:20 [ᵑ0](/btb/not_created.html) lifted up in vain are thy foes, but read ‎שְׁמֶ֑ךָ‎ for ‎עָרֶיךָ‎, compare ‎נשׂא‎ 1 b (7); al. ‎עָלֶיךָ‎, see II. ‎עָר‎]; ‎׳‎‎היה שׁ‎ Hos 12:12* become nothing (We ‎׳‎‎עשׂה שׁ‎, and so 3); ‎׳‎‎ראה שׁ‎ Ps 119:37 adverb ‎׳‎‎לַשּׁ‎ in vain Jer 2:30; Jer 4:30; Jer 6:29; Jer 46:11 ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Ps 127:1 (twice in verse); Mal 3:14.

2. emptiness of speech, || lying, ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ ‎וּדְבַר כָּזָב‎ Prov 30:8 ‎׳‎‎דבּר שׁ‎ Ps 12:3*; Ps 41:7*; Ps 144:8; Ps 144:11; Isa 59:4; Ezek 13:8 ‎׳‎‎אָלוֺת שׁ‎ Hos 10:4 + Hos 12:2* ᵐ5 We and others (for ‎שֹׁד‎); ‎׳‎‎הָלַךְ עִםשֿׁ‎ Job 31:5 (|| ‎מִרְמָה‎); ‎׳‎‎עֵד שׁ‎ Deut 5:17 (= ‎עֵד‎ ‎שָֽׁקֶר‎ Exod 20:16); compare ‎׳‎‎שֵׁמַע שׁ‎ Exod 23:1 (E); of false (empty) prophecy ‎׳‎‎חֲזוֺן שׁ‎ Ezek 12:24, ‎׳‎‎חָזוּ שׁ‎ Lam 2:14 see also Ezek 13:6; Ezek 13:7; Ezek 13:9; Ezek 13:23; Ezek 21:34*; Ezek 22:28; Job 35:13 (or empty complaining, below 1); ‎׳‎‎קסם שׁ‎ Ezek 21:28* ‎חֲלֹמוֺת‎ ‎׳‎‎הַשּׁ‎ Zech 10:2.

3. of conduct, worthlessness (Buhl below 1, 2); ‎׳‎‎מְרתי שׁ‎ worthless men Ps 26:4; Job 11:11 worthless motives (in figurative) ‎׳‎‎חַבְלֵי הַשּׁ‎ Isa 5:18 ‎׳‎‎נָפַת שׁ‎ Isa 30:28 (i.e. sifting out the worthless; al. sieve of (bringing) disappointment); play on meanings in Job 15:31 (twice in verse), compare Dr^{Job, Psalt. 464}.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References