Reference: Vanity
American
Does not usually denote, in Scripture, self-conceit or personal pride, 2Pe 2:18, but sometimes emptiness and fruitlessness, Job 7:3; Ps 144:4; Ec 1. It often denotes wickedness, particularly falsehood, De 32:21; Ps 4:2; 24:4; 119:37, and sometimes idols and idol-worship, 2Ki 17:15; Jer 2:5; 18:15; Jon 2:8. Compare Paul's expression, "they turned the truth of God into a lie," Ro 1:25. "In vain," in the second commandment, Ex 20:7, is unnecessarily and irreverently. "Vain men," 2Sa 6:20; 2Ch 13:7, are dissolute and worthless fellows.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Thou shalt not utter the name of Yahweh thy God for falsehood, for Yahweh will not let him go unpunished who uttereth his name for falsehood.
They have moved me to jealousy with a No-GOD, They have angered me with their vanities: I, therefore, will move them to jealousy with a No-people, With an impious nation, will I anger them.
and David returned, to bless his household. Then came forth Michal Saul's daughter to meet David, and said - How honoured, to-day, was the king of Israel in disrobing himself to-day, in the sight of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the low people, might disrobe himself?
but rejected his statutes, and his covenant, which he solemnised with their fathers, and his testimonies wherewith he testified against them, - and followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were round about them, as to whom Yahweh charged them, so that they should not do like them.
So, have I been made to inherit months of calamity, and, nights of weariness, have been appointed me.
Ye sons of the great! how long, turning my glory to contempt, will ye love emptiness, will ye seek falsehood? Selah.
The clean of hands, and pure of heart, - who hath not uplifted, to falsehood, his soul, nor sworn deceitfully,
Turn away mine eyes, from beholding vanity, In thy way, give me life.
The earthborn, resembleth, a vapour, his days, are like a passing shadow.
Thus, saith Yahweh, - What did your fathers find in me by way of perversity, that they removed far from me, - and went after vanity, and became vain?
Yet my people have forgotten me, Unto vanity, have they been burning incense; And it hath caused them to stumble In their ways The roads of age-past times, To walk in by-paths - A way not cast up.
They who take heed to the vanities of falsehood, do, their own lovingkindness, forsake.
Who, indeed, exchanged away the truth of God for the falsehood, and rendered worship and service unto the creature rather than unto the Creator, - who is blessed unto the ages. Amen!
For, great swelling words of vanity, uttering, they entice with carnal covetings - in wanton ways - them who are, well-nigh, escaping from the men who, in error, have their behaviour;
Hastings
The root-idea of the word is 'emptiness.' Skeat suggests that the Lat. vanus (perhaps for vac-nus) is allied to vacuus 'empty.' In English literature 'vanity' signifies (1) emptiness, (2) falsity, (3) vainglory. The modern tendency is to confine its use to the last meaning. But 'vanity' in the sense of 'empty conceit' is not found in the English Bible.
1. In the OT.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Conceiving mischief, and bringing forth iniquity, yea, their inmost soul, prepareth deceit.
Howbeit, vanity, will GOD not hear, Yea, the Almighty, will not regard it.
Ye sons of the great! how long, turning my glory to contempt, will ye love emptiness, will ye seek falsehood? Selah.
With cursing, his mouth is full, and with deceptions and oppression, Under his tongue, are trouble and mischief:
Deception, speak they, every one with his neighbour, - with lips uttering smooth things - with a heart and a heart, do they speak.
And, if he have come to see me, Falsehood, doth he speak, His own heart, gathereth iniquity to itself, he goeth forth, abroad he telleth it.
The earthborn, resembleth, a vapour, his days, are like a passing shadow.
Whose mouth, hath spoken deceit, and, whose right hand, is a right hand of falsehood.
Vanity and falsehood, remove far from me, Neither poverty nor riches, give me, Feed me with the food appointed me:
Vanity of vanities! saith the Proclaimer, vanity of vanities! all, is vanity.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Proclaimer, all, is vanity.
All nations, are as nothing before him, - A thing of nought or a waste, are they accounted unto him?
Who delivereth dignitaries to nothingness, - Judges of earth, like a desolation, hath he made:
Lo! as to all of them, Vanity - nothingness, are their works, Wind and emptiness, their molten images!
The fashioners of an image - all of them, are emptiness, And, the things they delight in, cannot profit, - And, their, witnesses, they, neither see nor know, That they may be ashamed.
When thou makest outcry, let thy gathered throngs deliver thee! But all of them, shall A wind, catch up - A breath, take away! Whereas he that seeketh refuge in me, Shall inherit the land, And possess my holy mountain.
Then, shalt thou Call, and Yahweh, will answer, Cry out, and he will say, Behold me! If thou remove, out of thy midst the yoke, The pointing of the finger, and The speaking of iniquity;
None, sueth in righteousness, and None, pleadeth in faithfulness, - Men are trusting in confusion, And speaking vanity, Conceiving wickedness And bringing forth iniquity:
Vanity, they are, the handiwork of mockeries, - In the time of their visitation, shall they perish.
O Yahweh, my strength, and my refuge, and my place to fly to, in the day of distress, - Unto thee, shall nations come in, out of the ends of the earth, that they may say - Surely! Falsehood, did our fathers inherit, Vanity, among whom is none that can profit:
Therefore Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, Because ye have spoken falsehood, And have had visions of lies, Therefore behold me! against you, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.
And her prophets have coated it for them with whitewash, Seeing visions of falsehood And divining for them lies, Saying, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, when Yahweh, hath not spoken.
Lo! is it not from Yahweh of hosts - that peoples labour for fire, and, populations, for emptiness, weary themselves?
For, the household gods, have spoken vanity, and, the diviners, have had vision of falsehood, and, deceitful dreams, do they relate, vainly, do they console, - for this reason, have they moved about like a flock, they suffer ill, because there is no shepherd.
But, in vain, do they pay devotions unto me, teaching, for teachings, the commandments of men.
But, in vain, do they pay devotions unto me, teaching for teachings, the commandments of men;
For, unto vanity, hath creation been made subject - not by choice, but by reason of him that made it subject, in hope
For, unto vanity, hath creation been made subject - not by choice, but by reason of him that made it subject, in hope
And again - The Lord taketh note of the speculations of the wise, that they are vain.
But, by favour of God, I am what I am, and, his favour, which was unto me, hath not been made void, - but, much more abundantly than they all, have I toiled, albeit not, I, but the favour of God with me.
And, if Christ, hath not been raised, void, after all, is our proclamation, void also, our faith, -
And, if Christ, hath not been raised, void, after all, is our proclamation, void also, our faith, -
And, if Christ hath not been raised, to no purpose, is your faith, yet, are ye in your sins!
And, if Christ hath not been raised, to no purpose, is your faith, yet, are ye in your sins!
So, then, my beloved brethren, - become ye, steadfast, immovable, superabounding in the work of the Lord, at all times; knowing that, your toil, is not in vain in the Lord.
This, therefore, am I saying and protesting in the Lord: - that, no longer, ye walk even as, the nations, walk - in the vanity of their minds,
This, therefore, am I saying and protesting in the Lord: - that, no longer, ye walk even as, the nations, walk - in the vanity of their minds, Being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God - by reason of the ignorance that existeth within them, by reason of their hearts being turned into stone,
But, foolish questionings, and genealogies, and strife, and contentions about matters of law, avoid, for they are unprofitable and vain.
If any thinketh he is observant of religion, not curbing his own tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this one's, religious observance is, vain:
But art thou willing to learn, O empty man! that, faith, apart from works, is, idle?
For, great swelling words of vanity, uttering, they entice with carnal covetings - in wanton ways - them who are, well-nigh, escaping from the men who, in error, have their behaviour; Promising, freedom to them, they themselves, being all the while, slaves of corruption, - for, by whom one hath been defeated, by the same, hath he become enslaved, -