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.
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Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain for the LORD will not hold guiltless anyone that takes his name in vain.
They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities; and I also will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with foolish Gentiles.
Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal, the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his slaves as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!
And they rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and his testimonies which he testified against them, and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the Gentiles that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
so I am made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after the lie? Selah.
He that has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not taken my name in vain, nor sworn deceitfully.
Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity, and cause me to live in thy way.
Man is like unto vanity; his days are as a shadow that passes away.
thus hath the LORD said, What iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after vanity and are become vain?
Because my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not trodden;
Those that observe lying vanities forsake his mercy.
who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for all ages. Amen.
For speaking arrogant words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from those who converse in error,
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.
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They conceive pain and bring forth iniquity, and their belly meditates deceit.
Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty look upon it.
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after the lie? Selah.
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
Each one speaks vanity with his neighbour: they speak with flattering lips and with a double heart.
And if he came to see me, he spoke lies: his heart gathered iniquity to itself, and when he goes out, he tells it.
Man is like unto vanity; his days are as a shadow that passes away.
whose mouth speaks vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my judgment:
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
All the Gentiles are as nothing before him, and they are counted to him as vanity and as less than nothing.
He brings the powerful to nothing; he makes the judges of the earth as if they had never been,
Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
Those that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and that which is most precious to them is useful for nothing; and they are their own witnesses that they do not see, nor understand; therefore, they shall be ashamed.
When thou criest, let thy companions deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that waits in me shall have the land by inheritance and shall possess the mountain of my holiness.
Then shalt thou call, and thou shalt hear the LORD; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
No one calls for righteousness, nor do any judge by the truth; they trust in vanity, and speak vanities; they conceive trouble and bring forth iniquity.
They are vanity and the work of scorn: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the time of the affliction; Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things in which there is no profit.
Therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies; therefore, behold, I am against you, said the Lord GOD.
And her prophets have plastered them over with loose mud, prophesying vanity and divining lies unto them, saying: Thus hath the Lord GOD said, when the LORD has not spoken.
Is this not of the LORD of the hosts? Therefore the peoples shall labour for the fire, and the Gentiles shall weary themselves in vain.
For the idols have spoken vanity and the diviners have seen a lie and have told vain dreams; they comfort in vain; therefore they went their way like sheep; they were humbled because there was no shepherd.
But in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men.
Howbeit in vain do they honor me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
For the creatures were subjected to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected them,
For the creatures were subjected to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected them,
And again, The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
But by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace towards me was not in vain, for I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
and if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain.
and if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain.
and if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; ye are even yet in your sins.
and if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; ye are even yet in your sins.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
This I say, therefore, and require in the Lord that from now on ye not walk as the other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their own senses,
This I say, therefore, and require in the Lord that from now on ye not walk as the other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their own senses, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart,
But avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and debates concerning the law, for they are unprofitable and vain.
If anyone among you thinks to be religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, his religion is vain.
But, O vain man, dost thou desire to know that faith without works is dead?
For speaking arrogant words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from those who converse in error, promising them liberty, being they themselves the slaves of corruption: for he who is overcome by someone is subject to bondage by the one that overcame him.