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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You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless 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 will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
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 servants, as one of the base 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 nations that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
O you sons of men, how long will you turn my glory into shame? how long will you love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah.
He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity; and revive me in your way.
Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passes away.
Thus says the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
Because my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to worthless idols, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in pathways, and not on a highway;
They that regard vain idols forsake their own mercy.
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that have just escaped from them who live 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 mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their heart prepares deceit.
O you sons of men, how long will you turn my glory into shame? how long will you love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah.
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
They speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
And if he comes to see me, he speaks vanity: his heart gathers iniquity to itself; when he goes abroad, he tells it.
Man is like to 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 food needful for me:
Vanity of vanities, says the preacher; all is vanity.
All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and worthless.
That brings the princes to nothing; he makes the judges of the earth as nothing.
Behold, they are all worthless; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
They that make a graven image are all of them nothing; and their precious things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
When you cry, let your collection of idols deliver you; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that puts his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
Then shall you call, and the LORD shall answer; you shall cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness;
None calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth: they trust in empty words, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their judgment they shall perish.
O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the nations shall come unto you 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 says the Lord GOD; Because you have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, says the Lord GOD.
And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus says the Lord GOD, when the LORD has not spoken.
Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labor to feed the fire, and the people shall weary themselves in vain?
For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope,
For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope,
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 which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins.
And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 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 strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
If any man among you seems to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that have just escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.