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 him guiltless that taketh 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 to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth 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 heathen that were around 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 ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah.
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity; and revive thou me in thy way.
Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and have become vain?
Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;
They that observe lying vanities 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 for ever. Amen.
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that had quite 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 belly prepareth deceit.
Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye 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 cometh to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
Whose mouth speaketh 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 convenient for me:
Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Vanity of vanities saith the preacher; all is vanity.
All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
Behold, they are all vanity, their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
Then shalt thou call, and the LORD will answer; thou shalt cry, and he will say, Here I am. If thou shalt take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
O LORD, my strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come to 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 saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.
And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies to them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
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 creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope:
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope:
And again, The Lord knoweth 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 is not raised, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
And if Christ is not raised, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
And if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
And if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not 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 seemeth to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
But wilt thou 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 had quite escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for by whom a man is overcome, by the same is he brought into bondage.