שָׁוְא
shâvᵉʼ · shawv
evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain)
Lexicon
Derivation: or שַׁו; from the same as H7722 (שׁוֹא) in the sense of desolating;
evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain)
- evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile)
- figuratively, idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective
- also, adverbially, in vain)
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity.
Letters
- שShin300
Picture: two front teeth (or a composite bow)
- Concrete
- teeth · sharp · press · bow
- Extended
- to consume · to destroy · to press or grind · to change · again
- וVav6
Picture: tent peg or hook
- Concrete
- nail · peg · hook
- Extended
- to fasten · to secure · to establish · and (joining)
- אAlef1
Picture: ox head
- Concrete
- ox · bull · cattle
- Extended
- strength · leader · first · the one in front
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
to consume, to destroy › to fasten and establish › strength, the leader
To consume, to destroy that works to fasten and establish of strength, the leader.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of שָׁוְא above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
53 occurrences · 53 OT · 0 NT · 23 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- vanity11 · 21%
- in vain10 · 19%
- of vanity3 · 6%
- vain3 · 6%
- false2 · 4%
- lying2 · 4%
- for vain2 · 4%
- it is vain2 · 4%
- a false1 · 2%
- in vanity1 · 2%
- for vanity1 · 2%
- with vanity1 · 2%
- unto vanity1 · 2%
- with vain1 · 2%
- but in vain1 · 2%
- thy name in vain1 · 2%
- from me vanity1 · 2%
- lies1 · 2%
- to vanity1 · 2%
- for thee false1 · 2%
- for there shall be no more any vain1 · 2%
- a vain1 · 2%
- no more vanity1 · 2%
- and it shall be unto them as a false1 · 2%
- falsely1 · 2%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.