Shav שָׁוְא

Shav (Hebrew שָׁוְא, Strong's H7723) is a Hebrew masculine noun meaning “vanity: vain”. It occurs 53 times in 48 verses of the Old Testament.

Definition

H7723H: vanity: vain

H7723G: vanity: false

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Hebrew (based on the abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Verses

Every verse with Shav, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Exodus

• Exodus 20:7
  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.You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
• Exodus 23:1
  Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.

Deuteronomy

• Deuteronomy 5:11
  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.You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
• Deuteronomy 5:20
  Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Job

• Job 7:3
  So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed me.
• Job 11:11
  For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note?
• Job 15:31
  Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward.
• Job 31:5
  If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
• Job 35:13
  Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.Surely God does not listen to empty pleas, and the Almighty does not take note of it.

Psalms

• Psalm 12:2
  They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
• Psalm 24:4
  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.
• Psalm 26:4
  I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.I do not sit with deceitful men, nor keep company with hypocrites.
• Psalm 31:6
  I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.I hate those who cling to worthless idols, but in the LORD I trust.
• Psalm 41:6
  And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.My visitor speaks falsehood; he gathers slander in his heart; he goes out and spreads it abroad.
• Psalm 60:11
  Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.
• Psalm 89:47
  Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?Remember the briefness of my lifespan! For what futility You have created all men!
• Psalm 108:12
  Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.
• Psalm 119:37
  Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.
• Psalm 127:1
  Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.
• Psalm 127:2
  It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat— for He gives sleep to His beloved.
• Psalm 139:20
  For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.who speak of You deceitfully; Your enemies take Your name in vain.
• Psalm 144:8
  Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.
• Psalm 144:11
  Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:Set me free and rescue me from the grasp of foreigners, whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.

Proverbs

• Proverbs 30:8
  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.

Isaiah

• Isaiah 1:13
  Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me— your New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations. I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly.
• Isaiah 5:18
  Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes,
• Isaiah 30:28
  And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.His breath is like a rushing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction; He bridles the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.
• Isaiah 59:4
  None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case honestly. They rely on empty pleas; they tell lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 2:30
  In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.“I have struck your sons in vain; they accepted no discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a voracious lion.”
• Jeremiah 4:30
  And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.And you, O devastated one, what will you do, though you dress yourself in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, though you enlarge your eyes with paint? You adorn yourself in vain; your lovers despise you; they want to take your life.
• Jeremiah 6:29
  The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.The bellows blow fiercely, blasting away the lead with fire. The refining proceeds in vain, for the wicked are not purged.
• Jeremiah 18:15
  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;Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their ways, leaving the ancient roads to walk on rutted bypaths instead of on the highway.
• Jeremiah 46:11
  Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.Go up to Gilead for balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain you try many remedies, but for you there is no healing.

Lamentations

• Lamentations 2:14
  Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.The visions of your prophets were empty and deceptive; they did not expose your guilt to ward off your captivity. The burdens they envisioned for you were empty and misleading.

Ezekiel

• Ezekiel 12:24
  For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations within the house of Israel,
• Ezekiel 13:6
  They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them; yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.
• Ezekiel 13:7
  Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not spoken?Haven’t you seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination when you proclaim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ even though I have not spoken?
• Ezekiel 13:8
  Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God.Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you have uttered vain words and seen false visions, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.
• Ezekiel 13:9
  And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of My people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.
• Ezekiel 13:23
  Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will deliver My people from your hands. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”
• Ezekiel 21:23
  And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.It will seem like a false omen to the eyes of those who have sworn allegiance to him, but it will draw attention to their guilt and take them captive.
• Ezekiel 21:29
  Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.while they offer false visions for you and lying divinations about you— to be placed on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment.
• Ezekiel 22:28
  And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken.Her prophets whitewash these deeds by false visions and lying divinations, saying, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ when the LORD has not spoken.

Hosea

• Hosea 10:4
  They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
• Hosea 12:11
  Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.

Jonah

• Jonah 2:8
  They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.Those who cling to worthless idols forsake His loving devotion.

Zechariah

• Zechariah 10:2
  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.For idols speak deceit and diviners see illusions; they tell false dreams and offer empty comfort. Therefore the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

Malachi

• Malachi 3:14
  Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).