7723. shav
Berean Strong's Lexicon
shav: Vanity, emptiness, falsehood, worthlessness

Original Word: שָׁוְא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shav
Pronunciation: shahv
Phonetic Spelling: (shawv)
Definition: Vanity, emptiness, falsehood, worthlessness
Meaning: evil, idolatry, uselessness

Word Origin: From the root שָׁאָה (sha'ah), meaning to rush over or to devastate.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - Strong's Greek 3152 (ματαιότης, mataiotēs): Vanity, futility

- Strong's Greek 2756 (κενός, kenos): Empty, vain

Usage: The Hebrew word "shav" primarily conveys the idea of vanity or emptiness. It is often used to describe actions, words, or objects that are futile, deceptive, or lacking in substance. In the context of the Ten Commandments, it is used to prohibit taking the Lord's name in vain, emphasizing the seriousness of using God's name with reverence and truthfulness.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Israelite culture, the concept of "shav" was significant in religious and ethical contexts. The Israelites were called to worship God in truth and sincerity, avoiding idolatry and falsehood. The use of "shav" in legal and religious texts underscores the importance of integrity and authenticity in one's relationship with God and others. The ancient Near Eastern context, with its plethora of deities and religious practices, made the call to avoid "shav" particularly relevant as a means of distinguishing the worship of Yahweh from surrounding pagan practices.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
emptiness, vanity
NASB Translation
deceit (2), deceitful (1), deception (1), emptiness (2), empty (1), false (9), false visions (4), falsehood (7), lies (1), vain (18), vanity (3), worthless (4).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
שָׁוְא noun [masculine] emptiness, vanity; — ׳שׁ absolute Exodus 23:1 51t., שָׁו Job 15:31 (Kt); —

1 emptiness, nothingness, vanity: תְּשׁוּעַת אָרָם ׳שׁ Psalm 60:13 vain (is) man's deliverance, = Psalm 108:13; לָכֶם ׳שׁ Psalm 127:2 it is vain (useless) for you; Psalm 89:48 for (עַל) what nothingness hast thou created man ? compare ׳יַרְחֵי שׁ Job 7:3; ׳הַבְלֵי שׁ Psalm 31:7 (idols) = Jonah 2:9, compare Jeremiah 18:15 + Hosea 5:11 ᵐ5 (for צָו); ׳מִנְחַת שׁ Isaiah 1:13 of ineffective offering to ׳י; ׳נשׂא לַשּׁ (לֹא) Exodus 20:7 (twice in verse) take up name of God in vain (to no good purpose) = Deuteronomy 5:11 (twice in verse), compare Psalm 24:4; Psalm 139:20 [ᵑ0 lifted up in vain are thy foes, but read שְׁמֶ֑ךָ for עָרֶיךָ, compare נשׂא 1b (

7); al. עָלֶיךָ, see II. עָר]; ׳היה שׁ Hosea 12:12 become nothing (We ׳עשׂה שׁ, and so

3); ׳ראה שׁ Psalm 119:37; adverb ׳לַשּׁ in vain Jeremiah 2:30; Jeremiah 4:30; Jeremiah 6:29; Jeremiah 46:11; ׳שׁ Psalm 127:1 (twice in verse); Malachi 3:14.

2 emptiness of speech, "" lying, ׳שׁ וּדְבַר כָּזָב Proverbs 30:8; ׳דבּר שׁ Psalm 12:3; Psalm 41:7; Psalm 144:8; Psalm 144:11; Isaiah 59:4; Ezekiel 13:8; ׳אָלוֺת שׁ Hosea 10:4 + Hosea 12:2 ᵐ5 We and others (for שֹׁד); ׳הָלַךְ עִםשֿׁ Job 31:5 ("" מִרְמָה); ׳עֵד שׁ Deuteronomy 5:17 (= עֵד שָֽׁקֶר Exodus 20:16); compare ׳שֵׁמַע שׁ Exodus 23:1 (E); of false (empty) prophecy ׳חֲזוֺן שׁ Ezekiel 12:24, ׳חָזוּ שׁ Lamentations 2:14; see also Ezekiel 13:6,7,9,23; Ezekiel 21:34; Ezekiel 22:28; Job 35:13 (or empty complaining, below 1); ׳קסם שׁ Ezekiel 21:28; חֲלֹמוֺת ׳הַשּׁ Zechariah 10:2.

3 of conduct, worthlessness (Buhl below

1, 2); ׳מְרתי שׁ worthless men Psalm 26:4; Job 11:11; worthless motives (in figurative) ׳חַבְלֵי הַשּׁ Isaiah 5:18; ׳נָפַת שׁ Isaiah 30:28 (i.e. sifting out the worthless; al. sieve of (bringing) disappointment); play on meanings in Job 15:31 (twice in verse), compare DrJob, Psalt. 464.

II. שׁוא (√ of following; probably "" form of שׁאה).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
falsely, lie, lying, vain, vanity

Or shav {shav}; from the same as show' 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) -- false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity.

see HEBREW show'

Forms and Transliterations
בַּשָּׁ֣יו בשיו הַשָּׁ֑וְא הַשָּׁ֣וא השוא וְ֝שָׁ֗וְא וא ושוא לַשָּֽׁוְא׃ לַשָּׁ֑וְא לַשָּׁ֖וְא לַשָּׁ֣וְא לַשָּׁוְא֙ לשוא לשוא׃ שָּׁ֝֗וְא שָֽׁוְא׃ שָׁ֑וְא שָׁ֔וְא שָׁ֖וְא שָׁ֚וְא שָׁ֝֗וְא שָׁ֣וְא שָׁ֤וְא שָׁ֤וְא ׀ שָׁ֭וְא שָׁוְא֙ שָׁוְא֮ שוא שוא׃ baš·šāw bashShav baššāw haš·šā·w haš·šāw hashShav haššāw laš·šāw lashShav laššāw šāw Shav v veShav w wə·šāw wəšāw
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Exodus 20:7
HEB: יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לַשָּׁ֑וְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א
NAS: your God in vain, for the LORD
KJV: thy God in vain; for the LORD
INT: of the LORD your God vain for will not

Exodus 20:7
HEB: אֶת־ שְׁמ֖וֹ לַשָּֽׁוְא׃ פ
NAS: takes His name in vain.
KJV: that taketh his name in vain.
INT: takes his name vain

Exodus 23:1
HEB: תִשָּׂ֖א שֵׁ֣מַע שָׁ֑וְא אַל־ תָּ֤שֶׁת
NAS: You shall not bear a FALSE report;
KJV: Thou shalt not raise a false report:
INT: bear report A false not join

Deuteronomy 5:11
HEB: יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לַשָּׁ֑וְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א
NAS: your God in vain, for the LORD
KJV: thy God in vain: for the LORD
INT: of the LORD your God vain for will not

Deuteronomy 5:11
HEB: אֶת־ שְׁמ֖וֹ לַשָּֽׁוְא׃ ס
NAS: takes His name in vain.
KJV: that taketh his name in vain.
INT: takes his name vain

Deuteronomy 5:20
HEB: בְרֵֽעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁוְא׃ ס
NAS: You shall not bear false witness
KJV: Neither shalt thou bear false witness
INT: your neighbor witness false.

Job 7:3
HEB: לִ֭י יַרְחֵי־ שָׁ֑וְא וְלֵיל֥וֹת עָ֝מָ֗ל
NAS: months of vanity, And nights
KJV: months of vanity, and wearisome
INT: allotted months of vanity and nights of trouble

Job 11:11
HEB: יָדַ֣ע מְתֵי־ שָׁ֑וְא וַיַּרְא־ אָ֝֗וֶן
NAS: For He knows false men, And He sees
KJV: him?For he knoweth vain men: he seeth
INT: knows men vain sees iniquity

Job 15:31
HEB: [בַּשֹּׁו כ] (בַּשָּׁ֣יו ק) נִתְעָ֑ה
NAS: Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving
KJV: in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
INT: nay trust emptiness deceiving in

Job 15:31
HEB: נִתְעָ֑ה כִּי־ שָׁ֝֗וְא תִּהְיֶ֥ה תְמוּרָתֽוֹ׃
NAS: deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward.
KJV: trust in vanity: for vanity
INT: deceiving in emptiness become will be his reward

Job 31:5
HEB: הָלַ֥כְתִּי עִם־ שָׁ֑וְא וַתַּ֖חַשׁ עַל־
NAS: I have walked with falsehood, And my foot
KJV: If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot
INT: have walked with falsehood has hastened after

Job 35:13
HEB: אַךְ־ שָׁ֭וְא לֹא־ יִשְׁמַ֥ע ׀
NAS: will not listen to an empty [cry], Nor
KJV: will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty
INT: Surely to an empty Nor listen

Psalm 12:2
HEB: שָׁ֤וְא ׀ יְֽדַבְּרוּ֮ אִ֤ישׁ
NAS: They speak falsehood to one another;
KJV: They speak vanity every one
INT: falsehood speak to one

Psalm 24:4
HEB: לֹא־ נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא נַפְשִׁ֑י וְלֹ֖א
NAS: up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn
KJV: his soul unto vanity, nor sworn
INT: has not lifted to falsehood his soul not

Psalm 26:4
HEB: עִם־ מְתֵי־ שָׁ֑וְא וְעִ֥ם נַ֝עֲלָמִ֗ים
NAS: I do not sit with deceitful men, Nor
KJV: I have not sat with vain persons,
INT: with men deceitful with pretenders

Psalm 31:6
HEB: הַשֹּׁמְרִ֥ים הַבְלֵי־ שָׁ֑וְא וַ֝אֲנִ֗י אֶל־
NAS: those who regard vain idols,
KJV: them that regard lying vanities:
INT: regard idols vain I in

Psalm 41:6
HEB: בָּ֤א לִרְא֨וֹת ׀ שָׁ֤וְא יְדַבֵּ֗ר לִבּ֗וֹ
NAS: [me], he speaks falsehood; His heart
KJV: [me], he speaketh vanity: his heart
INT: comes to see falsehood speaks his heart

Psalm 60:11
HEB: עֶזְרָ֣ת מִצָּ֑ר וְ֝שָׁ֗וְא תְּשׁוּעַ֥ת אָדָם׃
NAS: For deliverance by man is in vain.
KJV: from trouble: for vain [is] the help
INT: help the adversary vain deliverance man

Psalm 89:47
HEB: עַל־ מַה־ שָּׁ֝֗וְא בָּרָ֥אתָ כָל־
NAS: is; For what vanity You have created
KJV: all men in vain?
INT: is For what vanity have created all

Psalm 108:12
HEB: עֶזְרָ֣ת מִצָּ֑ר וְ֝שָׁ֗וְא תְּשׁוּעַ֥ת אָדָֽם׃
NAS: For deliverance by man is in vain.
KJV: from trouble: for vain [is] the help
INT: help the adversary vain deliverance man

Psalm 119:37
HEB: עֵ֭ינַי מֵרְא֣וֹת שָׁ֑וְא בִּדְרָכֶ֥ךָ חַיֵּֽנִי׃
NAS: from looking at vanity, And revive
KJV: from beholding vanity; [and] quicken
INT: my eyes looking vanity your ways and revive

Psalm 127:1
HEB: יִבְנֶ֬ה בַ֗יִת שָׁ֤וְא ׀ עָמְל֣וּ בוֹנָ֣יו
NAS: They labor in vain who build
KJV: they labour in vain that build
INT: builds the house vain labor build

Psalm 127:1
HEB: יִשְׁמָר־ עִ֝֗יר שָׁ֤וְא ׀ שָׁקַ֬ד שׁוֹמֵֽר׃
NAS: The watchman keeps awake in vain.
KJV: the watchman waketh [but] in vain.
INT: guards the city vain keeps the watchman

Psalm 127:2
HEB: שָׁ֤וְא לָכֶ֨ם ׀ מַשְׁכִּ֪ימֵי
NAS: It is vain for you to rise up early,
KJV: [It is] vain for you to rise up early,
INT: is vain early to rise

Psalm 139:20
HEB: לִמְזִמָּ֑ה נָשֻׂ֖א לַשָּׁ֣וְא עָרֶֽיךָ׃
NAS: take [Your name] in vain.
KJV: take [thy name] in vain.
INT: wickedly take vain and your enemies

52 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 7723
52 Occurrences


baš·šāw — 1 Occ.
haš·šāw — 2 Occ.
laš·šāw — 11 Occ.
šāw — 32 Occ.
w — 4 Occ.
wə·šāw — 2 Occ.
















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