In the context of the Bible, the term "nothings" often refers to idols, false gods, or things of no real substance or value, particularly in contrast to the one true God. The concept of "nothings" is used to emphasize the futility and emptiness of worshiping anything other than Yahweh, the God of Israel.

Idols as Nothings

The prophets of the Old Testament frequently denounce idols as "nothings," highlighting their inability to save or provide any real benefit. In Isaiah 41:24 , the prophet declares, "Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable." This verse underscores the worthlessness of idols and the folly of those who put their trust in them.

Jeremiah also speaks to this theme, contrasting the living God with lifeless idols. In Jeremiah 10:5 , he describes idols as "like scarecrows in a cucumber patch; they cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good." Here, the prophet emphasizes the impotence of idols, reinforcing their status as "nothings."

The Vanity of Human Wisdom and Efforts

Beyond the context of idolatry, the Bible also uses the concept of "nothings" to describe the vanity of human wisdom and efforts apart from God. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon reflects on the futility of life without divine purpose. Ecclesiastes 1:2 famously states, "Futility of futilities, says the Teacher, futility of futilities! Everything is futile!" This passage captures the essence of human endeavors as "nothings" when they are disconnected from God's eternal plan.

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul addresses the issue of "nothings" in the context of spiritual maturity and the discernment of true wisdom. In 1 Corinthians 8:4 , Paul writes, "So about eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one." Here, Paul reiterates the Old Testament teaching that idols are "nothings," affirming the supremacy of the one true God.

Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 13:2 , Paul speaks of the emptiness of spiritual gifts without love: "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." This passage highlights that even the most impressive spiritual accomplishments are "nothings" without the foundational Christian virtue of love.

Conclusion

The biblical concept of "nothings" serves as a powerful reminder of the futility of idolatry, the vanity of human efforts apart from God, and the emptiness of spiritual gifts without love. Through this theme, Scripture calls believers to recognize the supremacy of God and the importance of aligning their lives with His eternal purposes.

God.
... history, which distinguished Him from other gods, the gods of the nations, who were
ineffective, or as Jeremiah puts it unprofitable"no-gods, nothings and do ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/1 god.htm

Recommendation.
... and set on work a race of proud rationalists, for they are wiser than to class
themselves amongst those poor fools, those base things, those nothings, to whom ...
/.../brown/christ the way the truth and the life/recommendation.htm

A Fulfilled Aspiration
... duty or the smallest perpetrated sin, dwindle and dwindle and dwindle, and the light
is out of them, and they show for what they are"nothings, gilded nothings ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/a fulfilled aspiration.htm

Letter iv. You Reply to the Conclusion of My Letter: "What have we ...
... routiniers? Quid mihi cum homunculis putata putide reputantibus? Let nothings
count for nothing, and the dead bury the dead! Who ...
/.../coleridge/confessions of an inquiring spirit etc/letter iv you reply to.htm

Prayerfulness.
... If we preachers and evangelists at camps and conventions would pray more instead
of getting in groups and talking about a world of nothings, our sermons would ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/rees/the heart-cry of jesus/chapter ix prayerfulness.htm

Application
... Away with those empty nothings, away with this vain deceitful world, which
deserves not the thousandth part of the love you give it. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/flavel/christ altogether lovely/application.htm

Is God in the Camp?
... our soul, the natural man abhors. Yet nothings less than this will suffice
to turn our captivity. Instead of attempting to get right ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 38 1892/is god in the camp.htm

30TH DAY. A Crown of Life.
... wade through seas of blood for a corruptible crown; and wilt thou permit thyself
to lose the incorruptible, or barter it for some perishable nothings of earth? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macduff/the faithful promiser/30th day a crown of.htm

"There is a Sound of Abundance of Rain. " 1 Kings, xix. 41
... "Go again seven times," as though he said "Do not interrupt me with thy 'Nothings!'"
Come and tell me when there is "Something;" and the seventh time he saw ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/xviii there is a sound.htm

St. Boniface (Ad 680-755)
... assemblies. These poor "do-nothings" (as the kings of the old French race
are called) were without any strength or spirit. From ...
/.../chapter iii st boniface ad.htm

Nothings (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Nothings (1 Occurrence). Job 21:34 Why then do
you give me comfort with words in which there is no profit ...
/n/nothings.htm - 6k

Notice (44 Occurrences)

/n/notice.htm - 19k

Nothingness (2 Occurrences)

/n/nothingness.htm - 7k

Gate (248 Occurrences)
... 22:10 Jeremiah 17:19 Proverbs 1:21; Proverbs 8:3; Proverbs 31:31), while on the
other hand the gates were the resort of the town good-for-nothings (Psalm 69:12 ...
/g/gate.htm - 63k

What is up with Millennials? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus