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True Words Baptist Church — Revelation 21:5
DEEP KJV WORD STUDY

Vain

Begin with the exact English word as it appears in the King James Bible. Follow its whole-Bible usage, book distribution, related indexed forms, Webster 1828, every occurrence, and the occurrence-specific Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek mappings behind it.

112exact KJV occurrences 76Old Testament 36New Testament 34books containing the word 23mapped Strong's IDs 100occurrence-specific Strong's links
FIRST OCCURRENCE

Exodus 5:9

Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

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LAST OCCURRENCE

1 Peter 1:18

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

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KJV DISTRIBUTION

Where vain appears.

This is exact English-word usage from the canonical KJV token index, not a Strong's estimate.

ORIGINAL-LANGUAGE MAP

Which Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek words stand behind this KJV word?

These relationships come from exact verse + token-position mappings. We do not assume that one English spelling always equals one Strong's number. A single English token can also carry more than one source tag, so the Strong's-link total can exceed the number of English occurrences.

HebrewH7723
שָׁוְא

shâvᵉʼ · shawv

22 times translated as this KJV form53 total Strong's occurrences

n-m

evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain)

Strong's KJV usage: false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity.

Strong's first: Exodus 20:7Strong's last: Malachi 3:14

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HebrewH1891
הָבַל

hâbal · haw-bal'

5 times translated as this KJV form5 total Strong's occurrences

v

to be vain in act, word, or expectation; specifically to lead astray

Strong's KJV usage: be (become, make) vain.

Strong's first: 2 Kings 17:15Strong's last: Jeremiah 23:16

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GreekG3155
μάτην

mátēn · mat'-ane

2 times translated as this KJV form2 total Strong's occurrences

folly, i.e. (adverbially) to no purpose

Strong's KJV usage: :--in vain.

Other KJV renderings

Strong's first: Matthew 15:9Strong's last: Mark 7:7

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HebrewH7307
רוּחַ

rûwach · roo'-akh

2 times translated as this KJV form377 total Strong's occurrences

n-f

wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)

Strong's KJV usage: air, anger, blast, breath, × cool, courage, mind, × quarter, × side, spirit(-ual), tempest, × vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).

Strong's first: Job 15:2Strong's last: Job 16:3

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HebrewH8193
שָׂפָה

sâphâh · saw-faw'

2 times translated as this KJV form176 total Strong's occurrences

n-f

the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)

Strong's KJV usage: band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.

Strong's first: 2 Kings 18:20Strong's last: Isaiah 36:5

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GreekG2761
κενῶς

kenōs · ken-oce'

1 times translated as this KJV form1 total Strong's occurrences

vainly, i.e. to no purpose

Strong's KJV usage: :--in vain.

Strong's first: James 4:5Strong's last: James 4:5

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GreekG3154
ματαιόω

mataióō · mat-ah-yo'-o

1 times translated as this KJV form1 total Strong's occurrences

to render (passively, become) foolish, i.e. (morally) wicked or (specially), idolatrous

Strong's KJV usage: :--become vain.

Strong's first: Romans 1:21Strong's last: Romans 1:21

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HebrewH205
אָוֶן

ʼâven · aw-ven'

1 times translated as this KJV form78 total Strong's occurrences

n-m

strictly nothingness; also trouble, vanity, wickedness; specifically an idol

Strong's KJV usage: affliction, evil, false, idol, iniquity, mischief, mourners(-ing), naught, sorrow, unjust, unrighteous, vain, vanity, wicked(-ness). Compare 369.

Strong's first: Jeremiah 4:14Strong's last: Jeremiah 4:14

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HebrewH5014
נָבַב

nâbab · naw-bab'

1 times translated as this KJV form4 total Strong's occurrences

v

to pierce; to be hollow, or (figuratively) foolish

Strong's KJV usage: hollow, vain.

Other KJV renderings

Strong's first: Job 11:12Strong's last: Job 11:12

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HebrewH7387
רֵיקָם

rêyqâm · ray-kawm'

1 times translated as this KJV form16 total Strong's occurrences

adv

emptily; figuratively (objective) ineffectually, (subjective) undeservedly

Strong's KJV usage: without cause, empty, in vain, void.

Other KJV renderings

Strong's first: Jeremiah 50:9Strong's last: Jeremiah 50:9

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Strong's data is a concordance/lexical reference layer. Scripture context controls interpretation. Lexical source data is shown separately from future TWBC editorial teaching.

EVERY OCCURRENCE

Read the word in context.

15 occurrences match the current filters. Each row keeps its exact KJV token position so Original Word and TSK remain occurrence-specific.

Clear
Psalms 2:1
no direct Strong's tag

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

Psalms 26:4
H7723

I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.

Psalms 33:17
no direct Strong's tag

An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

Psalms 39:6
no direct Strong's tag

Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

Psalms 39:6
H1892

Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

Psalms 60:11
H7723

Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

Psalms 62:10
H1891

Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

Psalms 73:13
H7385

Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

Psalms 89:47
H7723

Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?

Psalms 119:113
no direct Strong's tag

SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

Psalms 127:1
H7723

<<A Song of degrees for Solomon.>> 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.

Psalms 127:1
H7723

<<A Song of degrees for Solomon.>> 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.

Psalms 127:2
H7723

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.

Psalms 139:20
H7723

For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

WEBSTER’S 1828

English meaning and historical usage.

Dictionary data is kept visibly separate from Scripture and from lexical Strong's data.

vain

VAIN, adjective [Latin vanus; Eng. wan, wane, want.]

1. Empty; worthless; having no substance, value or importance. 1 Peter 1:18.

To your vain answer will you have recourse.

Every man walketh in a vain show. Psalms 39:6.

Why do the people imagine a vain thing? Psalms 2:1.

2. Fruitless; ineffectual. All attempts, all efforts were vain

VAIN is the force of man.

3. Proud of petty things, or of trifling attainments; elated with a high opinion of one's own accomplishments, or with things more showy than valuable; conceited.

The minstrels play'd on every side, vain of their art -

4. Empty; unreal; as a vain chimers.

5. Showy; ostentatious.

Load some vain church with old theatric state.

6. Light; inconstant; worthless. Proverbs 12:11.

7. Empty; unsatisfying. The pleasures of life are vain

8. False; deceitful; not genuine; spurious. James 1:26.

9. Not effectual; having no efficacy

Bring no more vain oblations. Isaiah 1:13.

In vain to no purpose; without effect; ineffectual.

In vain they do worship me. Matthew 15:9.

To take the name of God in vain to use the name of God with levity or profaneness.

Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). A conservative base-form lookup may be used when the exact inflected KJV form is not a Webster headword.

SOURCE & METHOD

Know what each layer is—and what it is not.

KJV English usageExact token counts, verse counts, first/last occurrence, and book distribution come from the canonical TWBC PCE KJV index.
Webster 1828Historical English dictionary material is reproduced as dictionary data, not as inspired Scripture or TWBC commentary.
Original Word / Strong'sHebrew, Aramaic, and Greek links attach by exact verse + KJV token position. No global “English word always equals Strong's ID” rule is used.

Curated TWBC teaching will remain a separate editorial layer. Raw source data is never silently rewritten to force a doctrinal conclusion.