κενόςkenós
empty (Genesis 37:24, Judges 7:16).
Greek (New Testament) · G2756
Meanings
Metaph.
(a) empty, vain: λόγοι, Ephesians 5:6; ἀπάτη, Colossians 2:8; κήρυγμα, πίστις, 1 Corinthians 15:14
(b) vain, fruitless: ἡ χάρις, 1 Corinthians 15:10; κόπος, 1 Corinthians 15:58; ἡ εἴσοδος, 1 Thessalonians 2:1; κενά, Acts 4:25(LXX); εἰς κενόν, in vain, to no purpose (Diod., LXX; classical Greek διὰ κενῆς), 2 Corinthians 6:1, Galatians 2:2, Philippians 2:16, 1 Thessalonians 3:5
(c) of persons, empty-handed: Mark 12:3, Luke 1:53, Luke 20:10, Luke 20:11; vain, James 2:20.
Synonyms
μάταιος, of the aim or effect of an action, κ. of its quality.
Same root
Where it appears
Appears 18 times in the Bible.
- Mark 12:3 But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed.
- Luke 1:53 He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.
- Luke 20:10 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed.
- Luke 20:11 So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed.
- Acts 4:25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
- 1 Corinthians 15:10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.
Source: G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), public domain.