μάταιος
mátaios
vain
Devoid of result, effect, or value; producing no useful outcome. μάταιος primarily describes something as empty, futile, ineffective, or useless. It may also denote what is idle, purposeless, or incapable of achieving its aim. In certain contexts, especially within the Septuagint, it is used to characterize false claims or objects of false worship, thus extending to 'worthless' or 'deceptive.' The term can refer both to actions and to qualities or states lacking substance or utility.
James 1:26 · Word #15
Lexicon G3152
| Lemma | μάταιος |
| Transliteration | mátaios |
| Strong's | G3152 |
| Definition | Devoid of result, effect, or value; producing no useful outcome. μάταιος primarily describes something as empty, futile, ineffective, or useless. It may also denote what is idle, purposeless, or incapable of achieving its aim. In certain contexts, especially within the Septuagint, it is used to characterize false claims or objects of false worship, thus extending to 'worthless' or 'deceptive.' The term can refer both to actions and to qualities or states lacking substance or utility. |
Morphology ADJ.P NOM F SG
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | ADJ.P — Predicate Adjective — Linked to the subject by a verb |
| Case | NOM — Nominative — The subject of the sentence |
| Gender | F — Feminine — Grammatical feminine |
| Number | SG — Singular — One |
Common Translation
| Phrase | vain |
| Literal | vain-futile |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | μάταιος |
| Strong's | G3152 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G3152-05
futile
| Morphological Notes | Adjective, nominative feminine singular; functioning as a predicate adjective describing a feminine singular subject. |
| Rendering Rationale | "Futile" directly reflects the root idea of being empty of result or effect, preserving the sense of lacking purpose or outcome. As a nominative feminine singular predicate adjective, it describes a feminine subject as characterized by futility. |
View full lexicon entry for G3152 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
futile
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | P1 gives the correct sense of the adjective 'μάταιος' in context; 'futile' is supported by SILEX. |