שָׁוְא (H7723) — Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁוְא

𐤔𐤅𐤀

shâvᵉʼ

H7723 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׁוא to be empty, to lack substance, to be vain or futile, to deceive

Definition

A state or condition of emptiness, futility, or falsehood; that which is worthless, devoid of substance or reality, or deceptive—often in contrast to truth or genuine worth. The term is used for untruthful speech (lying), deceptive or baseless actions, vain endeavors lacking true efficacy, and false claims or assertions. In ritual and ethical contexts, it denotes that which is not grounded in reality or that misleads, often in contrast to faithfulness or integrity.

Semantic Range

emptiness, worthlessness, falsehood, deception, vain action, futile speech, baseless claim, untrustworthy assertion, lack of efficacy, idol as false entity

Root / Etymology

From the root שָׁוָא (š-w-ʼ), likely meaning 'to be empty, lack effect, be in vain.' The noun שָׁוְא is a derivative with the core sense of 'emptiness' or 'worthlessness.' It is related to שׁוֹא, though the link is primarily semantic and not necessarily close in morphological form. The root commonly conveys lack of substance or efficacy.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁוְא appears in various contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible, including the Decalogue (Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11: 'You shall not take up the name of YHWH your God for שָׁוְא,' usually rendered 'in vain'), legal material (Exodus 23:1: 'false report'), wisdom literature (Psalm 127:1–2: 'vain' labor), and prophetic critiques of idolatry (Isaiah 44:9: 'worthless' images, Jeremiah 18:15). Unlike hebel (הֶבֶל), which often connotes transient or fleeting nature ('breath, vapor'), שָׁוְא stresses lack of truth, substance, or efficacy, especially with overtone of deception or futile action. In some contexts, it carries the sense of intentional deceit (e.g., 'lie,' 'falsehood'), in others, it refers to actions lacking real outcome or profit. Some later translation traditions employ 'vanity' or 'lie.' The term is found in both monarchic and later texts, with meaning consistent but broad, from ethical concern (integrity, truthfulness) to ritual prohibition against void ritual gesture or invocation. Post-biblical Hebrew continued to use derivatives in similar senses. Modern translations sometimes narrow the sense to 'vanity' or 'falsehood,' but the range in the Hebrew Bible is wider, capturing 'emptiness, worthlessness, falsehood, futility.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שַׁו; from the same as שׁוֹא 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.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שוא (š-w-ʾ) — emptiness, futility, falsehood, deception, lack of substance

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H7722	שׁוֹא	in ruinous devastation
H8663	תְּשֻׁאָה	crashing uproars

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H7723-05`	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood	37
`H7723-04`	לַ/שָּׁ֑וְא	lashave	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in vain	to emptiness	11
`H7723-06`	וְ֝/שָׁ֗וְא	veshave	`HC/Ncmsa`	and vanity	emptiness	2
`H7723-07`	ב/שו	vshv	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in emptiness	emptiness, falsehood	1
`H7723-03`	הַ/שָּׁ֑וְא	hashave	`HTd/Ncmsa`	of falsehood	the emptiness	1
`H7723-01`	בַּ/שָּׁ֣יו	bashayv	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in emptiness	in emptiness	1
`H7723-02`	הַ/שָּׁ֣וא	hashav	`HTd/Ncmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood	1

Occurrences in Scripture

54 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H7723-04`	Exodus 20:7	לַ/שָּׁ֑וְא	lashave	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in vain	to emptiness
`H7723-04`	Exodus 20:7	לַ/שָּֽׁוְא	lashave-2	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in vain	to emptiness
`H7723-05`	Exodus 23:1	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	false	empty falsehood
`H7723-04`	Deuteronomy 5:11	לַ/שָּׁ֑וְא	lashave	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in vain	to emptiness
`H7723-04`	Deuteronomy 5:11	לַ/שָּֽׁוְא	lashave-2	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in vain	to emptiness
`H7723-05`	Deuteronomy 5:20	שָֽׁוְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	false	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Isaiah 1:13	שָׁ֔וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	vanity	empty falsehood
`H7723-03`	Isaiah 5:18	הַ/שָּׁ֑וְא	hashave	`HTd/Ncmsa`	of falsehood	the emptiness
`H7723-05`	Isaiah 30:28	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	vanity	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Isaiah 59:4	שָׁ֔וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	lies	empty falsehood
`H7723-04`	Jeremiah 2:30	לַ/שָּׁוְא֙	lashave	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in vain	to emptiness
`H7723-04`	Jeremiah 4:30	לַ/שָּׁ֖וְא	lashave	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in vain	to emptiness
`H7723-04`	Jeremiah 6:29	לַ/שָּׁוְא֙	lashave	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in vain	to emptiness
`H7723-04`	Jeremiah 18:15	לַ/שָּׁ֣וְא	lashave	`HRd/Ncmsa`	to vanity	to emptiness
`H7723-04`	Jeremiah 46:11	לַ/שָּׁוְא֙	lashave	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in vain	to emptiness
`H7723-05`	Ezekiel 12:24	שָׁ֖וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	vain	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Ezekiel 13:6	שָׁוְא֙	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Ezekiel 13:7	שָׁוְא֙	shave	`HNcmsa`	false	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Ezekiel 13:8	שָׁ֔וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	vanity	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Ezekiel 13:9	שָׁוְא֮	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Ezekiel 13:23	שָׁ֚וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Ezekiel 21:28	שָׁוְא֙	shave	`HNcmsa`	false	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Ezekiel 21:34	שָׁ֔וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Ezekiel 22:28	שָׁ֔וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Hosea 10:4	שָׁ֖וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsely	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Hosea 12:12	שָׁ֣וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	worthless	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Jonah 2:9	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	worthlessness	empty falsehood
`H7723-02`	Zechariah 10:2	הַ/שָּׁ֣וא	hashav	`HTd/Ncmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Malachi 3:14	שָׁ֖וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	It is vain	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Psalms 12:3	שָׁ֤וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	vanity	empty falsehood
`H7723-04`	Psalms 24:4	לַ/שָּׁ֣וְא	lashave	`HRd/Ncmsa`	up to vanity	to emptiness
`H7723-05`	Psalms 26:4	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Psalms 31:7	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	idols	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Psalms 41:7	שָׁ֤וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-06`	Psalms 60:13	וְ֝/שָׁ֗וְא	veshave	`HC/Ncmsa`	and worthless	emptiness
`H7723-05`	Psalms 89:48	שָּׁ֝֗וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	vanity	empty falsehood
`H7723-06`	Psalms 108:13	וְ֝/שָׁ֗וְא	veshave	`HC/Ncmsa`	and vanity	emptiness
`H7723-05`	Psalms 119:37	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	vanity	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Psalms 127:1	שָׁ֤וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	vain	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Psalms 127:1	שָׁ֤וְא	shave-2	`HNcmsa`	vain	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Psalms 127:2	שָׁ֤וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	vain	empty falsehood
`H7723-04`	Psalms 139:20	לַ/שָּׁ֣וְא	lashave	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in-vain	to emptiness
`H7723-05`	Psalms 144:8	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	deceit	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Psalms 144:11	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Proverbs 30:8	שָׁ֤וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Job 7:3	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	vanity	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Job 11:11	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	of deceit	empty falsehood
`H7723-07`	Job 15:31	ב/שו	vshv	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in emptiness	emptiness, falsehood
`H7723-01`	Job 15:31	בַּ/שָּׁ֣יו	bashayv	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in emptiness	in emptiness
`H7723-05`	Job 15:31	שָׁ֝֗וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	emptiness	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Job 31:5	שָׁ֑וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Job 35:13	שָׁ֭וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	vanity	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Lamentations 2:14	שָׁ֣וְא	shave	`HNcmsa`	falsehood	empty falsehood
`H7723-05`	Lamentations 2:14	שָׁ֖וְא	shave-2	`HNcmsa`	false	empty falsehood

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