ματαιότης
mataiótēs
G3153 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The condition of being futile, empty, or lacking in purpose; by extension, vanity, emptiness, or aimlessness (especially in reference to actions, pursuits, or speech that lack true value or significance). In moral or ethical contexts, it can carry the idea of worthlessness or futility in moral conduct, sometimes implying emptiness or depravity. The core sense is of that which fails to achieve a meaningful or enduring outcome.
Semantic Range
futility, lack of purpose, uselessness, emptiness, aimlessness, vanity (in the sense of transience or lack of substance), worthlessness, moral depravity (in ethical contexts)
Root / Etymology
From the adjective μάταιος (futile, idle, vain, of no effect) with the abstract noun-forming suffix -της (-tēs), denoting a quality or condition. Cognate with words expressing emptiness or lack of achieving a purpose.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, ματαιότης signifies the quality of being aimless, futile, or useless, particularly in speech or action. In the Septuagint, the term often renders Hebrew הֶבֶל (hevel), denoting transience, impermanence, or meaninglessness (most famously in Ecclesiastes, 'vanity of vanities'). In the New Testament (e.g., Romans 8:20; Ephesians 4:17), it denotes futility or purposelessness, especially with reference to the effects of sin on the created order or on human thought. English translations often use 'vanity,' but this can be misleadingly narrow, as the Greek refers not only to personal pride or conceit but broadly to the emptiness or ineffectualness of human endeavors. The shift from a general sense of aimlessness to a moral or existential emphasis on purposelessness is observable in Jewish and Christian Hellenistic writings. Distinct from κενότης (kenotēs), which emphasizes emptiness or hollowness in substance, while ματαιότης focuses on ineffectual endeavors or goals.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from μάταιος; inutility; figuratively, transientness; morally, depravity:--vanity.
Root Family
ματαιότης (mataiotēs) — futility, emptiness, aimlessness
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3153-01 |
ματαιότητι | mataioteti | N DAT F SG |
futility | in futility | 2 |
G3153-02 |
ματαιότητος | mataiotetos | N GEN F SG |
of emptiness | of futility | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3153-01 |
Romans 8:20 | ματαιότητι | mataioteti | N DAT F SG |
in futility | |
G3153-01 |
Ephesians 4:17 | ματαιότητι | mataioteti | N DAT F SG |
futility | in futility |
G3153-02 |
2 Peter 2:18 | ματαιότητος | mataiotetos | N GEN F SG |
of emptiness | of futility |