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רִיק

𐤓𐤉𐤒

rîyq

H7385 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A state or condition of emptiness, lack, or being devoid of substance; frequently used both literally, to describe being empty or devoid (e.g., empty vessels), and figuratively, to denote futility or worthlessness (e.g., an empty pursuit or something lacking value or effect). Often functions adverbially to convey the idea of 'in vain', 'to no effect', or 'fruitlessly'.

Semantic Range

emptiness, void, lack of substance, worthlessness, futility, doing something to no effect, uselessness, in vain, empty thing, vanity

Root / Etymology

From the root רוק (r-w-q), whose core meaning is 'to empty' or 'make void'. The noun form רִיק (rîyq) denotes the condition or state resulting from the action of the root—emptiness or voidness. The relationship between the verbal root and the noun conveys the conceptual movement from action (to empty out) to resultant state (emptiness, uselessness, futility).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, רִיק is found in both literal contexts (e.g., referring to an empty vessel or container) and figurative contexts (e.g., actions producing no result or worth, pursuits without substance). In later biblical and post-biblical developments, rîyq was especially used in formulaic expressions such as 'in vain' (לָרִיק, la-rîyq) to denote futility or lack of effect. Its negative connotation contrasts with words signifying 'fullness' (מְלֵא). The nuance of 'worthlessness' or 'futility' may at times reference not only literal physical emptiness, but also actions or utterances that are bereft of benefit or significance. English translations such as 'in vain' or 'worthless thing' capture only part of its usage, and do not always reflect its concrete and processual sense. The word appears in poetic, prophetic, and legal contexts, reflecting a range from literal objects to metaphorical or ethical dimensions of fruitlessness. The concept resists neat categorization within any particular religious or social context—while it often carries a negative value judgment, it is not inherently moral or theological in usage.

Translation Consistency

primary "emptiness" 11 occurrences

רִיק primarily denotes a state or condition of being empty, void, or lacking substance, and is most often rendered in the corpus as “emptiness.” This single noun captures both the literal empty-vessel sense and the common figurative senses (futility, worthlessness, ‘in vain’) while remaining natural and easily inflected in English renderings. It therefore provides the most consistent, typical, and versatile single-word choice for all occurrences.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"vain" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from רוּק; emptiness; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain; empty, to no purpose, (in) vain (thing), vanity.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רוק (r-w-q) — to empty, make void, pour out

Root רוק to empty, make void, pour out
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7324 רוּק I will empty out
H7386 רֵיק the empty men
H7535 רַק only

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7385-03 רִ֔יק riq HNcmsa nothing emptiness emptiness 6
H7385-01 לָ/רִיק֙ lariq HRd/Ncmsa in vain to emptiness to emptiness 3
H7385-02 לְ/רִ֣יק leriq HR/Ncmsa in vain to emptiness to emptiness 2
H7385-04 וָ/רִ֖יק variq HC/Ncmsa and-emptiness and emptiness and emptiness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

12 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7385-01 Leviticus 26:16 לָ/רִיק֙ lariq HRd/Ncmsa in-vain to emptiness to emptiness
H7385-01 Leviticus 26:20 לָ/רִ֖יק lariq HRd/Ncmsa in vain to emptiness to emptiness
H7385-04 Isaiah 30:7 וָ/רִ֖יק variq HC/Ncmsa and-emptiness and emptiness and emptiness
H7385-02 Isaiah 49:4 לְ/רִ֣יק leriq HR/Ncmsa in vain to emptiness to emptiness
H7385-01 Isaiah 65:23 לָ/רִ֔יק lariq HRd/Ncmsa in vain to emptiness to emptiness
H7385-03 Jeremiah 51:34 רִ֔יק riq HNcmsa empty emptiness emptiness
H7385-03 Jeremiah 51:58 רִ֛יק riq HNcmsa nothing emptiness emptiness
H7385-03 Habakkuk 2:13 רִ֥יק riq HNcmsa nothing emptiness emptiness
H7385-03 Psalms 2:1 רִֽיק riq HNcmsa a vain thing emptiness emptiness
H7385-03 Psalms 4:3 רִ֑יק riq HNcmsa vanity emptiness emptiness
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