μάταιος (mataios)
mataios
futile
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective mataios describes something that is futile, empty, or devoid of real value. In the New Testament, it carries a strong sense of uselessness, often applied to actions or beliefs that fail to produce genuine fruit. The sources note its frequent use in letters like 1 Corinthians and James to critique empty talk or vain efforts.
This word appears in striking contexts: Paul calls faith futile if Christ has not been raised (1 Corinthians 15:17), and James describes religion as worthless if it does not control the tongue (James 1:26). It also describes the empty way of life inherited from ancestors, which Peter says believers are freed from (1 Peter 1:18). The term overlaps with concepts of vanity and unproductiveness found in the Old Testament.
Its root connects to ideas of emptiness or falsehood. Translators often render it "vain" or "futile," capturing the sense of something that looks significant but lacks substance. The word serves as a sharp critique of idolatry and empty rituals, emphasizing that true value lies in what endures.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mataios reminds us that not everything that looks important actually matters in the end. It describes things that are empty, futile, or devoid of real value. In our daily lives, we often chase after goals, opinions, or traditions that promise satisfaction but leave us feeling hollow. This Greek term cuts through those illusions, pointing out when our efforts produce no lasting fruit.
Scripture uses this word to challenge us to examine what we truly trust. Paul warns that faith without the resurrection is empty, and James notes that religion without self-control is useless. These passages invite us to look past surface-level appearances. They ask us to consider whether our beliefs and actions are grounded in something eternal or merely in temporary, shifting circumstances.
Instead of wasting energy on things that cannot save or sustain us, we are invited to focus on the living God. This perspective brings a quiet relief. We do not need to strive for validation from empty sources. Our hope rests in what is real and enduring, rather than in the fleeting promises of this world.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- worthless.1×
- worthless [is]1×
- vanities1×
- futile.1×
- futile1×
- [is] futile1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μάταιος1×
- μάταιοι.¶1×
- μάταιοι.1×
- ματαίων1×
- ματαίας1×
- ματαία1×
Key Verses
-
I Corinthians 15:17
If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.
This verse shows that without the resurrection, the entire foundation of Christian faith collapses into nothingness.
-
James 1:26
If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
Here the word highlights that religious practices are empty if they do not lead to genuine self-control and love.
-
I Peter 1:18
knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers,
Peter uses this term to contrast the futile traditions of the past with the costly redemption found in Christ.