ματαιότης (mataiotēs)
mataiotēs
futility
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun mataiotēs describes a state of profound futility or emptiness. It conveys the idea of something that lacks truth, purpose, or enduring value. In the New Testament, it appears in only three verses: Romans 8:20, 2 Peter 2:18, and Ephesians 4:17.
Its meaning is rooted in the Hebrew word hebel, often translated as "vanity" or "vapor" in Ecclesiastes, suggesting something fleeting and insubstantial. The sources note that while it can refer to general frailty or ineffectiveness, its most striking usage is in Ephesians 4:17, where it modifies "mind." This rare pairing describes a thought life that is futile, empty, and devoid of spiritual insight.
Translators often render it as "futility" or "emptiness," capturing the sense of wasted effort or hollow existence. In Romans 8:20, creation itself is subjected to this futility, highlighting a brokenness that awaits redemption. The word thus points to the existential void that results from separation from God's truth.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mataiotēs describes a deep sense of emptiness or futility. It points to efforts that lack lasting meaning, much like chasing after wind. In Ephesians 4:17, the Apostle Paul uses this term to describe a mind detached from God’s truth. This is not just about bad habits, but a fundamental direction of thought that leads nowhere.
Yet this word also carries hope. Romans 8:20 tells us that creation itself suffers under this weight of futility. It is a broken state, waiting for release. By naming this emptiness, Scripture shows us exactly what we need: a purpose found only in Christ. Your thoughts and your work are not meant to be void; they are designed for lasting value.
When you feel the hollowness of worldly pursuits, remember that redemption is near. The same power that restores creation invites you into a life of true significance. You are called to walk in clarity, leaving behind the shadows of emptiness for the light of God’s enduring truth.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- of vanity1×
- futility1×
- [the] futility1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ματαιότητι2×
- ματαιότητος1×
Key Verses
-
Ephesians 4:17
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
This verse uniquely applies futility to the human mind, highlighting how a life detached from Christ leads to hollow thinking.
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Romans 8:20
For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
Here, futility is not a moral choice but a condition of creation awaiting redemption, showing the scope of our broken world.
-
II Peter 2:18
For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error;
Peter links empty words with lustful enticement, illustrating how futility often disguises itself as attractive freedom.