רִיק (riq)
riq
vain
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 11 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew word riq describes something that is fundamentally empty or void. It refers to a lack of substance, weight, or value, often translated as "vain" or "empty." In the Old Testament, it characterizes idols that have no power (Isaiah 41:29) and human efforts that yield no lasting result.
Its root sense relates to emptiness or wind. The Psalms use it to contrast fleeting life with God’s enduring presence (Psalm 39:5). It is not merely useless but hollow, lacking the substance that gives meaning.
This word appears eleven times in Scripture. Its most frequent usage is in Isaiah and Psalms, where it highlights the futility of trusting in anything other than God. Translators often render it as "vanity" or "emptiness," capturing its core idea of worthlessness.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word riq describes a hollow emptiness, something that looks substantial but holds no weight or value. In Scripture, it often highlights the futility of trusting in idols or human effort apart from God. When we invest our energy into things that cannot sustain us, we find ourselves laboring for nothing, like sowing seed only to watch it be eaten by enemies.
Yet this word also brings comfort. It reminds us that our true security does not rest in fragile systems or our own strength. Isaiah 49:4 shows a servant who felt his work was vain, yet he trusted that his reward came from the Lord. We are invited to place our hope in God’s enduring presence rather than in fleeting achievements.
This truth encourages us to examine where we seek meaning. Are we building on solid ground or chasing shadows? By anchoring our lives in what is permanent, we find peace even when worldly efforts seem empty. God offers a substance that never fades, giving lasting purpose to our days.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 11 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- vanity3×
- to <the>/ emptiness3×
- emptiness2×
- to/ emptiness1×
- and/ vanity1×
- [is] to/ emptiness1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- רִֽיק\׃1×
- רִ֭יק1×
- רִ֥יק1×
- רִ֛יק1×
- רִ֔יק1×
- לָ/רִיק֙1×
- לָ/רִ֖יק1×
- לָ/רִ֔יק1×
- לְ/רִ֣יק1×
- לְ/רִ֖יק1×
- וָ/רִ֖יק1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 49:4
But I said, “I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength in vain for nothing; yet surely the justice due to me is with Yahweh, and my reward with my God.”
Here the speaker declares his labor was in vain, yet immediately affirms that his true reward and justice come from Yahweh, showing how divine purpose transcends human futility.
-
Psalms 2:1
Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?
The nations plot a vain thing, illustrating how political rebellion against God’s authority is fundamentally empty and lacks any real power or lasting result.
-
Leviticus 26:16
I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it.
This verse warns that disobedience leads to sowing seed in vain, emphasizing the practical consequence of efforts yielding no harvest when disconnected from God’s blessing.
-
Jeremiah 51:58
Yahweh of Armies says: “The wide walls of Babylon will be utterly overthrown. Her high gates will be burned with fire. The peoples will labor for vanity, and the nations for the fire; and they will be weary.”
The destruction of Babylon serves as a concrete example of nations laboring for vanity, where their massive constructions and wealth are ultimately consumed by fire.