Bible Dictionaries
Vain

　　VAIN, a. L. vanus Eng. wan, wane, want.

　　1. Empty worthless having no substance, value or importance. 1 Peter 1 . To your vain answer will you have recourse.

　　Every man walketh in a vain show. Psalms 39 .

　　Why do the people imagine a vain thing? Psalms 2 .

　　2. Fruitless ineffectual. All attempts, all efforts were vain. Vain is the force of man.

　　3. Proud of petty things, or of trifling attainments elated with a high opinion of one's own accomplishments, or with things more showy than valuable conceited. The minstrels play'd on every side, vain of their art -

　　4. Empty unreal as a vain chimers. 5. Showy ostentatious. Load some vain church with old theatric state.

　　6. Light inconstant worthless. Proverbs 12 . 7. Empty unsatisfying. The pleasures of life are vain. 8. False deceitful not genuine spurious. James 1 . 9. Not effectual having no efficacy Bring no more vain oblations. Isaiah 1 .

　　In vain, to no purpose without effect ineffectual.

　　In vain they do worship me. Matthew 15 .

　　To take the name of God in vain, to use the name of God with levity or profaneness.