the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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Bible Dictionaries
Empty
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words
or "to empty," is so translated in Philippians 2:7 , RV, for AV, "made ... of no reputation." The clauses which follow the verb are exegetical of its meaning, especially the phrases "the form of a servant," and "the likeness of men." Christ did not "empty" Himself of Godhood. He did not cease to be what He essentially and eternally was. The AV, while not an exact translation, goes far to express the act of the Lord (see GIFFORD on the Incarnation). For other occurrences of the word, see Romans 4:14; 1 Corinthians 1:17; 9:15; 2 Corinthians 9:3 . In the Sept., Jeremiah 14:2; 15:9 .
from schole, "leisure," that for which leisure is employed, such as "a lecture" (hence, "the place where lectures are given;" Eng., "school"), is used of persons, to have time for anything and so to be occupied in, 1 Corinthians 7:5; of things, to be unoccupied, empty, Matthew 12:44 (some mss. have it in Luke 11:25 ). See GIVE (oneself to).
expresses the "hollowness" of anything, the "absence" of that which otherwise might be possesed. It is used (a) literally, Mark 12:3; Luke 1:53; 20:10,11; (b) metaphorically, of imaginations, Acts 4:25; of words which convey erroneous teachings, Ephesians 5:6; of deceit, Colossians 2:8; of a person whose professed faith is not accompanied by works, James 2:20; negatively, concerning the grace of God, 1 Corinthians 15:10; of refusal to receive it, 2 Corinthians 6:1; of faith, 1 Corinthians 15:14; of preaching (id); and other forms of Christian activity and labor, 1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 2:2; Philippians 2:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:1; 3:5 . The synonymous word mataios, "vain," signifies "void" of result, it marks the aimlessness of anything. The vain (kenos) man in James 2:20 is one who is "empty" of Divinely imparted wisdom; in James 1:26 the vain (mataios) religion is one that produces nothing profitable. Kenos stresses the absence of quality, mataios, the absence of useful aim or effect. Cp. the corresponding adverb kenos, "in vain," in James 4:5 , the noun kenodoxia, "vainglory," Philippians 2:3 , the adjective kenodoxos, "vainglorious," Galatians 5:26 , and the noun kenophonia, "vain," or "empty," babblings, 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 2:16 .
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Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Empty'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ved/e/empty.html. 1940.
