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Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #3152 - μάταιος
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- devoid of force, truth, success, result
- useless, of no purpose
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did not use
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μάται-ος [ μᾰ], α, ον
A. Pr. 331, Th. 442, Ag. 422 (lyr.), etc.; also ος, ον ib. 1151, Ch. 82, Eu. 337 (all lyr.), S. OC 780, E. IT 628, Pl. Sph. 231b, D. 1.18: (μάτη): —
I vain, empty, idle:
1 of words, acts, etc., μάταια νομίζομεν Thgn. 141, cf. 487, 492, etc.; μ. λόγοι idle tales or words, Hdt. 7.10. ή; μ. ἔπεα ib. 11; δόξαι φέρουσαι χάριν μ. A. Ag. 422 (lyr.); μ. ὑλάγματα, ποιφύγματα, ib. 1672, Th. 281; μ. εὐχή E.l.c.; μάταια βάζειν τινά Id. Hipp. 119; μ. τι δρᾶσαί τινα Id. Cyc. 662 (lyr.); μ. ἂν εἴη πόνος Pl. Ti. 40d; μ. ἡδονή S.l.c.; δοξοσοφία Pl. Sph. l.c.; ὄρεξις Arist. EN 1094a21; τὰ μ. ἀναλώματα useless expenses, POxy. 58.20 (iii A.D.); but also, μ. ἔπος a word of offence, Hdt. 3.120.
2. of persons, empty, foolish, ματαιότεροι νόον Thgn. 1025, cf. Hdt. 2.173, S. Tr. 863, 888 (lyr.), Ar. V. 338, Amips. 9 (Sup.); φῦλον ματαιότατον Pi. P. 3.21; worthless, S. Ant. 1339 (lyr.).
II rash, irreverent, profane, freq. in A., μ. γλῶσσα Pr. l.c., Ag. 1662 (troch.); φρονήματα Th. 438; αὐτουργίαι μ., of matricide and the like, Eu. l.c.; χαρὰ μ. mad merriment, Th. 442; μ. ἀνοσίων τε κνωδάλων Supp. 762; τὸ μὴ μ. seriousness, gravity, ib. 198; ψαύειν ματαίαις χερσί S. Tr. 565.
III Adv. - ως idly, without ground, ib. 940, Emp. 39.2, E. Fr. 908.4; ὀχλεῖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις Aen.Tact. 6.1; μ. ἐρεῖν to no purpose, Pl. 331d; ταλαιπωρῆσαι Polystr. p.31 W.
μάταιος, μάταια (1 Corinthians 15:17; (1 Peter 1:18)), μάταιον, also μάταιος, μάταιον (James 1:26; Titus 3:9) (cf. WHs Appendix, p. 157; Winer's Grammar, § 11, 1) (from μάτην), the Sept. for הֶבֶל, שָׁוְא, כָּזָב (a lie), etc.; as in secular authors (Latincanus) devoid of force, truth, success, result (A. V. uniformly vain): universally, ἡ θρησκεία, James 1:26; useless, to no purpose, ἡ πίστις, 1 Corinthians 15:17; foolish, διαλογισμοί, 1 Corinthians 3:20; ζητήσεις, Titus 3:9; given to vain things and leading away from salvation, ἀναστροφή, 1 Peter 1:18. τά μάταια, vain things, vanities, of heathen deities and their worship (הֶבֶל, Jeremiah 2:5; Jeremiah 10:3; הַהֶבֶל אַחֲרֵי יָלַך, πορεύεσθαι ὀπίσω τῶν ματαίων, 2 Kings 17:15; הֲבָלִים, μάταια, Jeremiah 8:19; εἴδωλα, Deuteronomy 32:21; Jeremiah 14:22): Acts 14:15. (Cf. Trench, Synonyms, § xlix.)
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μάταιος , -ον
(as in Att.., but -αία , -αιον , 1 Corinthians 15:17, 1 Peter 1:18; <μάτην ),
[in LXX for H7723, H1892, H3577, etc.;]
vain, useless: ἀνωφελὴς κ . μ ., Titus 3:9; πίστις , 1 Corinthians 15:17; θρησκεία , James 1:26; διαλογισμοί , 1 Corinthians 3:20 (LXX); ἀναστροφή , 1 Peter 1:18; of idols and heathen gods, τὰ μ . (Jeremiah 2:5, 2 Kings 17:15, al.): Acts 14:15.
SYN.: κενός G2756, q.v.
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
P Oxy I. 58.20 (A.D. 288) τὰ μάταια ἀναλώματα, ";useless expense."; For the adv. see P Oxy VII. 1027.10 (i/A.D.) (= Chrest. II. p. 221) δι᾽ οὗ ματαίως εἱστορεῖ περί τε τοῦ ἀγνοεῖν α [ὐ ]τὸν τὴν τῶν ἐμοὶ γενη [μένων ] (l. γεγενη –) ἀσφαλιῶν θέσιν, ";wherein he vainly relates that he was ignorant of the securities which had been given to me"; (Ed.), and the sepulchral inscr. Kaibel 298.2 f.—
Τίς τοὐμὸν δύστηνον ἐπ᾽ οὔνομα γράψε τὸ χαῖρε;
τίς κωφὴν ματέως θήκατό μοι χάριτα;
The fluctuation between the fem , μάταιος (Titus 3:9, James 1:26) and ματαία (1 Corinthians 15:17, 1 Peter 1:18) is found also in classical texts (Moulton Gr. ii. § 64). In Vett. Val. p. 356.16 μάταια = ";res viles,"; and in ib. p. 276.21 μάταιοι = ";inepti"; : see Kroll’s Index, p. 404.
Copyright © 1914, 1929, 1930 by James Hope Moulton and George Milligan. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
Derivative Copyright © 2015 by Allan Loder.
