kenos · empty, in vain

What it means

kenos (κενός) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “empty, in vain”.

Empty; empty-handed; vain, without result.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. With nothing inside, or with nothing in one's hands.
2. Of no use at all.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• empty ×9
• vain ×9

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Mark×1
• Luke×3
• Acts×1
• 1 Corinthians×4
• 2 Corinthians×1
• Galatians×1
• Ephesians×1
• Philippians×2
• Colossians×1
• 1 Thessalonians×2
• James×1

• Mark 12:3

  And they took him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

• Luke 1:53

  the hungry he has filled with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

• Luke 20:10

  And at the harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

• Luke 20:11

  And he went on to send another slave; but they beat that one too and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed.

• Acts 4:25

  who through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David, your servant, said, ‘Why did the nations rage, and the peoples plot vain things?

• 1 Corinthians 15:10

  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

• 1 Corinthians 15:14

  and if the Messiah has not been raised, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is empty.

• 1 Corinthians 15:58

  So then, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

• 2 Corinthians 6:1

  And working together with him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

• Galatians 2:2

  And I went up because of a revelation, and I laid before them the good news that I proclaim among the nations —but privately, to those who were considered important— for fear that I might be running or had run in vain.

• Ephesians 5:6

  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

• Philippians 2:16

  holding forth the word of life, for a boast to me on the day of the Messiah, that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.

• Colossians 2:8

  Watch out that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of human beings, according to the elements of the world and not according to the Messiah;

• 1 Thessalonians 2:1

  For you yourselves know, brothers, our coming to you, that it has not been in vain,

• 1 Thessalonians 3:5

  For this reason I also, when I could no longer bear it, sent to learn of your faith, for fear that the tempter had tempted you and our labor might be in vain.

• James 2:20

  But do you want to know, O empty man, that faith apart from works is barren?

And 2 more times.