adjective

kenos

Greekκενός (kenos)

Strong’sG2756

empty, vain, hollow

stem ken-18 times in the New Testamentin 11 of 27 books9 of 26 forms occur

Translated as

in vain6×vain5×empty3×empty-handed3×foolish1×

What it means

κενός, -ή, -όν,

[in LXX chiefly for ריק and cognate forms;]

empty (Ge 37:24, Jg 7:16). Metaph.,

(a) empty, vain: λόγοι, Eph 5:6; ἀπάτη, Col 2:8; κήρυγμα, πίστις, I Co 15:14;

(b) vain, fruitless: ἡ χάρις, I Co 15:10; κόπος, I Co 15:58; ἡ εἴσοδος, I Th 2:1; κενά, Ac 4:25(LXX); εἰς κενόν, in vain, to no purpose (Diod., LXX; cl. διὰ κενῆς), II Co 6:1, Ga 2:2, Phl 2:16, I Th 3:5;

SYN.: μάταιος, of the aim or effect of an action, κ. of its quality (Lft. on Cl. Rom., I Co., § 7; Tr., Syn., xlix).

G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.

Strong’s G2756 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from

Saidken-os'

empty (literally or figuratively)

Fromapparently a primary word;

King Jamesempty, (in) vain.

James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.

Every form

Job in the sentence case	masculine singular	feminine singular	neuter singular	masculine plural	feminine plural	neuter plural
subject nominative	kenos1×κενὸς	kenas3×κενὴ	kenem6×κενὸν	kenois	kenais	keneim1×κενά
object accusative	kenon3×κενόν	kenan		kenoin1×κενούς	kenain
direct address vocative	kenor1×κενέ	kenar		kenoir	kenair
of, belonging to genitive	kenou	kenau1×κενῆς	keneu	kenoiu	kenaiu	keneiu
to, for dative	keno	kena	kene	kenoi1×κενοῖς	kenai	kenei

Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.

Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them

kenstem+oaegender+smnru—its job in the sentence case+—ione · more than one number

ken is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.

same in every form varies — every value shown

Words built on the same stem

kenimō — κενόω, I empty, deprive of content, make unreal

Where it appears

18 occurrences, every one of them listed

kenos“in vain”subjectnominative singular1×

1 Corinthians 15:58“in vain”Hōste, adelfoir mu agapētoir, hedraiois ginevōr, ametakinētois, perisseuarōtois en te erge tou kuriou pantote, oidarētois hoti tos kopos vu ouk atō kenos en kurio.Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

kenon“empty-handed”objectaccusative singular3×

Mark 12:3“empty-handed”kai lambaratois auton derala kai apostelala kenon.But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

Luke 20:10“empty-handed”kai kairo apostelata pros toin geōrgoin doulon, hina apo tou karpou tou ampelōnou dōali auto; tois de geōrgois exapostelala auton deraratois kenon.At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.

Luke 20:11“empty-handed”kai prostitheta heteron pempara doulon; tois de kakeinon deraratois kai atimazaratois exapostelala kenon.So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed.

kenor“foolish”direct addressvocative singular1×

James 2:20“foolish”thelasō de gnōskara, ō anthrōpor kenor, hoti tas pistias chōris teiu ergeiu argas atō?O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?

kenas“in vain”subjectnominative singular3×

1 Corinthians 15:10“in vain”charia de theou amō hem amō, kai tas charias autou tas eis min ouk kenas ginita, alla perissoterem autoiu pantoiu kopiama, ouk mis de alla tas charias tou theou tas sun mi.But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

1 Corinthians 15:14“in vain”ei de Christos ouk egeiritē, kenem ara tem kērugmem nu, kenas kai tas pistias vu,And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is worthless, and so is your faith.

1 Thessalonians 2:1“in vain”Autois gar oidavē, adelfoir, tan eisodan nu tan pros vin hoti ouk kenas ginatē,You yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not in vain.

kenau“empty”of, belonging togenitive singular1×

Colossians 2:8“empty”Blepavōr mē tinos vin eti tos sulagōgarōtos dia tau filosofiau kai kenau apatau kata tan paradosian toiu anthrōpoiu, kata teim stoicheieim tou kosmou kai ouk kata Christon;See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

kenem“vain”subject or objectdirect singular6×

1 Corinthians 15:14“in vain”ei de Christos ouk egeiritē, kenem ara tem kērugmem nu, kenas kai tas pistias vu,And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is worthless, and so is your faith.

2 Corinthians 6:1“vain”Sunergarōtois de kai parakalanō mē eis kenem tan charian tou theou dechera vin;As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

Galatians 2:2“vain”anabainama de kata apokalupsian; kai anatithema autoi tem euangeliem hem kērussamō en tei ethnei, kata idian de toi dokarōtoi, mē pōs eis kenem trechameiō ē trechama.I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I spoke privately to those recognized as leaders, for fear that I was running or had already run in vain.

Philippians 2:16“vain”logon zōau epecharōtois, eis kauchēmem mi eis hēmeran Christou, hoti ouk eis kenem trechama oude eis kenem kopiama.as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

Philippians 2:16“vain”logon zōau epecharōtois, eis kauchēmem mi eis hēmeran Christou, hoti ouk eis kenem trechama oude eis kenem kopiama.as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

1 Thessalonians 3:5“vain”dia houtem kamis mēketi stegarōtos pempama eis tem gnōskara tan pistian vu, mē pōs peirazata vin tos peirazarōtos kai eis kenem gineteia tos kopos nu.For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter had somehow tempted you and that our labor might have been in vain.

kenoin“empty”objectaccusative plural1×

Luke 1:53“empty”peinarōtoin empimplēata agatheiu kai ploutarōtoin exapostelata kenoin.He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

kenoi“empty”to, fordative plural1×

Ephesians 5:6“empty”Mēdenos vin apatatōr kenoi logoi, dia houteim gar erchetō tas orgas tou theou epi toin huioin tau apeitheiau.Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

keneim“in vain”subject or objectdirect plural1×

Acts 4:25“in vain”tos tou patērou nu dia pneumeu hagieu stomeu David paidou su legaratos; Hinati fruassala ethneim kai laois meletala keneim?You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?