Bill Mounce

For an Informed Love of God

μάταιος

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Forms of the word
Dictionary: 
μάταιος, αία, αιον
Greek transliteration: 
mataios
Simplified transliteration: 
mataios
Numbers
Strong's number: 
3152
GK Number: 
3469
Statistics
Frequency in New Testament: 
6
Morphology of Biblical Greek Tag: 
a-1a(1)
Gloss: 
worthless, futile, useless, empty
Definition: 
idle, ineffective, worthless, 1 Cor. 3:20; groundless, deceptive, fallacious, 1 Cor. 15:17; useless, fruitless, unprofitable, Tit. 3:9; Jas. 1:26; from the Hebrew, erroneous in principle, corrupt, perverted, 1 Pet. 1:18; τὰ μάταια, superstition, idolatry, Acts 14:15*

Greek-English Concordance for μάταιος

Acts 14:15 saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? For we too are men subject to the same frailties as you, bringing you good news to turn away from these vain (mataiōn | ματαίων | gen pl neut) things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,
1 Corinthians 3:20 And again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are futile.” (mataioi | μάταιοι | nom pl masc)
1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless (mataia | ματαία | nom sg fem); you are still in your sins.
Titus 3:9 But shun foolish speculations and genealogies and strife and quarrels about the law, for they are harmful and useless (mataioi | μάταιοι | nom pl fem).
James 1:26 If someone thinks that he is religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless (mataios | μάταιος | nom sg fem).
1 Peter 1:18 since you know that you were ransomed from the empty (mataias | ματαίας | gen sg fem) way of life handed down from your ancestors, not by perishable things such as silver or gold,