Lexical Summary req: empty, worthless, emptied Original Word: רֵיק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance emptied, vain fellow, man Or (shorter) req {rake}; from ruwq; empty; figuratively, worthless -- emptied(-ty), vain (fellow, man). see HEBREW ruwq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom riq Definition empty, vain NASB Translation emptied (1), empty (6), foolish ones (1), idle (1), satisfied (1), worthless (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs [רֵיק], רֵק adjective empty, vain — masculine absolute רֵק Genesis 37:24 2t.; feminine דֵקָה feminine דֵקָה Ezekiel 24:11; Isaiah 29:8; masculine plural רֵ(י)קִים Judges 7:16 +; feminine plural רֵקוֺת Genesis 41:27; — 1 empty, of vessels 2 Kings 4:3; Judges 7:16; Ezekiel 24:11 #NAME? Jeremiah 14:3 (רֵיקִים for דֵיקָם), Jeremiah 51:34 (רֵיק for רִיק); of pit Genesis 37:24 (J), lap Nehemiah 5:13, ears of grain Genesis 41:27 (E; דֵּקּוֺת Genesis 41:6; Genesis 41:7; Genesis 41:23; Genesis 41:24); רֵקָה נַפְשׁוֺ Isaiah 29:8 (compare Isaiah 32:6 √ 1). 2 empty, idle, worthless, ethically; אנשׁים ריקים worthless fellows Judges 9:4; Judges 11:3; 2Chronicles 13:7, so הָרֵקִים alone(as substantive) 2 Samuel 6:20; מְרַדֵּף רֵיקִים Proverbs 12:11 AV RV of persons; < vain, unprofitable things, Proverbs 28:19 (see Toy); מִן ׳דָּבָר ר Deuteronomy 32:47 (D) a thing too empty (of significance) for you; + (probably) Psalm 4:3 (רֵיק for ᵑ0 רִיק) love an empty thing ("" כזב), of abortive course of action. Topical Lexicon Overview of Biblical Usage The Hebrew adjective רֵיק appears fourteen times and consistently conveys the notion of “emptiness” or “worthlessness,” whether describing physical objects that contain nothing, people who lack moral substance, or pursuits that prove fruitless. Across its occurrences the word highlights the contrast between human barrenness and the sufficiency of God’s provision, admonishing the covenant community to seek true fullness in the LORD rather than in hollow substitutes. Physical Emptiness: pits, vessels, and storehouses • Genesis 37:24 depicts Joseph’s plight: “the pit was empty; there was no water in it.” The image of a waterless cistern underscores utter helplessness and foreshadows Israel’s later captivity experiences. Moral Emptiness: worthless and idle men • Judges 9:4 and Judges 11:3 label certain followers as “worthless men.” Abimelech and Jephthah both attract those devoid of honorable purpose, illustrating how ungodly leadership fosters a fellowship of futility. Emptiness in economic and social life • Twice Proverbs contrasts diligent labor with “those who chase fantasies”: “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who chases worthless pursuits lacks judgment” (Proverbs 12:11; see also Proverbs 28:19). The sage warns against the seductive, empty promise of quick gain. Illusory satisfaction and divine judgment • Isaiah 29:8 likens the assailants of Zion to a dreamer who “awakens hungry still.” Their conquest ends in emptiness, for God alone can satisfy. Historical and Cultural Notes In agrarian Israel, a pit without water, a granary robbed of grain, or a jar devoid of oil signaled crisis. Likewise, a retinue of “empty men” jeopardized tribal stability. The term thus served as a vivid everyday warning: where God’s blessing or righteous character is absent, only futility remains. Theological and Ministry Implications 1. Divine Filling: Whether in Joseph’s dungeon, Gideon’s jars, or the widow’s vessels, God delights to fill what is empty when faith and obedience present the need. Pastoral Application • Challenge believers to identify “empty jars” in personal devotion, relationships, and service, inviting God to pour in His grace. In every text where רֵיק appears, Scripture sets emptiness before the reader—sometimes as threat, sometimes as opportunity—so that hearts may turn from vanity to the abundance found in covenant faithfulness. Forms and Transliterations הָרֵק֔וֹת הָרֵקִֽים׃ הרקות הרקים׃ וְרֵיקָ֣ה וָרֵ֑ק וריקה ורק רֵ֔ק רֵ֝קִ֗ים רֵ֥ק רֵיקִ֔ים רֵיקִ֣ים רֵיקִים֙ רֵקִ֔ים רֵקִ֖ים רֵקִים֙ רֵקָ֑ה ריקים רק רקה רקים hā·rê·qîm hā·rê·qō·wṯ hareKim hareKot hārêqîm hārêqōwṯ rê·qāh rê·qîm reiKim Rek reKah reKim rêq rêqāh rêqîm vaRek vereiKah wā·rêq wārêq wə·rê·qāh wərêqāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 37:24 HEB: הַבֹּ֑רָה וְהַבּ֣וֹר רֵ֔ק אֵ֥ין בּ֖וֹ NAS: Now the pit was empty, without KJV: and the pit [was] empty, [there was] no water INT: the pit now the pit was empty without water Genesis 41:27 Deuteronomy 32:47 Judges 7:16 Judges 9:4 Judges 11:3 2 Samuel 6:20 2 Kings 4:3 2 Chronicles 13:7 Nehemiah 5:13 Proverbs 12:11 Proverbs 28:19 Isaiah 29:8 Ezekiel 24:11 14 Occurrences |