Original Word: רֵיק
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: reyq
Pronunciation: rayk
Phonetic Spelling: (rake)
KJV: emptied(-ty), vain (fellow, man)
NASB: empty, worthless, emptied, foolish ones, idle, satisfied
Word Origin: [from H7324 (רוּק - To empty)]

1. empty
2. (figuratively) worthless

emptied, vain fellow, man

Or (shorter) req {rake}; from ruwq; empty; figuratively, worthless -- emptied(-ty), vain (fellow, man).

see HEBREW ruwq

Word Origin
from riq
Definition
empty, vain
NASB Translation
emptied (1), empty (6), foolish ones (1), idle (1), satisfied (1), worthless (4).

[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.

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.
• In the famine dream of Pharaoh, “the seven empty heads of grain scorched by the east wind” (Genesis 41:27) visualize agricultural sterility that only divine wisdom can remedy.
• Gideon arms his three hundred with “empty clay jars with torches inside” (Judges 7:16). Emptiness becomes the very instrument through which God demonstrates that victory comes “not by might nor by power” but by His hand.
• Elisha directs the widow to “Borrow as many empty vessels from your neighbors as you can” (2 Kings 4:3). The miracle of multiplying oil transforms emptiness into sufficiency, teaching that God fills what faith presents to Him.
• Ezekiel 24:11 commands the setting of “the pot empty on the coals” so that impurity might be burned away. The vacant vessel symbolizes Jerusalem stripped of defenses, exposed to purifying judgment.

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.
• “Worthless scoundrels” also rally to King Rehoboam’s rival in 2 Chronicles 13:7, portraying national division as the fruit of moral vacuum.
• 2 Samuel 6:20 uses the term when Michal rebukes David for dancing, likening his behavior to that of an “empty” or “vulgar” man. The accusation reveals how spiritual fervor can be misinterpreted by hearts that prize decorum over devotion.

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.
• Nehemiah 5:13 records the governor’s symbolic act: “I shook out the folds of my robe and said, ‘May God likewise shake out every man from his house and property who does not keep this promise—so may he be shaken out and emptied.’” Social injustice leaves oppressors spiritually and materially bankrupt.

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.
• Deuteronomy 32:47 reminds Israel that the words of the law “are not empty for you,” stressing that obedience is life itself—even when appearances suggest otherwise.

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.
2. Warning against Vanity: From Proverbs’ lazy dreamer to Isaiah’s famished aggressor, the word exposes the lie of pursuits detached from God’s purposes.
3. Community Health: Leaders attract their likeness. Churches and families that tolerate “worthless” patterns invite collective impoverishment (Judges 9:4; 2 Chronicles 13:7).
4. Gospel Fulfillment: Emptiness finds its ultimate remedy in the One who “came that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness” (John 10:10). Ministry that exposes the vacuum of sin must quickly point to the Savior who fills with His Spirit.

Pastoral Application

• Challenge believers to identify “empty jars” in personal devotion, relationships, and service, inviting God to pour in His grace.
• Confront complacency and escapist fantasies with the diligence commended in Proverbs.
• Encourage worship that, like David’s dance, may appear foolish to spectators yet overflows with substance before God.
• Remind the oppressed, as Nehemiah did, that the LORD will shake out the unjust and vindicate those who trust Him.

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.

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 wərêqāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts