Original Word: אָוֶן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: aven
Pronunciation: AH-ven
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-ven')
Definition: Iniquity, trouble, wickedness, sorrow, idolatry, vanity
Meaning: strictly nothingness, trouble, vanity, wickedness, an idol

affliction, evil, false, idol, iniquity, mischief, mourner, naught,

From an unused root perhaps meaning properly, to pant (hence, to exert oneself, usually in vain; to come to naught); strictly nothingness; also trouble. Vanity, wickedness; specifically an idol -- affliction, evil, false, idol, iniquity, mischief, mourners(-ing), naught, sorrow, unjust, unrighteous, vain,vanity, wicked(-ness). Compare 'ayin.

see HEBREW 'ayin

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
trouble, sorrow, wickedness
NASB Translation
affliction (1), distress (1), evil (4), false (1), harm (1), idol (1), iniquity (37), misfortune (1), mourners' (1), mourning (1), sorrow (1), trouble (2), unrighteous (1), vanity (1), wicked (6), wickedness (15), wrong (1), wrongdoers (1).

אָ֫וֶן₈₅ noun masculine^{Job 5:6} trouble, sorrow, wickedness — absolute Numbers 23:21 +; suffix אוֺנִי Genesis 35:18 etc.; plural אוֺנִים Hosea 9:4 —

1 trouble, sorrow בֶּןאֿוֺנִי son of my trouble or sorrow Genesis 35:18 (E); לֹא הִבִּיט אָוֶן בְּיַעֲקֹב Numbers 23:21 (song of Balaam), he doth not behold trouble in Jacob ("" he doth not see misery — עָמָל — in Isr); often "" עָמָל Psalm 7:15 (הִנֵּה יְחַבֶּלאָֿוֶן lo he travaileth with trouble "" וְהָרָה עָמָל וְיָלַד שָׁ֑קֶר, yea he hath conceived misery & brought forth a lie), probably thence Job 15:35 (הָרהֹ עָמָל וְיָלֹד אָוֶן) = Isaiah 59:4; compare עָמָל וָאָוֶן Psalm 10:7; Psalm 55:11; Psalm 90:10; Job 4:8; Job 5:6; Isaiah 10:1 (see עָמָל); also זוֺרֵעַ עַוְלָה יִקְצָראָֿוֶן Proverbs 22:8 the sower of iniquity shall reap trouble; in this sense elsewhere only Deuteronomy 26:14; Proverbs 12:21; Jeremiah 4:15; Habakkuk 3:7; Amos 5:5, plural intensive לֶחֶם אוֺנִים bread of trouble, sorrow, or mourning Hosea 9:4.

2 idolatry Hosea 12:12; Isaiah 41:29; אָוֶן וּתְרָפִים הַפְצַ֑ר stubbornness is idolatry & (the use of) teraphim 1 Samuel 15:23 (poetry source); אָוֶן בֵּית Hosea 4:15 (for בֵּית אֵלbecause Bethel, house of God, is given over to idolatry) so also Hosea 5:8; Hosea 10:5 compare ׳בָּמוֺת א Hosea 10:8; ׳בִּקְעַת א Amos 1:5 (Baalbek); ׳בַּחוּרֵי א read אוֺן, אֹן = On, Heliopolis Ezekiel 30:17; — abstract for concrete = idols Isaiah 66:3.

3 trouble of iniquity, wickedness, מְתֵי אָוֶן Job 22:15; ׳אַנְשֵׁי א Job 34:36 = men of trouble, troublers, wicked men; compare ׳אִישׁ א Proverbs 6:12; Isaiah 55:17; מֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן workers of trouble, evil-doers, workers of iniquity Job 31:3; Job 34:8,22; Psalm 5:6; + (16 t. chiefly late Psalms) Proverbs 10:29; Proverbs 21:15; Isaiah 31:2; Hosea 6:8; מַחְשְׁבוֺת אָוֶן thoughts of trouble, wicked imaginations Proverbs 6:18; Isaiah 59:7; Jeremiah 4:14; often of words & thoughts Job 11:11 + (5 t.) Psalm 36:5 + (9 t.) Proverbs 17:4; Proverbs 19:28; Proverbs 30:20; Isaiah 29:20; Isaiah 32:6; Isaiah 58:9; Isaiah 59:6; Ezekiel 11:2; Micah 2:1; Habakkuk 1:3; Zechariah 10:2; לֹא אוּכַל אָוֶן וַעֲצָרָה Isaiah 1:13 I cannot bear iniquity with the solemn meeting (RV & most modern; AV it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting).

אֹן sorrow, see אָוֶן.

Word Origin: Derived from the root אָוָה (avah), which means to pant, exert oneself, or to be iniquitous.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G94 (ἀδικία, adikia): Injustice, unrighteousness.
• G458 (ἀνομία, anomia): Lawlessness, iniquity.
• G459 (ἄνομος, anomos): Lawless, without law.
• G765 (ἀσέβεια, asebeia): Ungodliness, impiety.
• G824 (ἄσκοπος, askopos): Without aim, purposeless.
• G878 (ἀταξία, ataxia): Disorder, unruliness.
• G1112 (γόγγυσμος, gongysmos): Murmuring, grumbling.
• G2556 (κακός, kakos): Bad, evil.
• G2756 (κενός, kenos): Empty, vain.
• G2873 (κόπος, kopos): Labor, trouble.
• G3152 (ματαιότης, mataiotēs): Vanity, futility.
• G3154 (ματαιόω, mataioō): To make vain, to render futile.
• G3449 (μορφή, morphē): Form, appearance.
• G3601 (οὐδέν, ouden): Nothing, naught.
• G3997 (πάθος, pathos): Passion, suffering.
• G4189 (πονηρία, ponēria): Wickedness, evil.
• G4192 (πονηρός, ponēros): Evil, wicked.
• G5225 (ὑπάρχω, hyparchō): To exist, to be.

These Greek terms reflect similar themes of emptiness, wickedness, and moral corruption, paralleling the Hebrew concept of אָוֶן.

Usage: The word אָוֶן appears in various contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible, often highlighting the futility or moral corruption of certain actions, thoughts, or objects. It is used to describe idolatry, falsehood, and wickedness, emphasizing the emptiness and deceit inherent in these practices.

Context: • General Overview: The term אָוֶן is frequently used in the Hebrew Scriptures to describe actions or states that are morally or spiritually bankrupt. It is often translated as "iniquity," "vanity," or "wickedness" in English versions of the Bible. The word underscores the concept of actions or beliefs that are ultimately futile and devoid of true substance or righteousness.

• Biblical Contexts:
• In the prophetic literature, אָוֶן is often used to condemn idolatry and false worship. For example, in Hosea 10:8, the high places of Aven are mentioned as sites of idolatrous worship that will be destroyed.
• The term is also used in the wisdom literature to describe the futility of wickedness. In Proverbs 22:8, it is stated, "He who sows iniquity will reap trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed."
• In the Psalms, אָוֶן is used to express the emptiness of deceitful actions, as seen in Psalm 36:4: "Even on his bed he plots wickedness; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he does not reject evil."

• Theological Implications: The use of אָוֶן in the Hebrew Bible serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God and pursuing paths that lead to spiritual emptiness. It highlights the contrast between the fleeting nature of wickedness and the enduring truth of righteousness.

אָ֑וֶן אָ֔וֶן אָ֖וֶן אָ֗וֶן אָ֙וֶן֙ אָ֛וֶן אָ֝֗וֶן אָ֣וֶן אָ֤וֶן ׀ אָ֥וֶן אָ֭וֶן אָֽוֶן׃ אוֹנ֑וֹ אוֹנִ֣ים אוֹנִים֙ אוֹנֵֽךְ׃ אוֹנָ֗ם און און׃ אונו אונים אונך׃ אונם בְאֹנִ֜י באני הָאָ֑וֶן האון וְאָ֖וֶן וְאָ֥וֶן וָאָ֑וֶן וָאָֽוֶן׃ ואון ואון׃ לְאָֽוֶן׃ לאון׃ מֵאָֽוֶן׃ מאון׃ ’ā·wen ’āwen ’ō·w·nām ’ō·w·nêḵ ’ō·w·nîm ’ō·w·nōw ’ōwnām ’ōwnêḵ ’ōwnîm ’ōwnōw aven ḇə’ōnî ḇə·’ō·nî hā’āwen hā·’ā·wen haAven lə’āwen lə·’ā·wen leAven mê’āwen mê·’ā·wen meAven oNam oNech oNim oNo vaAven veAven veoNi wā’āwen wā·’ā·wen wə’āwen wə·’ā·wenInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts