The meaning of Nought in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
not (chinnam; katargeo) "Nought" is to be distinguished from "naught" implying "badness" (see NAUGHT). "Nought" in the sense of "nothing," etc., is the translation of chinnam, "gratis" (Genesis 29:15), and of various other words occurring once only, e.g. 'awen, "vanity" (Amos 5:5); tohu, "vacancy," "ruin" (Isaiah 49:4); 'epha', "nothing" (Isaiah 41:24); nabhel, "to fade" (Job 14:18, margin "fadeth away"); pur, "to make void" (Psalms 33:10); katargeo, "to make without effect" (I Corinthians 1:28; I Corinthians 2:6); oudeis, "not even one" (Acts 5:36); apelegmos, "refutation" (Acts 19:27, the Revised Version (British and American) "come into disrepute"); dorean, "without payment" (II Thessalonians 3:8, the Revised Version (British and American) "for nought"); eremoo, "to desolate" (Revelation 18:17, the Revised Version (British and American) "made desolate"); kataluo, "to loose down" (Acts 5:38, the Revised Version (British and American) "be overthrown"). In Apocrypha we have "set at nought" and "come to nought," etc. (1 Esdras 1:56; 2 Esdras 2:33; 8:59).
For "nought" the Revised Version (British and American) has "perish" (Deuteronomy 28:63); for "come to nought" (Job 8:22), "be no more"; "nought" for "not ought" (Exodus 5:11), for "no might" (Deuteronomy 28:32); for "brought to silence," twice (Isaiah 15:1), "brought to nought"; the American Standard Revised Version "bring to nought" (I Corinthians 1:19) for "bring to nothing" (the English Revised Version "reject"); "nought but terror" (Isaiah 28:19) for "a vexation only"; "brought to nought" (Isaiah 16:4) for "is at an end"; "come to nought" for "taken none effect" (Romans 9:6); "set at nought" for "despise" (Romans 14:3).
W. L. Walker
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