אָ֫וֶן

From the study of Proverbs 22:8

Range of meaning

A broad word covering (1) trouble, harm, calamity, (2) wickedness, mischief, deceit, especially scheming harm, and (3) emptiness, nothingness, futility. In the Psalms the 'workers of 'aven' are evildoers.

Against the English

BSB 'disaster', ESV/NIV 'calamity', WEB 'trouble' and YLT 'sorrow' pick the sense of misfortune. KJV 'vanity' picks the sense of emptiness. Each English word chooses one part of a word that holds all three.

How it drifted

KJV's 'vanity' (1611) meant emptiness or futility, from Latin vanitas. Today 'vanity' usually means pride about one's looks, which misleads modern KJV readers.

Used elsewhere in the period

Job 4:8: 'those who plow 'aven and sow trouble reap it.' This is the closest parallel and uses the same farming logic. Hosea mocks Bethel ('house of God') as Beth-aven ('house of nothingness/wickedness'), Hos 4:15; 10:5. Isa 41:29 uses 'aven for emptiness.

From the study of Isaiah 55:7

Range of meaning

Trouble, harm, disaster; deceit, falsehood; mischief and harmful scheming; iniquity. It also carries the sense of emptiness and nothingness, especially tied to idols and false worship.

Against the English

'Unrighteous' (KJV, BSB, WEB) is abstract and vague. YLT's 'iniquity' is closer but still flat. The Hebrew points to someone whose life produces trouble, deception and harm, and whose devotion goes to empty things.

Used elsewhere in the period

Isaiah 59:4–7 closely parallels this verse: 'they conceive trouble and give birth to aven… their thoughts (machshevot) are thoughts of aven.' Isa 66:3 uses aven for idol-worship. Hosea renames Bethel (house of God) Beth-aven, 'house of nothingness/wickedness' (Hos 4:15; 10:5). The Psalms speak of po‘ale aven, 'workers of mischief' (Ps 5:5; 6:8). Isa 41:29 (in many readings) calls the idols aven.

From the study of Isaiah 32:6

Range of meaning

Trouble, harm, wickedness, deceit and emptiness. Often it means scheming that injures others. Some scholars (notably Mowinckel) argued that it sometimes refers to harmful occult power, but that is debated.

Against the English

'Iniquity' (KJV, BSB) is old-fashioned and abstract. 'Evil' (NIV) or 'wickedness' is broader. Both miss the sense of trouble done to someone.

Used elsewhere in the period

'Workers of aven' are the classic enemies of the righteous in the Psalms (Ps 5:5; 6:8; 14:4, where they 'eat up my people as they eat bread'). Isaiah 31:2 has 'the help of the workers of aven'. Isaiah 1:13 has 'aven and solemn assembly', worship joined to wrongdoing.