Hell… Sheol, Hades, Gehenna and Tartarus Much of the confusion about hell has arisen from the fact that several separate and distinctive words, in both Hebrew and Greek, were unfortunately translated into the single English word ‘hell’, which is now commonly used to signify the place of the damned. This conveys an improper meaning of the original word. By reading only the King James Bible, makes it close to impossible to tell which of the four original words is being used and what it really means. The word Hell comes from the Anglo-Saxon helan, to cover, or hide. Hence in some parts of England (particularly Cornwall), the tiling or slating of a house is called heling to this day, as are the corers of books in Lancashire. (Adam Clarke) The word Hell The word was first applied to the grave by our German and English ancestors. The Hebrew word Sheol occurs sixty-five times in the Old Testament. The KJV translates Sheol into into 'pit' three times, ‘hell’ 31 times, and ‘grave' 31 times (where the torment idea would be ludicrous as in Job 14:13 .. “O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave [sheol]"). By contrast the ASV Bible leaves Sheol untranslated each of the 65 times it appears. for example Psalm 16:10 King James version:
"for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption." Revised Standard version:
"for thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the pit."
However the damage was already done. Many people came to associate Sheol and Hades with the popular eternal torture concepts of hell which owe more to Dante’s Inferno than to the Bible. Sheol Occurs sixty-five times in the Old Testament. It is derived from a root-word meaning "to ask," "demand;" hence insatiableness (Proverbs 30:15,16). The verb from which it is derived means, “to ask, to demand, to require, to seek;” and this name is supposed to have been given to the grave, and to the regions of departed spirits, from the insatiable demand which they are constantly making of the living. Another Hebrew word (queber quibrah) occurs more than 60 times in The Old Testament and has been translated into three English words Sepulcher, Grave and Burying Place. The question arises as to why the authors of the Bible didn’t always use the Hebrew qeber qibrah which most definitely means grave? What is the difference between queber quibrah and Sheol? Virtually all uses of queber quibrah refer to a physical location… an actual grave or sepulcher as in the following examples. Genesis 23:4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. Numbers 19:16 And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. 2 Samuel 2:32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day. Kings 13:21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet. Jeremiah 26:23 And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
Sheol seems to address the conditions surrounding the person(s) entombed not the location or type of burying place. A grave is one particular cavity purposely dug for the interment of a dead person; “Sheol” is a collective name for all the graves. He that is in the grave is in “Sheol;” but he that is in “Sheol” may not be in a grave, but in any pit, or in the sea. in short, it is the region of the dead; However there is no evidence that Sheol refers to any form of punishment whatsoever. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word Sheol really means the place of the dead, the unseen world, without deciding whether it be the place of misery or of happiness. it is clear that in many passages of the Old Testament Sheol can only mean "the grave," and is rendered in the authorized version; see, for example, (Genesis 37:35; 42:38; 1 Samuel 2:6; Job 14:13) in other passages, however, it seems to involve a notion of punishment, and is therefore rendered in the authorized version by the word "hell." but in many cases this translation misleads the reader. (Smith's Bible Dictionary)
The psalmist talked about being rescued from Sheol. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Psalm 49:15 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Psalm 16:10 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. Psalm 86:13.
Jonah who cried out from ‘Sheol’ and was heard of God. Jonah 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell [Hebrew: Sheol] cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
In Isaiah 5:13, Sheol evidently means the “regions of the dead,” without the idea of punishment; and the poetic representation is, that so many of the Jews would be cut off by famine, thirst, and the sword, that those vast regions would be obliged “to enlarge themselves” in order to receive them. Sheol as presented in the Bible is not a place of fire and brimstone and torment but is described in the context as .. A state of “darkness” [Job 10:21] and as a place of “silence” [Psalm 115:17]. Nor does the Bible portray Sheol as a place of pain, suffering and remorse, but a place or condition of “forgetfulness” [Psalm 88:11, 12] “there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, in the grave [Sheol] whither thou goest” [Ecclesiastes 9:10]. It was represented by the Hebrew as “low down, or deep” in the earth - contrasted with the height of heaven; [Deuteronomy 32:22; Job 11:8; Psalm 139:7-8]. There is no knowledge in Sheol, nor can any praise God or give thanks there [Psalm 6:5; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Isaiah 38:10-11]. It was a place where thick darkness reigns; Job 10:21-22 : ‘the land of darkness and the shadow of death; a land of darkness, as darkness itself.’ It is described as having “valleys, or depths,” [Proverbs 9:18]. It is represented also as having “gates,” [Isaiah 38:10] and as being inhabited by a great multitude, some of whom sit on thrones, occupied in some respects as they were on earth [Isa 14:9] It is also said that the wicked descend into it by openings in the earth, as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram did; who went down alive into Sheol.) [Numbers 16:30, Numbers 16:33]. The foundations of the mountains are in Sheol [Deuteronomy 32:22]. Men penetrate Sheol by digging into the earth [Amos 9:2]. The roots of trees strike down into Sheol [Ezekiel 31:16]. The body is corrupted and consumed by worms [Job 17:13-14; Psalm 16:10; Psalm 49:14]. They that rest together in the dust are said “to go down to the bars, or strong gates of Sheol. [Job 17:16]. Sheol and the pit, death and corruption, are synonymous [Psalm 16:10; Psalm 89:48; Proverbs 1:12; Proverbs 7:27; Ezekiel 31:16; Hosea 13:14]. Sheol is never full, but is always asking or craving more [Proverbs 27:20; Hebrew 2:5].
Hades: In the New Testament "hell" is the translation of two words, Hades (used eleven times) and Gehenna. Hades is the New Testament counterpart to the Old Testament Sheol. Evidence for this is found in Acts 2:27, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [Hades],” is a quotation from Psalm 16:10, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [Sheol].” And in 1 Corinthians 15:54,55, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave [Hades], where is thy victory?” is an reference to Isaiah 25:8, “He will swallow up death in victory,” and to Hosea 13:14, “O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave [Sheol], I will be thy destruction.”
Hades “is translated hell in all instances except in I Corinthians 15:55, which is the resurrection chapter. If Hades refers to a place of punishment, then how could these most uplifting scriptures of hope be recorded here as our victory over hell (the grave) through Jesus Christ? It would make no sense whatsoever. Let us read it together. “Where O death, is your victory? Where, O death (Hades), is your sting?”[NIV].The King James states, “…O grave (Hades), where is your victory?”” (I Corinthians 15:55). (Heaven & Hell By Bob Swimm) I Corinthians 15: 55: “is parallel to Hosea 14: 14, where the destruction of Hades is prophesied. Whatever Hades means, it is not to endure forever. It is destined to be destroyed. It cannot be endless torment. That its inhabitants are to be delivered from its dominion, is seen from Rev. 20: 13: "And Death and Hell delivered up the dead that were in them." This harmonizes with the declaration of David, that he had been delivered from it already. (Ps. 30: 3; II Sam. 22: 5,6). It does not retain its victims always, and hence, whatever it may mean, it does not denote endless imprisonment. Hence the next verse reads, "And death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire." Can a more striking description of utter destruction be given than this?” (The Bible Hell by J.W. Hanson, D.D.) Our Lord speaks of Capernaum as being "brought down to hell" (Hades), i.e., simply to the lowest debasement, (Matthew 11:23). it is contemplated as a kind of kingdom which could never overturn the foundation of Christ's kingdom (16:18), i.e., Christ's church can never die. Since the word Hades, like Sheol sometimes means merely "the grave," (Acts 2:31; 1 Corinthians 15:55; Revelation 20:13) or in general "the unseen world." it is in this sense that the creeds say of our lord, "he went down into hell," meaning the state of the dead in general, without any restriction of happiness or misery, with the possible exception of Luke 16:23 where it is associated with doom and misery which gave rise to the fairly common notion that Hades is an intermediate state between death and resurrection, divided into two parts, one the abode of the blest, and the other of the lost. Gehenna was used twelve times in the New Testament and translated Hell in the KJV. (This same place (Gehenna) didn't get translated Hell in the many places where it appears in the Hebrew form "ga ben Hinnom" in the Old Testament). Any first century Jew would have been able to give you directions to Gehenna since it was an actual place. Gehenna or Gehenna of fire was the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their destruction. (Smith's Bible Dictionary). Gehenna is portrayed in Scripture as the inescapable destination of those who had forsaken God (Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Matthew 23:33. ) “Hinnom was “a deep, narrow ravine separating mount Zion from the so-called "hill of evil counsel." it took its name from "some ancient hero, the son of Hinnom." it is first mentioned in Joshua 15:8. it had been the place where the idolatrous Jews burned their children alive to Moloch and Baal. a particular part of the valley was called Tophet, or the "fire-stove," where the children were burned. after the exile, in order to show their abhorrence of the locality, the Jews made this valley the receptacle of the offal of the city, for the destruction of which a fire was, as is supposed, kept constantly burning there. The Jews associated with this valley these two ideas, (1) that of the sufferings of the victims that had there been sacrificed; and (2) that of filth and corruption. it became thus to the popular mind a symbol of the abode of the wicked hereafter. it came to signify hell as the place of the wicked”. (Easton's Bible dictionary).
Gehenna was largely associated with two kings… Ahaz and Manasseh.. Moreover he [King Ahaz] burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. II Chronicles 28:3 And he [King Manasseh ] caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. II Chronicles
The prophet Jeremiah said that these practices continued to his day. Which caused the following prophecy. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. Jeremiah 7:32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter. Jeremiah 19:6.
Tartarus in Greek mythology, Tartarus, or Tartaros (from the Greek Tartarizo, meaning "shivering cold"), is both a deity and a place in the underworld — even lower than Hades. this word only occurs once in 2 Peter 2:4 where it is translated "hell" "for if god spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment ...."
There are no Biblical references to people going to Tartarus which seems to be a separate place from Hades and reserved for fallen angels. Thirty-one Texts in Which Sheol is Translated Hell (KJV)
the word "hell" appears only once in the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). Sheol is often is spoken of literally, figuratively, symbolically, and poetically. Both the righteous and the unrighteous go to it but there are no references to everlasting fire or torment. 1. "for a fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn unto the lowest hell [Hebrew: Sheol], and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains" (Deuteronomy 32:22).
"lowest Sheol" cannot mean "tortured in literal fire" since verse 25 says that sucklings [infants] will be in this Sheol 2. the sorrows of hell [Hebrew: Sheol] compassed [surrounded] me about: the snares of death prevented [confronted] me" (ii Samuel 22:6). One can certainly understand how David, being pursued by his enemies, felt that death and the grave, not the eternal tortures of hell, were closing in on him. 3. it [the wisdom of god] is as high as heaven; what can you do? deeper than hell [Hebrew: Sheol] ; what can you know" (Job 11:8). This is poetic language and has nothing to do with a place of torture in fire. 4. hell [Hebrew: Sheol] is naked before him, and destruction has no covering" (Job 26:6). 5. the wicked shall be turned [Hebrew: shub] into hell [Hebrew: Sheol], and all the nations that forget god" (Psalm 9:17). "Sheol" here cannot possibly torment since no one has come from an eternity of suffering in fire, therefore cannot return to that same place. The Hebrew word translated ‘turned’ in the KJV has been corrected in other versions. the ASV has translated it "turned back” other examples of the use of the same word. Genesis 3:19 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Genesis 8:3 and the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. Genesis 8:9 but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. Zechariah 7:14 but I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.
6. "for you will not leave my soul in hell [Hebrew: Sheol]; neither will you suffer your holy one to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10). Although this is a Prophecy concerning our lord’s three days in the tomb (acts 2:31; 3:15), it is nonetheless, the words of David concerning himself and his own salvation from Sheol. 7. "the sorrows of hell [Hebrew: Sheol] compassed me about: the snares of death prevented [confronted] me" (Psalm 18:5). 8. "let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell [Hebrew: Sheol]: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them" (Psalm 55:15). 9. "for great is thy mercy toward me: and you have delivered my soul from the lowest [depth of] hell [Hebrew: Sheol]" (Psalm 86:13). 10. "the sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell [Hebrew: Sheol] got hold upon me: i found trouble and sorrow" (Psalm 116:3). 11. "if I ascend up into heaven, you are there: if I make my bed in hell [Hebrew: Sheol], behold, you are there" (Psalm 139:8). Many people believe that hell is a separation from God. However the above Scripture indicates that nothing can separate God from humanity. God is just as surely in Sheol as He is in Heaven. In Hosea 13:14 God speaks of ransoming Israel from Sheol. “I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from death: O death, where are thy plagues? O Sheol, where is thy destruction? repentance shall be hid from mine eyes”.
The Lord heard Jonah who cried out from ‘Sheol’. Jonah 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell [Hebrew: Sheol] cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
12. "her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell [Hebrew: Sheol]" (Proverbs. 5:5). 13. "her house is the way to hell [Hebrew: Sheol], going down to the chambers of death" (Proverbs. 7:27). 14. "but he knows not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell [Hebrew: Sheol]" (Proverbs. 9:18). Hell/Sheol contains dead people, not living souls! 15. "hell [Hebrew: Sheol] and destruction are before the lord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?" (Proverbs. 15:11). 16. "the way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart [keep away] from hell [Hebrew: Sheol] beneath" (Proverbs. 15:24). 17. "you shall beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from hell [Hebrew: Sheol]" (Proverbs. 23:14). 18. hell [Hebrew: Sheol] and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied" (Proverbs. 27:20). 19. "therefore hell [Hebrew: Sheol] has enlarged herself, and opened her mouth with out measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoices, shall descend into it" (Isaiah 5:14). 20. hell [Hebrew: Sheol] from beneath is moved for you to meet you at the coming; it stirs up the dead for you, even all the chief ones of the earth; it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations" (Isaiah 14:9). 21. "yet you shall be brought down to hell [Hebrew: Sheol] to the sides of the pit" (Isaiah 14:15). 22. "because you have said, we have made a covenant with death, and with hell [Hebrew: Sheol] are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves" (Isaiah 28:15). 23. "and your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell [Hebrew: Sheol] shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then you shall be trodden down by it" (Isaiah 28:18). In verses 15 and 18 of Isaiah 28 death and hell" are represented as friends. 24. "and you went to the king with ointment, and did increase your perfumes, and did send your messengers far off, and did debase yourself even unto hell [Hebrew: Sheol]" (Isaiah 57:9). Figurative of deep degradation 25. "I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall; when I cast him down to hell [Hebrew: Sheol] with them that descend into the pit and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth" (Ezekiel 31:16). 26. "they also went down into hell [Hebrew: Sheol] with him unto them that be slain with the sword: and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen" (Ezekiel 31:17). 27. "the strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell [Hebrew: Sheol] with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword" (Ezekiel 32:21). 28. "and they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell [Hebrew: Sheol] with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, through they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living" (Ezekiel 32:27).
29. "though they dig into hell [Hebrew: Sheol], thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will i bring them down" (Amos 9:2). 30. "and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell [Hebrew: Sheol] cried I, and you heard my voice" (Jonah 2:2). The belly of the fish was for a time Jonah’s grave and was therefore called "belly of hell." no literal fires here. 31. "yea also, because he transgresses by wine, he is a Proverbs man, neither keeps at home, who enlarges his desire as hell [Hebrew: Sheol] , and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathers unto him all nations, and heaps unto him all people" (Habakkuk. 2:5). Death and hell are again portrayed as keeping company. There is no consciousness in Sheol / Hades / grave / death.
Ten Texts in Which Hades Is Translated Hell (KJV) Matthew 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell [Hebrew: Hades] for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell [Hebrew: Hades] shall not prevail against it. [This verse speaks of the Church Prevailing over Hades— or death] Luke 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. [Hebrew: Hades] Luke 16:23 And in hell [Hebrew: Hades] he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [Hebrew: Hades], neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell [Hebrew: Hades], neither his flesh did see corruption. Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [Hebrew: Hades] and of death. Revelation 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell [Hebrew: Hades] followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell [Hebrew: Hades] delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Revelation 20:14 And death and hell [Hebrew: Hades] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Twelve Texts in Which Gehenna Is Translated Hell Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Matthew 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Matthew 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Mark 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Mark 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
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