- Truth is in Jesus
- Dec 6, 2015
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What is Hell? (Sheol, Hades)
The word Hell in the English Bible is translated from a Hebrew word called Sheol which is found 66 times in the old testament. In the new testament this same word in Greek is called Hades and is found only 10 times.
There are also two other words in the New Testament that get translated to the word Hell, but we will cover those two words (Gehenna & Tartarus) in upcoming articles. This article will only focus on Sheol & Hades.
According to the Strong’s Concordance, both words have the same basic meaning and definition.
1. Sheol Strong’s Hebrew (7585)
Or shol {sheh-ole’}; from sha’al; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates — grave, hell, pit.
2. Hades Strong’s Greek (86)
From a (as negative particle) and eido; properly, unseen, i.e. “Hades” or the place (state) of departed souls — grave, hell.
The word Sheol occures 66 times in the old testament while Hades occures 10 times in the New Testament. We will examine these 76 occurances from the context in scripture to get a better understanding of the meaning.
Let’s first examine Sheol
Note: Sheol occurs twice in Psalm 49:14 and Hosea 13:14.
In the following 64 verses from the old testament the word Sheol appears in the original Hebrew text and is sometimes translated into the English word Grave, sometimes as Hell, and sometimes as Pit. Notice how some Bible translations will use the word Hell while others will use the word Grave in the same verse.
Clicking each one below opens in a new window to view the verse in multiple Bible translations on the same page.
- Genesis 37:35 Jacob - mourning his son until death in the grave.
- Genesis 42:38 Jacob - to the grave he will go if harm comes to Benjamin too.
- Genesis 44:29 Joseph - his brothers tell him what Jacob said in 42:38.
- Genesis 44:31 Reiteration of 44:29.
- Numbers 16:30 Moses - die naturally or ground opens to bury alive in grave.
- Numbers 16:33 Moses - people buried alive in grave and perished.
- Deuteronomy 32:22 Shall burn to the depths of where the grave is.
- 1 Samuel 2:6 Resurrects people from the grave.
- 2 Samuel 22:6 David came close to death and the grave.
- 1 Kings 2:6
- 1 Kings 2:9
- Job 7:9
- Job 11:8
- Job 14:13
- Job 17:13
- Job 17:16
- Job 21:13
- Job 24:19
- Job 26:6
- Psalm 6:5
- Psalm 9:17
- Psalm 16:10
- Psalm 18:5
- Psalm 30:3
- Psalm 31:17
- Psalm 49:14
- Psalm 49:15
- Psalm 55:15
- Psalm 86:13
- Psalm 88:3
- Psalm 89:48
- Psalm 116:3
- Psalm 139:8
- Psalm 141:7
- Proverbs 1:12
- Proverbs 5:5
- Proverbs 7:27
- Proverbs 9:18
- Proverbs 15:11
- Proverbs 15:24
- Proverbs 23:14
- Proverbs 27:20
- Proverbs 30:16
- Ecclesiastes 9:10
- Songs 8:6
- Isaiah 5:14
- Isaiah 7:11
- Isaiah 14:9
- Isaiah 14:11
- Isaiah 14:15
- Isaiah 28:15
- Isaiah 28:18
- Isaiah 38:10
- Isaiah 38:18
- Isaiah 57:9
- Ezekiel 31:15
- Ezekiel 31:16
- Ezekiel 31:17
- Ezekiel 32:21
- Ezekiel 32:27
- Hosea 13:14
- Amos 9:2
- Jonah 2:2
- Habakkuk 2:5