Beth-El Baptist Church

12/16/2012

Greg Tomlinson


What are the different names of hell?


The concept of hell is fairly controversial. There are some who deny its very existence, some who describe it as a place of extreme and eternal torment while others see it as something in between. The Old Testament and New Testament words that are either translated as hell or are translated as the concept of hell can help us to better understand the picture that the scriptures paint.


  1. What are in the Old Testament?

Sheol:

Deuteronomy 32:19-22 Job 11:7-9

Psalm 9:16-17; 16:10; 55:11-15; 86:13; 139:7-8

Proverbs 5:3-5; 7:22-27; 9:13-18; 15:24; 23:13-14

Isaiah 5:13-15 Jonah 2:1-3


The most common word that is translated as 'hell' is Sheol. It can carry the meaning of the eternal dwelling place of the condemned or it can simply mean the grave where all men will go.


Abaddon:

Job 26:5-6; 28:20-24; 31:12 Psalm 88:9-12

Proverbs 15:11; 27:20

(See Revelation 9:11)


Abaddon is generally translated as 'destruction' in the King James Bible and it is mostly used in poetic literature written as a parallel thought to Sheol.


Bowr (pit):

Psalm 30:1-3 Proverbs 1:10-12

Isaiah 14:13-15; 38:17-18 Ezekiel 31:13-17


Bowr is a pit. It is generally used as a simple pit or hole in the ground. Usually when it carries the thought of 'hell' is in poetic literature written as a parallel thought to Sheol. It can also carry the simple idea of 'grave'.


  1. What are in the New Testament?

Hades:

Matthew 11:21-24; 16:17-19 Revelation 1:18; 6:7-8; 20:12-15

Luke 16:22-24


Hades is one of the most commonly known words translated as 'hell' in the New Testament. It use though is limited to only 11 times. In Greco-Roman thought, it usually carries the thought of the 'underworld'. In the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) it is the most common translation from Sheol.


A couple of things to note about the Luke passage on the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man is not even named. This indicates that in a very real sense those in hell cease to have identities (names) but they still exist. They are in a sense forgotten. Also note that the rich man in hell is fully aware of what is happening in heaven, he knows what he missed out on which only adds to his torment. Lazarus is completely unaware of what is happening in hell otherwise he would have tears of sorrow, especially over those whom he knows are there.


Gehenna:

Matthew 5:21-22, 29-30; 10:28; 23:15, 31-33

James 3:5-6


Gehenna is less well known but occurs in the New Testament about the same number of times (12) as Hades (11). Gehenna is also known as the Valley of Hinnom which was the city dump where filth and dead animals were cast out and burned. Gehenna does not appear to have ever been used in the Septuagint.


Tartarus:

2 Peter 2:4-6


Tartarus is only used in 2 Peter 2:4. It also does not appear in the Septuagint. It is believed to be viewed as a place of divine punishment that is lower than Hades. This is the most heinous of the hells.


  1. What other descriptive phrases are there?

Revelation 19:19-21; 20:10-15


The book of Revelation identifies the final destination of Satan, his demons, as well as the dead and Hades as being cast into the “lake of fire”. This could possibly be understood as a more descriptive form of Tartarus or the deepest hell which houses only the worst of offenders.