What is The Difference
Between Hell, Hades and Sheol?
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If you ask someone to define the word “hell” you will
hear a variety of definitions.
Many people define “hell” as an eternal destination of the wicked.
Some define “hell” as a time period a person goes
through when he is reincarnated from one life to another.
Others define hell as the habitation of the dead,
while others yet say that hell is simply nothing more than something that is
difficult to experience.
The Bible uses words Hades,
Sheol, and even Gehenna when referring to hell.
For Christians, the question then becomes, “is there a difference between Hell, Hades and Sheol?”
What is hell?
The English word for “hell” has the following history and
origin:
Old English - hel, helle, “nether world,
abode of the dead, infernal regions,” from Proto-Germanic - haljo, the underworld” (cognates: f. Old Frisian - helle,
Dutch- hel,
Old Norse - hel,
German - Hölle,
Gothic halja - hell”)
- “the
underworld,” literally “concealed place” (compare Old Norse hellir - cave,
cavern”), from PIE kel- “to
cover, conceal” “to cover or hide.”
How does the Bible define hell?
The Bible uses the word “hell” 54 times throughout the
Old and New Testaments (KJV).
In The Old
Testament:
The first mention of the word “hell” is found in
Deuteronomy 32:22 as follows: “For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and
shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase,
and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.”
In
this passage, the Lord saw that there were Israelites who were practicing idolatry and not honoring the “Rock of
The
Lord further described how they would be consumed in His anger and shall be
burned in the lowest hell, which sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.
He
also described this place as the place he will send them where the teeth of
beasts and the poison of serpents will attack them so that they will experience
a continual terror.
The
Hebrew word used for “hell” in this verse is the word Sheol, which is used to
describe the underground world of the
dead.
If
we combine this word with its description from the Lord, Sheol can be described
as an underground location where people
who have rejected God are tormented by fire, the gnashing of teeth of beasts,
and the poison of serpents.
In The New Testament:
The first use of the word “hell” in the New Testament is
found when Jesus spoke about it in Matthew 5:22 as follows:
“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.”
In
this verse, the word “hell” comes from the Greek word, “Gehenna.”
Gehenna
was commonly known as the name of a city dump outside of Jerusalem where people
burnt their trash and the fire never went out.
Jesus
used this word for hell in Mark 9:41-48 as a comparison to the fires of hell
that never go out as described in the Old Testament.
In
the New Testament, whenever the word “hell” was used to describe the
underground location where people who have rejected God are tormented forever
by fire, the gnashing of teeth of beasts, and the poison of serpents, a
different Greek word was used.
This
was the word “Hades.”
Hades is the New Testament Greek word for the Old Testament Hebrew word “Sheol.”
We
know this because Peter used the word in Acts 2:27 when quoting from Psalms
16:10 which uses Sheol when referring to Hell:
“Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (Hades),
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
(See
also Matthew 12:40; Ephesians 4:9-10 and Philippians 2:9-10 with references to
Christ being in hell located in the center of the earth).
Can the word “hell” simply mean the grave?
Some say that there is no hell as a place for eternal
torment and
However,
they base their belief on a few verses where the words Sheol and Hades were
translated as grave or pit. The problem with this is that the references that
are used deny the context of what is being presented.
When
you look at the context you find many problems with translating Sheol and Hades
as a grave, which is normally the Hebrew word “qeber.”
- There are many graves, but only one Sheol or Hades. Man
can put someone in the grave (qeber),
but never puts anyone in Sheol or Hades (1 Kings 13:29-30).
- Man can touch a grave (qeber), but does not touch Sheol or Hades (Numbers 19:16).
- Someone can have his own grave (qeber), but the Bible
never speaks of each person having his own Sheol or Hades (2 Samuel 3:32).
Is there another meaning of the word hell?
Finally, there is one more word that is translated as
hell, which is the Greek word Tartaroo in
2 Peter 2:4 where God chained the wicked angels that sinned in Genesis 6:1-4 (See also Matthew 25:41; Jude 6).
Tartaroo,
commonly known as Tartarus, is understood in Biblical Greek as being the
deepest abyss of Hades.
Conclusion
Many people have differing definitions of the word “hell.”
Hell
is commonly defined as the nether world, abode of the dead or infernal regions.
The
Bible defines hell as an underground location in the center of the earth where
people who have rejected God are tormented by fire, the gnashing of teeth of
beasts, and the poison of serpents.
The
Hebrew word “Sheol” is defined the
same as the Greek word “Hades.”
The
word “Sheol” or “Hades” do not simply refer to a grave.
One
other Greek word translated as hell is the Greek word “Tartaroo,” which is the deepest abyss of Hades.
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“And
can it be that I should gain”
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lyrics
1
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And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! how can it be That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Amazing love! how can it be That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? |
2
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’Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design? In vain the firstborn seraph tries To sound the depths of love Divine! ’Tis mercy all! let earth adore, Let angel minds inquire no more. ’Tis mercy all! let earth adore, Let angel minds inquire no more. |
3
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He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace; Emptied Himself of all but love, And bled for Adam’s helpless race: ’Tis mercy all, immense and free; For, O my God, it found out me. ’Tis mercy all, immense and free; For, O my God, it found out me. |
4
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Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night; Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee. My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee. |
5
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No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine! Alive in Him, my living Head, And clothed in righteousness Divine, Bold I approach the eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own. Bold I approach the eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
whatchristianswanttoknow.com
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