Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, November 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort! Bible Encyclopedias
Hell
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Search for…
or
Additional Links
Concordances
Scofield Reference Index
- Hell
Thompson Chain Reference
- Hell
The Topic Concordance
- Hell
Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
- Hell
Torrey Topical Textbook
- Hell
Dictionaries
American Tract Society
- Hell
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
- Hell
CARM Theological Dictionary
- Hell
Easton's Bible Dictionary
- Hell
Fausset Bible Dictionary
- Hell
Holman Bible Dictionary
- Hell
Hastings' BibleDictionary
- Hell
King James Dictionary
- Hell
Morrish Bible Dictionary
- Hell
Hawker's Poor Man's Dictionary
- Hell
People's Bible Dictionary
- Hell
Smith Bible Dictionary
- Hell
Vines' Expository Dictionary
- Hell
Encyclopedias
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
- Hell
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
- Hell
Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia
- Hell
The Jewish Encyclopedia
- Hell
Lexicons
hel (see SHEOL; HADES; GEHENNA ):
1. The Word in the King James Version
The English word, from a Teutonic root meaning "to hide" or "cover," had originally the significance of the world of the dead generally, and in this sense is used by Chaucer, Spenser, etc., and in the Creed ("He descended into hell"); compare the English Revised Version Preface. Now the word has come to mean almost exclusively the place of punishment of the lost or finally impenitent; the place of torment of the wicked. In the King James Version of the Scriptures, it is the rendering adopted in many places in the Old Testament for the Hebrew word she'ōl (in 31 out of 65 occurrences of that word it is so translated), and in all places, save one ( 1 Corinthians 15:55 ) in the New Testament, for the Greek word Hades (this word occurs 11 times; in 10 of these it is translated "hell"; 1 Corinthians 15:55 reads "grave," with "hell" in the margin). In these cases the word has its older general meaning, though in Luke 16:23 (parable of Rich Man and Lazarus) it is specially connected with a place of "torment," in contrast with the "Abraham's bosom" to which Lazarus is taken ( Luke 16:22 ).
2. The Word in the Revised Version
In the above cases the Revised Version (British and American) has introduced changes, replacing "hell" by "Sheol" in the passages in the Old Testament (the English Revised Version retains "hell" in Isaiah 14:9 , Isaiah 14:15; the American Standard Revised Version makes no exception), and by "Hades" in the passages in the New Testament (see under these words).
3. Gehenna
Besides the above uses, and more in accordance with the modern meaning, the word "hell" is used in the New Testament in the King James Version as the equivalent of Gehenna (12 t; Matthew 5:22 , Matthew 5:29; Matthew 10:28 , etc.). the Revised Version (British and American) in these cases puts "Gehenna" in the margin. Originally the Valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem, Gehenna became among the Jews the synonym for the place of torment in the future life (the "Gehenna of fire," Matthew 5:22 , etc.; see GEHENNA ).
4. Tartarus
In yet one other passage in the New Testament (2 Peter 2:4 ), "to cast down to hell" is used (the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)) to represent the Greek tartaróō , ("to send into Tartarus"). Here it stands for the place of punishment of the fallen angels: "spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits (or chains) of darkness" (compare Judges 1:6; but also Matthew 25:41 ). Similar ideas are found in certain of the Jewish apocalyptic books (Book of Enoch, Book of Jubilees, Apocrypha Baruch, with apparent reference to Genesis 6:1-4; compare ESCHATOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT ).
On theological aspect, see PUNISHMENT , EVERLASTING . For literature, see references in above-named arts., and compare article "Hell" by Dr. D. S. Salmond in HDB .
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and were generously provided by the folks at WordSearch Software.
Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Hell'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/h/hell.html. 1915.
