Sheol in the Old Testament (Hell part 1)
“Hell” is not a single word in Scripture but multiple words in the original Hebrew and Greek which have unfortunately been translated largely as a single word in English. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word Sheol is traditionally translated as “hell” but sometimes also “pit” or “grave” depending on the context and on the bible translation. In the New Testament, the Greek words Gehenna and Tartaro are the words often translated as “hell”. Hades, on the other hand, is most often (though not always) simply rendered without translation and left as “hades”.
A proper biblical view on hell will require us to understand these words according to how the original hearers understood them, primarily from how they are used in Scripture. Today we will look at the word Sheol.
Sheol appears 66 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Due to this extensive number, they cannot all be quoted here but their various uses are presented here below. Note that otherwise noted, the translation I use is the NASB, which is on the word-for-word / literal side in the spectrum of bible translations, which is preferred for serious bible study.
In the vast majority of cases, Sheol is simply used to mean the place where the dead would go. Hence it is often translated as “the grave” or otherwise left untranslated as “Sheol”.
"Will it go down with me to Sheol? Shall we together go down into the dust?" (Job 17:16)
Sheol, consequently, includes “death” in its semantic range.
The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. (2 Sam 22:6)
For there is no mention of You in death; In Sheol who will give You thanks? (Psalm 6:5)
Sheol was not thought of as a spiritual location but is geographically located below the land. This corresponds to the ancient Hebrew and, more broadly, the ancient near eastern view of the cosmos.
But if the LORD brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the LORD. (Num 16:30)
Though they dig into Sheol, from there will My hand take them; And though they ascend to heaven, from there will I bring them down. (Amos 9:2)
In the cosmology of ancient near eastern societies, Sheol (with Hades as the Greek equivalent) was said to be located “below” in contradistinction to the domain of God (or “the gods” in Greek myth) which was believed to be in the heavens (or mountain) “above”. We must step into this ancient cosmology when interpreting Biblical texts rather than impose our 21st century scientific understanding that is foreign to the text. Holy places tended to be in high locations (e.g. mountains); while chaos and death tended to be in lower regions (e.g. the deep sea; as one commentator noted, “The OT is so consistently negative about the sea that one would think that the sea is an enemy of God”, see link). However, the Old Testament makes it clear that all creation ultimately submits to God, both hills and valleys (1 Kings 20:28), and he is creator of both sky and sea (Gen 1:8-10).
To the left is an illustration of a typical ancient near east cosmology, from the perspective of the creation account in Genesis 1.
Because of its association with the place of the dead, Sheol was also metaphorically used to mean the power of death, and consequently of sin, and being cut off from God, the giver of life.
Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death? O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight. (Hos 13:14)
To participate in sin was seen as already somehow having one’s feet planted in Sheol or drawing near to it, and away from God, despite still being physically alive.
For the lips of an adulteress drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, Her steps take hold of Sheol. (Prov 5:3-5)
The wicked are said to go to Sheol along with those who do not acknowledge God.
The wicked will return to Sheol, [Even] all the nations who forget God. (Psalm 9:17)
Let death come deceitfully upon them; Let them go down alive to Sheol, For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst. (Psalm 55:15)
Drought and heat consume the snow waters, [So does] Sheol [those who] have sinned. (Job 24:19)
But at the same time, righteous people of the Old Testament were expecting to go to Sheol as well and were not disturbed by the thought. These people include Jacob, Job, David and Hezekiah.
Then all [Jacob’s] sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, "Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son." So his father wept for him. (Gen 37:35)
Oh that You would hide me in Sheol, That You would conceal me until Your wrath returns [to You], That You would set a limit for me and remember me! (Job 14:13)
Note that Job seems to actually prefer being in Sheol rather than undergo the suffering he was experiencing in life.
If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. (Psalm 139:8)
A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery: I said, "In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I am to be deprived of the rest of my years." (Isa 38:9-10)
In 1 Samuel 28:11-20, the Prophet Samuel was summoned through the use of a medium by Saul. Samuel was described as “coming up from the earth”, indicating that the prophet of God had been in the realm of the dead within the earth, corresponding to Sheol.
Sheol is a place of silence, darkness, gloom, lack of activity and abandonment by God.
For there is no mention of You in death; In Sheol who will give You thanks? (Psalm 6:5)
Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon You; Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol. (Psalm 31:17)
Will You perform wonders for the dead? Will the departed spirits rise [and] praise You? Selah. Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? (Psalm 88:10-12) [Note that Sheol is in view earlier in the Psalm in verse 3]
If I look for Sheol as my home, I make my bed in the darkness (Job 17:13) [Note and compare with Job 10:21-22: “Before I go—and I shall not return—To the land of darkness and deep shadow, the land of utter gloom like darkness itself. Of deep shadow without order, and it shines like darkness.]
Whatever your hand finds to do, do [it] with [all] your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. (Ecc. 9:10)
For Sheol cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. (Isa 38:18)
For my soul has had enough troubles, and my life has drawn near to Sheol. I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength, forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, and they are cut off from Your hand. (Psalm 88:5)
Paradoxically, at the same time, Sheol is not a place where all people are completely unconscious. Some in Sheol are capable of trembling in fear from the greatness of God. And the Prophet Jonah was able to pray in Sheol. Furthermore, some in Sheol are said to be greeting those who enter it:
"The departed spirits tremble under the waters and their inhabitants. Naked is Sheol before Him, And Abaddon has no covering.” (Job 6:5-6)
And he said, "I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. (Jonah 2:2)
The strong among the mighty ones shall speak of him and his helpers from the midst of Sheol: ‘They have gone down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, killed by the sword.’ (Ez 32:21)
Sheol below is excited about you, to meet you when you come; It stirs the spirits of the dead for you, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones. (Isa 14:9)
As in Job 26:5-6, Sheol sometimes appears with “Abaddon”. Abaddon in Hebrew means “destruction”. Occurring five times in the Old Testament, it is the place of insatiable destruction (see also Job 31:12, Prov. 27:20). In the New Testament, Abaddon appears once in Revelation 9:11, and is described as being “the angel of the abyss” whose Greek name is Apollyon.
In Revelation 9, the fifth angel’s trumpet opens up “the bottomless pit” from which came monsters translated as “locusts” but described as “like horses prepared for battle”, “their heads appeared to be crowns like gold”, “their faces were like the faces of men”, “hair like the hair of women”, “teeth like of lions”, and having “breastplates of iron” and “tails like scorpions”. These creatures were given power to “hurt men for five months” so much that “men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them”. The king over these hellish creatures is Abaddon or Apollyon.
The Old Testament also allows the possibility of being brought out of Sheol; that is to say, to be brought back from death to life.
“The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. (1 Sam 2:6)
But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah. (Psalm 49:15)
The Prophet Jonah, as noted before, prayed from Sheol, and God brought him back to life.
Finally, Sheol was not completely outside of God’s sovereignty.
If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. (Psalm 139:8)
For all occurrences of Sheol, refer to: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/strongs_7585.htm
What is Sheol or the Old Testament teaching on the afterlife?
The descriptions of Sheol in the Old Testament indicate that it is broadly a place where all the dead go, whether righteous or wicked. The only people to have seemingly escaped being brought into Sheol at death are Enoch and Elijah, who were both taken bodily directly into heaven.
From a survey of all the above texts, we can see that the descriptions of Sheol vary and at first glance can be in tension with one another. Is it a place of sleep or a place where people remain awake? Is it a place where God has abandoned the dead or where God’s presence remains?
There are a few ways of harmonizing these descriptions:
If Sheol is seen as a diminishing of one’s life and humanity, then it’s possible that those who have the strongest connection to Life (that is, God) will remain to have conscious existence (albeit limitedly). All others will be asleep either immediately or after the passage of time.
From Jesus’ Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, Hades (and therefore, Sheol) are divided into regions with different characteristics. God’s presence remains among the righteous while absent among the wicked.
Whether one is awake or asleep may depend on each person.
Lastly, it’s possible that many of these descriptions are analogical, and therefore shouldn’t be taken at face value.
What we do know is that in contrast to the activity, life and flourishing in Eden (or in the case of Israel, the Promised Land Canaan), Sheol has no flourishing and is a dark place of stillness and inactivity. Instead of being a place of worship, it is described as a place of silence and sleep. It is far from God’s active presence but not completely outside of God’s control and supervision. David knew God will be found even there in the darkness.
Many commentators believe in what is called “soul sleep,” that the dead are unconscious. They cite passages about Sheol’s darkness and about the dead having “no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom” in Sheol (Ecc 9:10). But since some in Sheol are trembling, that Jonah can pray in Sheol, and that there are those in Sheol who welcome new arrivals indicate that there are those who are awake within it. The language of sleep, therefore, should be taken as the rest and inactivity of the body rather than that of both soul and body (those who deny the duality of the human person as the union of the material “body” and immaterial “soul” or “spirit” should look to Jesus in Matthew 10:28 or Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8). Theologian and Historian N.T. Wright says this when discussing Paul’s use of “sleep” to describe the dead in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4:
What does Paul have to say about an intermediate state? Like other second-Temple Jews who believed in resurrection, Paul is left with an interval between bodily death and resurrection, and this passage describes his fullest description of it. To begin with, he uses the regular image of falling asleep for death, enabling him to speak of people who are currently asleep but who will one day wake up again, and to do so with echoes of Daniel 12:2, which as we saw was one of the primary biblical passages on the subject. Three times, in 4:13, 14 and 15, Paul uses this language, employing it also in a different sense in 5:6-10. This has led some interpreters to speak of ‘the sleep of the soul’, a time of unconscious post-mortem existence prior to the re-awakening of resurrection. But this is almost certainly misleading – a case of people picking up a vivid Pauline metaphor and running down the street waving it about. For a start, though Paul can refer to the ‘soul’ (psyche) among other anthropological terms, it is noticeable that he does not employ this term when referring to the intermediate state – unlike, say, the Wisdom of Solomon, and indeed Revelation. In fact, if we were speaking strictly, we should say that it is the body that ‘sleeps’ between death and resurrection; but in all probability Paul is using the language of sleeping and waking simply as a way of contrasting a stage of temporary inactivity, not necessarily unconsciousness, with a subsequent one of renewed activity. The other references to the presently dead in this passage refer to them as ‘the dead in the Messiah’ (4:16), and as people who, though having fallen asleep continue (and will continue) to ‘live with him’ (5:10), to be ‘with Jesus’ (4:14), or ‘with the Lord’ (4:17).
The Resurrection of the Son of God, 216.
To go into Sheol is to go into exile into death, echoing humanity’s exile from the Tree of Life. And the righteous people of God expected to be brought out of it someday. That there are passages wishing for the wicked to be brought down to Sheol indicates that it can also be a place of judgment (see especially Job 31:11-12), similar to a prison cell or a quarantine until the time of Judgment comes.
The Hebrew expressions “gathered to his people” or “going to your fathers” (Gen 15:15, 47:30, 25:17, Num 20:24, etc.), seem to indicate that the realm of the dead is a place of gathering, perhaps awaiting a future redemption. But it is not until later in the Hebrew Scriptures that the possibility of a general resurrection of all humanity at a pivotal point in history and a judgment of both the righteous and the wicked became clearer.
We see this in Daniel 12:1-4:
“Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. And those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal up the book until the end of time; many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.”
The varying descriptions of the afterlife in the Hebrews Scriptures developed into a tradition in the intertestamental period (that is, the period between the Old and New Testaments) whereby the dead are divided into separate compartments in Sheol, depending on whether they were righteous or wicked. There they awaited final judgment. We find this view written in a intertestamental work called the Book of Enoch (chapter 22):
From there I proceeded to another spot, where I saw on the west a great and lofty mountain, a strong rock, and four delightful places. Internally it was deep, capacious, and very smooth; as smooth as if it had been rolled over: it was both deep and dark to behold.
Then Raphael, one of the holy angels who were with me, answered and said, “These are the delightful places where the spirits, the souls of the dead, will be collected; for them were they formed; and here will be collected all the souls of the sons of men. These places, in which they dwell, shall they occupy until the day of judgment, and until their appointed period. Their appointed period will be long, even until the great judgment.”
And I saw the spirits of the sons of men who were dead; and their voices reached to heaven, while they were accusing. Then I inquired of Raphael, an angel who was with me, and said, “Whose spirit is that, the voice of which reaches [to heaven], and accuses?”
He answered, saying, “This is the spirit of Abel who was slain by Cain his brother; and who will accuse that brother, until his seed be destroyed from the face of the earth; Until his seed perish from the seed of the human race.”
At that time therefore I inquired respecting him, and respecting the general judgment, saying, “Why is one separated from another?” He answered, “Three [separations] have been made between the spirits of the dead, and thus have the spirits of the righteous been separated. Namely, [by] a chasm, [by] water, and [by] light above it. And in the same way likewise are sinners separated when they die, and are buried in the earth; judgment not overtaking them in their lifetime. Here their souls are separated. Moreover, abundant is their suffering until the time of the great judgment, the castigation, and the torment of those who eternally execrate, whose souls are punished and bound there for ever. And thus has it been from the beginning of the world. Thus has there existed a separation between the souls of those who utter complaints, and of those who watch for their destruction, to slaughter them in the day of sinners. A receptacle of this sort has been formed for the souls of unrighteous men, and of sinners; of those who have completed crime, and associated with the impious, whom they resemble. Their souls shall not be annihilated in the day of judgment, neither shall they arise from this place.”
Then I blessed God, and said, Blessed by my Lord, the Lord of glory and of righteousness, who reigns over all for ever and for ever.
The Book of Enoch, while not canonical Scripture, is helpful for showing how the Hebrews and early Christians understood the arrangement of the afterlife. In Enoch, Sheol is divided by a chasm that separates the righteous from the unrighteous. The righteous are awaiting God’s final justice, while the unrighteous await in suffering and people are conscious in both domains. This arrangement of Sheol is also reflected by Jesus’ Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man in the New Testament, where the rich man is described as being in torment while Lazarus enjoys rest beside Abraham. This parable will be discussed further when we study Hades. Suffice it to say, far from correcting this conception of Sheol / Hades, Jesus seems to affirm it.