Well, Hell
The four words that are translated as “Hell” in the KJV Bible and what those words mean:
Word 1. She’ol. Used in Old Testament only. Translated in the KJV as Grave(’s), Hell, and Pit 65 times.
She’ol is the only word in the Old Testament translated as Hell. It would be wise to understand that the original Jews used this word only. Therefore, all later words should be thought to reference the ideas of this word in the case that they are used literally.
The following is from the KJC:
H7585
שׁאל / שׁאול
she’ôlTotal KJV Occurrences: 65
hell, 31
Deu_32:22, 2Sa_22:6, Job_11:8, Job_26:6, Psa_9:17, Psa_16:10, Psa_18:5, Psa_55:15, Psa_86:13, Psa_116:3, Psa_139:8, Pro_5:5, Pro_7:27, Pro_9:18, Pro_15:11, Pro_15:24, Pro_23:14, Pro_27:20, Isa_5:14, Isa_14:9, Isa_28:15 (2), Isa_28:18, Isa_57:9, Eze_31:16-17 (2), Eze_32:21, Eze_32:27, Jon_2:2 (2), Hab_2:5grave, 30
Gen_37:35, Gen_42:38, Gen_44:29, Gen_44:31, 1Ki_2:6 (2), 1Ki_2:9, Job_7:9, Job_21:13 (3), Job_24:19, Psa_6:5, Psa_30:3, Psa_31:17, Psa_49:14-15 (3), Psa_88:3, Psa_89:48, Pro_1:12, Pro_30:16, Ecc_9:10, Son_8:6, Isa_14:11, Isa_38:10, Isa_38:18, Eze_31:15, Hos_13:14 (2)pit, 3
Num_16:30, Num_16:33, Job_17:16grave’s, 1
Psa_141:7
The thing is, “Hell” is not a Hebrew word. It was created long after any of these scriptures were written. Considering the true meaning of She’ol, the abode of the dead or the grave, I see no reason to call Hell anything different.
The following is from Strong’s dictionary:
H7585
שׁאל שׁאול
she’ôl she’ôl
sheh-ole’, sheh-ole’From H7592; hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranian retreat), including its accessories and inmates: - grave, hell, pit.
Second word, Hades, translated as Hell and Grave 11 times in the New Testament only.
KJC:
G86
ᾅδης
hadēsTotal KJV Occurrences: 11
hell, 10
Mat_11:23, Mat_16:18, Luk_10:15, Luk_16:23, Act_2:27, Act_2:31, Rev_1:18, Rev_6:8, Rev_20:13-14 (2)grave, 1
1Co_15:55
This word is interchangeable with She’ol in reference to the Judao/Christian religion. It is actually a Greek word. It comes from Greek mythology and is used in that religion as the abode of the dead. Post incarnation however, it is adopted by Christians and used almost exclusively in reference to She’ol.
Strong:
G86
ᾅδης
hadēs
hah’-daceFrom G1 (as a negative particle) and G1492; properly unseen, that is, “Hades” or the place (state) of departed souls: - grave, hell.
Third word, Gehennah is translated as Hell 12 times in the New Testament only.
KJC:
G1067
γέεννα
geennaTotal KJV Occurrences: 12
hell, 12
Mat_5:22, Mat_5:29-30 (2), Mat_10:28, Mat_18:9, Mat_23:15, Mat_23:33, Mar_9:43, Mar_9:45, Mar_9:47, Jam_3:5-6 (2)
This word is obviously figurative. It refers to a valley outside of Jerusalem called Hinnom. The Valley of Hinnom was sort of the trash dump of Jerusalem. It was where all the garbage and sewage of the city was taken to be disposed of. In order to dispose of the trash as efficiently as possible, fires were kept burning 24/7 in the valley.
In addition to garbage disposal, Hennom was also used as an overflow for graves. In times of disease epidemics and such, many people could not afford proper burials and many did not have time. Instead of allowing the dead to just pile up in the city, they would be disposed of either in rented tombs in Hennom or burned in the fires. Notice that last bit?
All six references to hell fire (Mat 5:22, Mat 18:9 [and the synonymous, Mar 9:43, 45, 47], Jam 3:6) reference Hinnom. There are no references to hell fire which use Hades or She’ol. It seems that Christ and others used Hinnom as a figurative way to reference death and destruction and used the properties of Hinnom in that allegory. Just a thought.
Strong:
G1067
γέεννα
geenna
gheh’-en-nahOf Hebrew origin ([H1516] and [H2011]); valley of (the son of) Hinnom; gehenna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment: - hell.
The final word, used once in 2 Peter 2:4 is Tartaros.
Strong:
G5020
ταρταρόω
tartaroō
tar-tar-o’-oFrom Τάρταρος Tartaros̄ (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment: - cast down to hell.
Remember that Tartaros is a Greek word. Do you know where it came from? It references the place in Greek mythology where gods were imprisoned. Peter choses to use this word instead of the typical Hades probably because he was speaking of the imprisonment of angels rather than the death of humans. The people who Peter was writing to would understand the significance of this.
Tartarus
by Martha ThompsonTartarus is the lowest region of the world, as far below earth as earth is from heaven. According to the Greek poet Hesiod, a bronze anvil falling from heaven would take nine days and nights to reach earth, and an object would take the same amount of time to fall from earth into Tartarus. Tartarus is described as a dank, gloomy pit, surrounded by a wall of bronze, and beyond that a three-fold layer of night. Along with Chaos, Earth, and Eros, it is one of the first entities to exist in the universe.
While Hades is the main realm of the dead in Greek mythology, Tartarus also contains a number of characters. In early stories, it is primarily the prison for defeated gods; the Titans were condemned to Tartarus after losing their battle against the Olympian gods, and the hecatoncheires stood over them as guards at the bronze gates. When Zeus overcomes the monster Typhus, born from Tartarus and Gaia, he hurls it too into the same abyss.
However, in later myths Tartarus becomes a place of punishment for sinners. It resembles Hell and is the opposite of Elysium, the afterlife for the blessed. When the hero Aeneas visits the underworld, he looks into Tartarus and sees the torments inflicted on characters such as the Titans, Tityos, Otus and Ephialtes, and the Lapiths. Rhadymanthus (and, in some versions, his brother Minos) judges the dead and assigns punishment.“Tartarus.” Encyclopedia Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.