BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY

Sheol

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H776

אֶ֫רֶץ

e.rets — land: country/planet

: country/field 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth 1e) (almost wholly late in usage) 1e1) lands, countries 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

2005 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H990

בֶּ֫טֶן

be.ten — belly: abdomen

: abdomen 1) belly, womb, body 1a) belly, abdomen 1a1) as seat of hunger 1a2) as seat of mental faculties 1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.) 1b) womb

71 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7585

שְׁאוֹל

she.ol — hell: Sheol

Sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit 1a) the underworld 1b) Sheol-the OT designation for the abode of the dead 1b1) place of no return 1b2) without praise of God 1b3) wicked sent there for punishment 1b4) righteous not abandoned to it 1b5) of the place of exile (fig) 1b6) of extreme degradation in sin

59 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7845

שַׁ֫חַת

sha.chat — Pit: hell

Pit, of hell Another name of she.ol (שְׁאוֹל "Sheol" H7585) This name means pit, grave

20 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

(Heb., “the all-demanding world” = Gr. Hades, “the unknown region”), the invisible world of departed souls. (See HELL.)

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Sheol in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →