Why was "Gehenna" changed to "Hell"?
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Lambano
Well-Known Member
Sheol, Hades, and Tartaroo got the same treatment in the KJV. I tell ya, everything's going to Hell these days.
Robert Gwin
Well-Known Member
Very good question Pat and truly is unrelated to Sheol/hades. Gehenna is a judgment, and since the early English Bibles were translated during the great apostasy, I personally believe in having the best motives they belied God to scare people into serving Him.
The lake of fire is a fitting symbol of gehenna, as it is a permanent judgment. Those who have been given the judgment of gehenna will not be resurrected, as there would be no point. It is a very hard judgment to get Patrick.
My understanding is that Gehenna was a place outside of Jerusalem that was used to burn garbage and that Jesus was symbolically using Gehenna as a metaphor for the Lake of Fire.
I share the view that Bible translators changed Gehenna to Hell for their own nefarious, purposes.
Lambano
Well-Known Member
Or was it to raise money by selling "Get out of Hell" blessings?
Michiah-Imla
Well-Known Member
Uh, what was Jesus trying to do:
“And do not fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
Uh, what was Jesus trying to do:
“And do not fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
Fair point.
Grailhunter
Well-Known Member
Good questions….Just the facts man!
Hell and Hades….are not mentioned in the Old Testament for a very good reason. If you have a Bible with these words in the Old Testament….buy another Bible
The word Hell does not appear in the Old or New Testament, because the word did not exist in the any of the biblical periods. The word Hell is derived from other sources, from Anglo-Saxon word hellia, derived from the Old English, Old Norse, Old High German, hel, helle, circa. 725 AD.
Nothing like Hell is described in the Old Testament and then of course God never threatened the Hebrews/ Israelites / Jews with a spiritual destination of punishment. So the Jews in the Old Testament did not know of or believe in a Hell….and as it is, modern Jews do not believe in a Hell or a devil today. Knowledge of a place of punishment does not come about until the knowledge of the devil comes about…that is the New Testament.
Hades --- a Greek word --- cannot appear in the Old Testament because the Old Testament was written before the Greek language existed. So what is Hades? It is a little complex and I am sorry about that. The Apostles were tasked with writing the New Testament in Greek, mostly, and it was a Pagan language. The Greek language was developed by a culture that had a different view on morality and limited theological terms. So the Apostles had to take Greek words of close definitions and adjust them by the context of how they were used. Definitions on the fly! LOL The Jewish language nor the Greek had a word for a spiritual place of eternal fiery torment. So the Apostles had to improvise.
So they used the word Hades and that was translated into more modern languages as Hell. (I will explain why shortly) But actually Hades was a Greco-Roman god….that presided over a realm called Hades that was not as much a place of torture but as an underworld prison. It was the closest Greek word the Apostles could come up with to represent a place of eternal punishment.
Gehenna the Aramaic name for a section of the Valley of Hinnom was a Roman trash dump that was kept on fire intentionally for sanitation purposes ….it was used as an analogy of Hell.
Shoal is a Hebrew/ Israelite / Jewish belief, but it is not well defined. For the most part they believe everyone goes there. For the Old Testament Jews Shoal was the final destination, since Yahweh did not promise them Heaven or threaten them with “Hell.” Christians more or less just dropped the belief in Shoal but there is no biblical reason to believe it no longer exists or is not a possible destination.
But back to the question, Why was Gehenna changed to Hell? Gehenna was never actually a place of eternal punishment, it was an analogy or an illustration of an eternal fiery place of punishment. So a more correct understanding was probably needed when the languages could support it.
As I have said, the word Hell is derived from other sources, from Anglo-Saxon word hellia, derived from the Old English, Old Norse, Old High German, hel, helle, circa. 725 AD.
So the word Hell and its description becomes available in various languages.
725 AD….before Bibles like the Tyndale Bible, the Geneva Bible, or the King James Bible were translated….in the 15th and 17th centuries. In between this time you have the era of Shakespeare and the poets that impacted the Bibles.
Most Christian imagery of Hell comes from….
The Divine Comedy an Italian narrative poem by Dante Aligieri, begun circa 1308 and completed around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest works of world literature.
and
Paradise Lost an epic poem by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verses. A second edition followed in 1674, arranged into twelve books It is considered to be Milton's master piece, and it helped solidify his reputation as one of the greatest English poets of all time.
The word Hell and these descriptions filled the need for having an accurate definition and imagery to fit the scriptures. So when the Bibles were translated the word Hell was inserted into the scriptures in these Bibles. The concept was always there ….Christ and the Apostles were referring to an eternal fiery place of punishment….they just did not have a good word for it.
Hell and Hades….are not mentioned in the Old Testament for a very good reason. If you have a Bible with these words in the Old Testament….buy another Bible
The word Hell does not appear in the Old or New Testament, because the word did not exist in the any of the biblical periods. The word Hell is derived from other sources, from Anglo-Saxon word hellia, derived from the Old English, Old Norse, Old High German, hel, helle, circa. 725 AD.
Nothing like Hell is described in the Old Testament and then of course God never threatened the Hebrews/ Israelites / Jews with a spiritual destination of punishment. So the Jews in the Old Testament did not know of or believe in a Hell….and as it is, modern Jews do not believe in a Hell or a devil today. Knowledge of a place of punishment does not come about until the knowledge of the devil comes about…that is the New Testament.
Hades --- a Greek word --- cannot appear in the Old Testament because the Old Testament was written before the Greek language existed. So what is Hades? It is a little complex and I am sorry about that. The Apostles were tasked with writing the New Testament in Greek, mostly, and it was a Pagan language. The Greek language was developed by a culture that had a different view on morality and limited theological terms. So the Apostles had to take Greek words of close definitions and adjust them by the context of how they were used. Definitions on the fly! LOL The Jewish language nor the Greek had a word for a spiritual place of eternal fiery torment. So the Apostles had to improvise.
So they used the word Hades and that was translated into more modern languages as Hell. (I will explain why shortly) But actually Hades was a Greco-Roman god….that presided over a realm called Hades that was not as much a place of torture but as an underworld prison. It was the closest Greek word the Apostles could come up with to represent a place of eternal punishment.
Gehenna the Aramaic name for a section of the Valley of Hinnom was a Roman trash dump that was kept on fire intentionally for sanitation purposes ….it was used as an analogy of Hell.
Shoal is a Hebrew/ Israelite / Jewish belief, but it is not well defined. For the most part they believe everyone goes there. For the Old Testament Jews Shoal was the final destination, since Yahweh did not promise them Heaven or threaten them with “Hell.” Christians more or less just dropped the belief in Shoal but there is no biblical reason to believe it no longer exists or is not a possible destination.
But back to the question, Why was Gehenna changed to Hell? Gehenna was never actually a place of eternal punishment, it was an analogy or an illustration of an eternal fiery place of punishment. So a more correct understanding was probably needed when the languages could support it.
As I have said, the word Hell is derived from other sources, from Anglo-Saxon word hellia, derived from the Old English, Old Norse, Old High German, hel, helle, circa. 725 AD.
So the word Hell and its description becomes available in various languages.
725 AD….before Bibles like the Tyndale Bible, the Geneva Bible, or the King James Bible were translated….in the 15th and 17th centuries. In between this time you have the era of Shakespeare and the poets that impacted the Bibles.
Most Christian imagery of Hell comes from….
The Divine Comedy an Italian narrative poem by Dante Aligieri, begun circa 1308 and completed around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest works of world literature.
and
Paradise Lost an epic poem by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verses. A second edition followed in 1674, arranged into twelve books It is considered to be Milton's master piece, and it helped solidify his reputation as one of the greatest English poets of all time.
The word Hell and these descriptions filled the need for having an accurate definition and imagery to fit the scriptures. So when the Bibles were translated the word Hell was inserted into the scriptures in these Bibles. The concept was always there ….Christ and the Apostles were referring to an eternal fiery place of punishment….they just did not have a good word for it.
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Michiah-Imla
Well-Known Member
The Bible is the word of God.
The Apostles didn’t struggle to use the Greek. God wasn’t limited with a “pagan” language.
So let’s put your post where it belongs.
Yeah people would be thrown in there and burned alive. It was in emphasis of the coming great dreadful day of the Lord that would be the same way as far as destruction leaving Jerusalem desolate.
So Gehenna was used as (hell), but hell was never on fire. It was always a dark place separated from God with two compartments of those who were faithful and those who were not.
That is why I believe due to the victory of Christ, this place is now done away with. Replaced by the heavenly realm with the inside and outside of the kingdom.
So Gehenna was used as (hell), but hell was never on fire. It was always a dark place separated from God with two compartments of those who were faithful and those who were not.
That is why I believe due to the victory of Christ, this place is now done away with. Replaced by the heavenly realm with the inside and outside of the kingdom.
Strong's Greek Dictionary
1067. γέεννα geenna (géenna)
Search for G1067 in KJVSL; in KJV
γέεννα géenna, gheh'-en-nah
of Hebrew origin (H1516 and H2011); valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:—hell.
feminine noun
While it is true this place in a valley of Jerusalem did exist, it's because it was said to perpetually burn that it is also used figuratively as the place or state of everlasting punishment. This as a warning for people to flee to Christ to be free from the judgment that shall come. To be in danger of the judgment is to be in danger of condemnation in the lake of fire, that is the second death. Which is why Gehenna as well as hell fire is a fitting description for those who shall die without Christ.
Matthew 5:22 (KJV) 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.
Strange and interesting.
Matthew 5:22
Young's Literal Translation
22 but I -- I say to you, that every one who is angry at his brother without cause, shall be in danger of the judgment, and whoever may say to his brother, Empty fellow! shall be in danger of the sanhedrim, and whoever may say, Rebel! shall be in danger of the gehenna of the fire.
Grailhunter
Well-Known Member
No I am exactly right.
And correction the scriptures are the Word of God.
The Bible is man's translation of that.
Don't tell me you are another one that thinks the KJV is a God!
Lambano
Well-Known Member
If I may offer a correction, "Hades" was introduced by the Septuagint translators of the Hebrew scriptures back around the Alexandrian period. It was used to translate "Sheol".
"Gehinnon" is current understood by the Jewish people as a Purgatory like place with a maximum sentence of 1 year. (Source: Rabbi Marc Friedman)
Grailhunter
Well-Known Member
It is not really a correction. The Septuagint was a Greek translation....so the word was available.
But putting Hades in a Hebrew text is an incorrect translation because the Jews did not have a god named Hades nor did they know of a spirit prison named Hades.....and using hades as an equivalent for Sheol would also be an incorrect translation.
Some people believe that Sheol or Hades meant the grave....This is wrong but even the Jews were not solid on it.
But the confusion is resolved when you understand the time period and Judaism.
The scriptures refer to people that die being gathered with their fathers....this is not a punishment. Did they go to Sheol to be gathered with their fathers? That could be a discussion. But the Jews had reason to believe in Sheol, but Sheol is not a hole in the ground that you put a body into.
They had zero reason to believe in a fiery place of punishment like Hell.
They had zero reason to believe in a devil.
That is why even today modern Jews do not believe in Hell or the Devil.
All this occurs in the New Testament were the Devil and a eternal fiery place of punishment is well defined.
When you mix the concept of two different religions, words, and imagery, this is the sort of thing that happens.
Which is probably the reason that Christ warned of mixing them....that it would ruin both. New wine in old wine skins and new patch on old garment. There ya go.
QuantumBit
Member
No. They were trying to help you understand the real meaning...
"...religions with reincarnation usually depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations"
Hell - Wikipedia
The Bible teaches the same concept...
'Tophet' (Lake of Fire) is the Goddess 'Vesta'. She is the Moment of Conception.
The word 'Tophet' is synonymous with the Lake of Fire. But where did the word Tophet come from? Why is that another name for the Lake of Fire? Let us examine these verses… Isaiah 30:33 (KJV) “For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the...
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QuantumBit
Member
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