4B “Sheol,” “Hades”—The Common Grave of Mankind; Gravedom

Heb., שאול (sheʼohlʹ); Gr., ᾅδης (haiʹdes); Lat., in·ferʹnus; Syr., shiul

The Sixty-Six Occurrences of Sheol

“Sheol” occurs 66 times in the New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, namely, in Ge 37:35; Ge 42:38; Ge 44:29, 31; Nu 16:30, 33; De 32:22; 1Sa 2:6; 2Sa 22:6; 1Ki 2:6, 9; Job 7:9; Job 11:8; Job 14:13; Job 17:13, 16; Job 21:13; Job 24:19; Job 26:6; Ps 6:5; Ps 9:17; Ps 16:10; Ps 18:5; Ps 30:3; Ps 31:17; Ps 49:14, 14, 15; Ps 55:15; Ps 86:13; Ps 88:3; Ps 89:48; Ps 116:3; Ps 139:8; Ps 141:7; Pr 1:12; Pr 5:5; Pr 7:27; Pr 9:18; Pr 15:11, 24; Pr 23:14; Pr 27:20; Pr 30:16; Ec 9:10; Ca 8:6; Isa 5:14; Isa [7:11]; Isa 14:9, 11, 15; Isa 28:15, 18; Isa 38:10, 18; Isa 57:9; Eze 31:15, 16, 17; Eze 32:21, 27; Ho 13:14, 14; Am 9:2; Jon 2:2; Hab 2:5.

The occurrences of “Sheol” in the Hebrew Scriptures cover the 65 times it occurs in M, and one instance in Isa 7:11, where see ftn. In all cases the New World Translation uses “Sheol” for the Hebrew word sheʼohlʹ. The Greek Septuagint generally renders sheʼohlʹ as haiʹdes.

The derivation of the Hebrew word sheʼohlʹ is uncertain. According to one derivation, it means the “place of inquiry”; according to another, the “hollow place” or “resting-place”; according to still another, “the place that asks for and demands all without distinction of persons.” It is in the earth and is always associated with the dead, and plainly means the common grave of mankind, gravedom, or the earthly (not sea) region of the dead. In contrast, the Hebrew word qeʹver means an individual grave or burial place.—Ge 23:4, 6, 9, 20.

The Ten Occurrences of Hades

“Hades,” perhaps meaning “the unseen place,” occurs ten times in the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, namely, in Mt 11:23; 16:18; Lu 10:15; 16:23; Ac 2:27, 31; Re 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14.

In Ac 2:27, Peter’s quotation of Ps 16:10 shows Hades is the equivalent of Sheol and is applied to the common grave of mankind (in contrast with the Greek word taʹphos, an individual grave). The Latin word corresponding to Hades is in·ferʹnus (sometimes inʹfe·rus). It means “that which lies beneath; the lower region,” and well applies to the grave. It is thus a fitting approximation of the Greek and Hebrew terms.

In the inspired Scriptures these words are associated with death and the dead, not with life and the living. (Re 20:13) In themselves the words “Sheol” and “Hades” contain no thought or hint of pleasure or pain.