Lexical Summary hadés: Hades, the realm of the dead Original Word: ᾅδης Strong's Exhaustive Concordance grave, hell. From a (as negative particle) and eido; properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls -- grave, hell. see GREEK a see GREEK eido HELPS Word-studies 86 hádēs (from 1 /A "not" and idein/eidō, "see") – properly, the "unseen place," referring to the (invisible) realm in which all the dead reside, i.e. the present dwelling place of all the departed (deceased); Hades. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originperhaps from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and eidon (3708) Definition Hades, the abode of departed spirits NASB Translation Hades (10). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 86: ἍιδηςἍιδης, ᾅδης, , ὁ (for the older Ἀΐδης, which Homer uses, and this from the alpha privative and ἰδεῖν, not to be seen (cf. Lob. Path. Element. 2:6f)); in the classics 1. a proper name, Hades, Pluto, the god of the lower regions; so in Homer always. 2. an appellative, Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead (cf: Theocritus, idyll. 2,159 schol. τήν τοῦ ᾅδου κρούει πύλην. τουτ' ἔστιν ἀποθανεῖται. In the Sept. the Hebrew שְׁאול is almost always rendered by this word (once by θάνατος, 2 Samuel 22:6); it denotes, therefore, in Biblical Greek Orcus, the infernal regions, a dark (Job 10:21) and dismal place (but cf. γέεννα and παράδεισος) in the very depths of the earth (Job 11:8; Isaiah 57:9; Amos 9:2, etc.; see ἄβυσσος), the common receptacle of disembodied spirits: Luke 16:23; εἰς ᾅδου namely, δόμον, Acts 2:27, 31, according to a very common ellipsis, cf. Winers Grammar, 592 (550) (Buttmann, 171 (149)); (but L T Tr WH in Acts 2:27 and T WH in both verses read εἰς ᾅδην; so the Sept. Psalm 15:10 The Greek term ᾅδης translates the Hebrew Sheol, the realm of the dead (for example, Psalm 16:10). In the Old Testament, Sheol is portrayed as a shadowy, conscious existence for both the righteous and the wicked, awaiting God’s final judgment. Second Temple and Greco-Roman Context By the first century, Jewish thought distinguished between a comforted side (often called “Abraham’s bosom”) and a place of torment within Hades. Greco-Roman readers also used ᾅδης for the unseen world, preparing the way for New Testament writers to communicate truth across cultures. New Testament Usage 1. Temporary place of conscious existence Distinction from Gehenna and the Lake of Fire ᾅδης is an intermediate state; Gehenna (Matthew 5:22) and the “lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15) describe final, irreversible punishment. Recognizing this distinction guards against confusion between temporary containment and ultimate destiny. Christ’s Victory and the Believer’s Assurance Because Jesus was not “abandoned to Hades” and now holds its keys, believers share His triumph (Romans 6:5). Physical death may bring entrance into Hades’ blessed side, but Christ’s resurrection guarantees release into bodily glory at His return. Pastoral and Evangelistic Implications • Urgency: Those outside Christ face conscious torment in Hades and, later, the lake of fire. Summary In Scripture, ᾅδης is the temporary abode of the dead, a conscious realm awaiting final judgment. It cannot overpower Christ or His Church, will ultimately surrender all captives, and will itself be destroyed. This truth grounds Christian hope and fuels evangelical urgency. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 11:23 N-GMSGRK: ὑψωθήσῃ ἕως ᾅδου καταβήσῃ ὅτι NAS: will you? You will descend to Hades; for if KJV: shalt be brought down to hell: for if INT: have been lifted up to Hades will be brought down for Matthew 16:18 N-GMS Luke 10:15 N-GMS Luke 16:23 N-DMS Acts 2:27 N-AMS Acts 2:31 N-AMS Revelation 1:18 N-GMS Revelation 6:8 N-NMS Revelation 20:13 N-NMS Revelation 20:14 N-NMS Strong's Greek 86 |
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