Strong's Lexicon sheol: Sheol Original Word: שְׁאוֹל Word Origin: Derived from the root שָׁאַל (sha'al), meaning "to ask" or "to inquire." Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - Hades (ᾅδης, Strong's Greek 86): Often used in the Septuagint and the New Testament as the equivalent of Sheol, referring to the abode of the dead. - Gehenna (γέεννα, Strong's Greek 1067): While not a direct equivalent, Gehenna is used in the New Testament to describe a place of final judgment and punishment, contrasting with the more neutral Sheol/Hades. Usage: In the Hebrew Bible, "Sheol" refers to the realm of the dead, a place of darkness and silence where the departed spirits reside. It is often depicted as a shadowy underworld, distinct from the grave (קֶבֶר, kever) and not necessarily a place of punishment or reward. Sheol is portrayed as a temporary abode for all the dead, regardless of their moral standing during life. Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the concept of an underworld was common, often seen as a place where the dead continued a shadowy existence. In the Hebrew context, Sheol was not fully developed into the later Jewish and Christian concepts of heaven and hell. Instead, it was a neutral place where the dead awaited their final destiny. The understanding of Sheol evolved over time, especially during the intertestamental period, as Jewish thought began to incorporate ideas of resurrection and judgment. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition underworld (place to which people descend at death) NASB Translation Sheol (66). Brown-Driver-Briggs שְׁאָ֫לָה Isaiah 7:11 see שְׁאוֺל 1 below שְׁאוֺל, שְׁאֹל noun femininePsalm 86:13 (apparently masculine Job 26:6 compare Isaiah 14:9, see AlbrZAW xvi(1896), 51) She®°ôl, underworld (√ dubious; שׁאל, i.e. palce of inquiry (reference to necromancy) JastrAmos. Jsem. Lang. xiv. 170. cf JBL xix (1900), 88 ff. (JeremLebenn. d. Tode 109 'Ort der Entscheidung'); Thes BöDe Inf. § 158 Di and others compare √ שׁעל, whence שֹׁעַל hallow hand, etc.; ׳שׁ then = hallow place, 'Hölle', hell; other conjectures see HupPs. 66 DeIsaiah 5:14 BeerBibl. Hades in HoltzmannFestgabe,1902, 15; most now refrain from positive etymology (e.g. Buhl); Old Aramaic שאול, Syriac ; Assyrian šu-alu is dubious: so reads and interprets Dlpa 121, Prol.47. 145 JastrAmos. J. Semitic Lang. xiv. 165 ff. Ency. Bibs.v.; opposed to by BertinTSBA viii. 269 JenKosmol.223 ff. ZimKAT 3. 636 and others; see also Muss-ArnJBL xi (1892), 169 and references); — always absolute, שְׁאוֺל Deuteronomy 32:22 52t.,הָ֯ Genesis 42:38; Psalm 9:18; שְׁאֹל 1 Kings 2:6; Job 17:16, הָ֯ Genesis 37:35 7t.; + Isaiah 7:11 (so read for שְׁאָ֫לָה Aq Σ Θ Du Che and now most); — 1 the underworld, תַּחְתִּית ׳שׁ Deuteronomy 32:22, מִתַּחַת Isaiah 14:9; מִ֑טָּה ׳מִשּׁ Proverbs 15:24; "" מָוֶת Proverbs 5:5; Proverbs 7:27; Songs 8:6; Psalm 89:49; whither men descend at death, Genesis 37:35 (E), Genesis 42:38; Genesis 44:29,31 (J), 1 Samuel 2:6; 1 Kings 2:6,9; Job 7:9; Job 21:13; Isaiah 14:11,15; Psalm 88:4, and Korah and associates go down alive by ׳יs judgment, Numbers 16:30,33 (J), compare Psalm 55:16; under mountains and sea Job 26:6 (compare Job 26:5), ׳בֶּטֶן שׁ Jonah 2:3 (compare Jonah 2:7); with bars Job 17:16 (si vera 1.: see ᵐ5 Du); ׳מִּי שׁ Psalm 141:7; ׳שַׁעֲרֵי שׁ Isaiah 38:10; personified Isaiah 28:15,18 ("" מות). as insatiable monster Isaiah 5:14; Habakkuk 2:5; Proverbs 1:12; Proverbs 27:20; Proverbs 30:16; as said (figurative) to have snares, ׳חֶבְלֵי שׁ Psalm 18:6 = 2 Samuel 22:6 compare ׳מְצָרֵי שׁ Psalm 116:3; opposed to (height of) שָׁמַיִם Amos 9:2; Job 11:8; Psalm 139:8 + (opposed to לְמָ֑עְלָה) Isaiah 7:11 (see above); dark, gloomy, without return Job 17:13 (compare Job 17:16; Job 7:9; Job 10:21; Job 16:22; all being alike Job 3:17-19; Job 21:23-26 ); without work or knowledge or wisdom according to Ecclesiastes 9:5,6,10 (compare Job 14:21, and see רְפָאִים below רפה; yet compare Isaiah 14:9f.). 2 condition of righteous and wicked distinguished in ׳שׁ (later than 1 Samuel 28, especially inWisdom Literature): a. wicked יָשׁוּבוּ לִשְׁא֑וֺלָה Psalm 9:18, ׳יִדְּמוּ לִשׁ Psalm 31:18; death is their shepherd, without power and honour they waste away Psalm 49:15 (twice in verse); ׳שׁ consumes them as drought water Job 24:19; righteous dread it because no praise or presence of God there (as in temple) Psalm 6:6 (compare Psalm 88:5), Isaiah 38:18; deliverance from it a blessing Psalm 30:4; Psalm 86:13; Proverbs 23:14. In Ezek. ׳שׁ is land below, place of reproach, abode of uncircumcised Ezekiel 31:15,16,17; Ezekiel 32:21,27 b. righteous shall not be aban-doned, ׳לשׁ Ezekiel 16:10 ("" שַׁחַת q. v.; opposed to אִרַח חַיִּים etc., Ezekiel 16:11, compare Ezekiel 17:15), is ransomed from ׳שׁ Ezek 49:16 (compare Ezek 73:23; Ezek 73:25; Isaiah 57:1,2); compare Job's expectation and desire Job 14:13; Job 17:13 (compare Job 10:21; Job 19:25f.). 3 later distinction of places in ׳שׁ: a. depths of ׳שׁ for sensualist Proverbs 9:18. b. וַאֲבַדּוֺן ׳שׁ Proverbs 25:11, see אֲבַדּוֺן. [שַׁחַת and בּוֺר, q. v., when "" ׳שׁ, are usually in bad sense(Psalm 88:4); probably = pit in ׳שׁ, > ׳שׁ itself as pit; words at least prepare for local distinctions of post-Biblical Judaism and NT.] 4 ׳שׁ figurative of extreme degradation in sin Isaiah 57:9; as place of exile for Israel Hosea 13:14 (twice in verse) (compare Isaiah 26:19). Strong's Exhaustive Concordance grave, hell, pit Or shol {sheh-ole'}; from sha'al; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates -- grave, hell, pit. see HEBREW sha'al Forms and Transliterations אול בִּ֝שְׁא֗וֹל בִּשְׁא֕וֹל בִּשְׁא֬וֹל בִשְׁא֔וֹל בשאול כִּשְׁא֜וֹל כִּשְׁא֣וֹל כִשְׁא֖וֹל כשאול לִֽשְׁא֣וֹל לִשְׁא֑וֹל לִשְׁא֑וֹלָה לִשְׁא֥וֹל לִשְׁאֽוֹל׃ לשאול לשאול׃ לשאולה מִ֝שְּׁא֗וֹל מִשְּׁא֥וֹל משאול שְּׁא֣וֹל שְּׁאוֹל֙ שְׁ֝א֗וֹל שְׁא֑וֹל שְׁא֔וֹל שְׁא֖וֹל שְׁא֖וֹלָה שְׁא֗וֹל שְׁא֙וֹלָה֙ שְׁא֛וֹל שְׁא֣וֹל שְׁאָ֔לָה שְׁאֹ֑לָה שְׁאֹ֣ל שְׁאֹֽלָה׃ שְׁאֹֽל׃ שְׁאֽוֹלָה׃ שְׁאֽוֹל׃ שְׁאוֹל֙ שְׁאוֹל֮ שאול שאול׃ שאולה שאולה׃ שאל שאל׃ שאלה שאלה׃ ’ō·wl ’ōwl biš’ōwl ḇiš’ōwl biš·’ō·wl ḇiš·’ō·wl bishol chishol kiš’ōwl ḵiš’ōwl kiš·’ō·wl ḵiš·’ō·wl kishol liš’ōwl liš’ōwlāh liš·’ō·w·lāh liš·’ō·wl lishol lisholah miš·šə·’ō·wl mishsheol miššə’ōwl ol šə’ālāh šə’ōl šə’ōlāh šə’ōwl šə’ōwlāh šə·’ā·lāh šə·’ō·lāh šə·’ō·w·lāh šə·’ō·wl šə·’ōl sheAlah sheol sheOlah visholLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 37:35 HEB: בְּנִ֛י אָבֵ֖ל שְׁאֹ֑לָה וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ אֹת֖וֹ NAS: I will go down to Sheol in mourning KJV: For I will go down into the grave unto my son INT: my son mourning to Sheol wept his father Genesis 42:38 Genesis 44:29 Genesis 44:31 Numbers 16:30 Numbers 16:33 Deuteronomy 32:22 1 Samuel 2:6 2 Samuel 22:6 1 Kings 2:6 1 Kings 2:9 Job 7:9 Job 11:8 Job 14:13 Job 17:13 Job 17:16 Job 21:13 Job 24:19 Job 26:6 Psalm 6:5 Psalm 9:17 Psalm 16:10 Psalm 18:5 Psalm 30:3 Psalm 31:17 66 Occurrences |