Understanding Sheol: The Afterlife in Scripture

Sheol is an Old Testament term reflecting the Hebrew cosmological worldview, referring to the place where the dead go. It is a dwelling of the afterlife—where both the righteous and the wicked alike are destined—a place devoid of joy and knowledge, and spiritually it represents a place of punishment and suffering.

The Meaning of Sheol (Sheol / Hell)

In Hebrew, “Sheol” (שְׁאוֹל) is an Old Testament term reflecting the Hebrew cosmological worldview. It refers to “the place where the dead go,” “the dwelling of departed spirits” (a place where both the righteous and the wicked share the same fate), or “the grave” (which was regarded as the entrance to Sheol).

Ultimately, this term does not merely designate a specific location such as “the underworld beneath the earth” (Ps 86:13) or “the abode of all the dead in the afterlife” (Gen 37:35), but can also represent “death itself”—the simple state of separation between body and soul—as well as the condition of the dead. In other words, Sheol is a place of the afterlife completely cut off from the living world, a place without joy, memory, possession, or knowledge. Spiritually, it signifies “a place of punishment and suffering.”

In the New Testament, the Greek word “Hades” (ᾅδης) serves as the counterpart to “Sheol.” Hades likewise carries meanings such as the dwelling of departed spirits, “the abode of the dead,” “the underworld,” “the pit,” “the abyss,” “the grave,” and “hell.”

Among its usages, this word is employed in the following ways:
1) When translated as hell, it refers to a place of punishment.
2) When translated as grave, it refers to a place beyond the distinction of good and evil—a place from which there is no return once entered (the place where the souls of all people reside; the grave; the world beneath the earth).
3) Occasionally it denotes the state or place of the soul between death and resurrection, and at times it signifies the deepest of places.

Meanwhile, in the Old Testament, “Sheol” is sometimes depicted as a bed in darkness, characterized by dust and worms, darkness and decay—a place known to be inescapable once entered. Sheol is portrayed in various ways throughout Scripture: in the book of Jonah it appears as the belly of the great fish, and in Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus it is described as a world completely severed from the realm of the living.

Source: Dictionary of Biblical Cultural Background

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