Does Psalms 139:8 imply God is in Hell?

[InTheFire]

The Douay Rheims translation puts it as so: “If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present.”

A Calvanist I’m debating with is using this verse, along with this article from New Advent, to argue that God is present in Hell.

I have no idea what to tell him …

 

[AugustineFL]

Hell, especially in older forms of English, does not mean only the place of the damned.

In the Old Testament the word that is usually referred to as ‘hell’ in older English is the Hebrew word ‘Sheol’.

Hell simply means a place of the dead. It could be a place of the damned; the usual meaning in our modern English. Or it could mean simply a place of the dead: Hades or Sheol; a place where all the dead would have gone. Before heaven was opened the dead had to go somewhere.

In the Apostles creed we say that Christ descended into hell, and more modern translations of the creed tend to say he descended to the dead. They both mean the same thing. The older form the creed uses the term hell to mean the place of the dead: Abraham’s bosom, Limbo of the Fathers, Sheol, Hades, &c. But not the place of eternal torment of the damned.

I’m sure someone else could explain it better than me, but hopefully that is somewhat helpful.

 

[Julia_Mae]

Hell, especially in older forms of English, does not mean only the place of the damned.

In the Old Testament the word that is usually referred to as ‘hell’ in older English is the Hebrew word ‘Sheol’.

Hell simply means a place of the dead. It could be a place of the damned; the usual meaning in our modern English. Or it could mean simply a place of the dead: Hades or Sheol; a place where all the dead would have gone. Before heaven was opened the dead had to go somewhere.

In the Apostles creed we say that Christ descended into hell, and more modern translations of the creed tend to say he descended to the dead. They both mean the same thing. The older form the creed uses the term hell to mean the place of the dead: Abraham’s bosom, Limbo of the Fathers, Sheol, Hades, &c. But not the place of eternal torment of the damned.

I’m sure someone else could explain it better than me, but hopefully that is somewhat helpful.

This sounds about right. Sheol was the afterlife as was hades, in Greek. What we call hell, in Greek was tartarus, used only once in the NT. So God is most certainly in sheol or hades.

As for our version of hell, I suppose nothing exists not allowed for by God, though I don’t know if that means He is present there. I would think not since the pain of Hell is eternal separation from God.

 

[Erinaceus]

I think the question is about what the verb “present” means. God is omnipresent in the sense that he contains the universe and fills it with His being. Without Him there is no existence. So, if hell is some form of eternal existence, then in that sense he is present in hell. His “dwelling” is elsewhere though. One of the reasons that hell is torture is because of God’s “absence.”

 

[TimothyH]

Yes, God is present everywhere. Even in Hell. God is present everywhere.

But just because God is present doesn’t mean that he reveals himself to us and acts to give us life.

See my signature.

-Tim-

 

[bogeydogg]

Hell is the place prepared for Satan and his angels who will punished there for all eternity. By who?

I think the answer has to be God.

I do not believe Hell is a place absent of God, but a place absent the love and beneficence of God. The mercy of God is utterly removed and His righteous judgment is poured out on the unrepentant for all eternity. St Augustine said to be in such a place is to not be dead, since we know those in Hell suffer in their hatred and impenitence, but also you are not alive because absent the mercy of God you cannot have happiness, peace, joy, love or hope. So you are not dead not living, but experiencing death as a perpetual state of being, that is you are dying forever.

The only one with the power to inflict such a penalty on the souls of the damned is not Satan, who is suffering the self same penalty, but God.

So repent and keep yourselves from idols.

God Bless