"Hell" in the Douay Rheims

[Mark_David]

Since “Hell” is the English translation for “Sheol”, “Hades”, “Gehenna” and “Tartarus” in both the Douay Rheims and King James Version (amongst other old translations), how does the Catholic Church generally define these places today? (Or how do you view them?) Are they all separate from one another? Is Hades either Purgatory or Hell? Is Gehenna the lake of fire? As a Protestant, I was under the impression that Sheol simply meant the grave, Hades was a waiting place for the damned, and Gehenna was the second death mentioned in Revelation. I was only ever taught about Hell and Purgatory as a child, so all these terms really threw me off when I started reading modern Bible translations as an adult; I’m still not sure that I understand correctly.

 

[thistle]

Since “Hell” is the English translation for “Sheol”, “Hades”, “Gehenna” and “Tartarus” in both the Douay Rheims and King James Version (amongst other old translations), how does the Catholic Church generally define these places today? (Or how do you view them?) Are they all separate from one another? Is Hades either Purgatory or Hell? Is Gehenna the lake of fire? As a Protestant, I was under the impression that Sheol simply meant the grave, Hades was a waiting place for the damned, and Gehenna was the second death mentioned in Revelation. I was only ever taught about Hell and Purgatory as a child, so all these terms really threw me off when I started reading modern Bible translations as an adult; I’m still not sure that I understand correctly.

From Modern Catholic Dictionary:

SHEOL. The Hebrew word for hell, corresponding to the Greek Hades. At first a vague, gloomy place in which departed souls lived, gradually it was looked upon as a place of terrible punishment for unworthy souls. The lesson is vividly taught in the New Testament that Sheol is the destination of souls dying in sin. Luke speaks of the “torment in Hades” (Luke 16:23). The letter to the Hebrews warns of “the dreadful prospect of judgment and of the raging fire that is to burn rebels” (Hebrews 10:27). Revelation describes “the fire and brimstone in which they will be tortured in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb, and the smoke of their torture will go up forever and ever” (Revelation 14:10-11).

HADES. In Greek religion the god of the underworld; consequently the kingdom ruled over by Hades, or the abode of the dead. In the Bible the Greek translation of the Hebrew sheol, also meaning the abode of the dead, or death, or the power of destruction, or the place of the wicked after death. (Etym. Greek Haid_s, the nether world.)

GEHENNA (Hinnom). A valley southwest of Jerusalem which developed an evil reputation among Jews because of idolatrous and barbarous events that took place there during the reigns of Ahaz and Manasseh (II Chronicles 28:1-4, 33:1-6). Jeremiah deplored the superstitious excesses and renamed it the Valley of Slaughter (Jeremiah 7:32). Yahweh warned the inhabitants it would become a “city of desolation” (Jeremiah 19:8). In the New Testament the name in Hebrew acquired the meaning of Hell. Jesus used it on numerous occasions, warning sinners they would be condemned to Hell if they continued their sinful ways (Matthew 5:22, 5:29; Mark 9:43).

 

[Mark_David]

Thanks Thistle. So I guess they all refer to Hell. What about Tartarus? Someone online defined it as the “lower depths of the underworld”, so I guess this is also referring to Hell?

Why do the New American Bible and other modern translations employ all these original terms when it’d be less confusing and more orthodox to label them Hell? On the other hand, why weren’t translators faithful to the original words in 16th and 17th centuries?

 

[thistle]

Thanks Thistle. So I guess they all refer to Hell. What about Tartarus? Someone online defined it as the “lower depths of the underworld”, so I guess this is also referring to Hell?

Why do the New American Bible and other modern translations employ all these original terms when it’d be less confusing and more orthodox to label them Hell? On the other hand, why weren’t translators faithful to the original words in 16th and 17th centuries?

oce.catholic.com/index.php?title=Hell

 

[GEddie]

Thanks Thistle. So I guess they all refer to Hell. What about Tartarus? Someone online defined it as the “lower depths of the underworld”, so I guess this is also referring to Hell?

It would be, but in a specific way. Unlike Sheol/Hades/Gehenna, Scripture never describes human beings “going” to Tartarus, but only fallen angels. Apparently, Tartarus in Scripture is a region in Hell limited to pure spirits, while dead human beings can be assigned to Hades/Gehenna.

Tartarus in Greek Classical culture was the lower part of Hades, “Hell.” This was the origin of the term.

Why do the New American Bible and other modern translations employ all these original terms when it’d be less confusing and more orthodox to label them Hell? On the other hand, why weren’t translators faithful to the original words in 16th and 17th centuries?

In the earlier times, there was a much lower level of general education. Most people did not know about Sheol/Hades/Tartarus/Gehenna. But everybody understood about Hell.

Today, faithfulness to original texts is higher priority than it was then.

ICXC NIKA.

 

[Jaypeeto4]

When the Jewish scripture-authors use Sheol, they are not
referring to HellFire as Christians do.
In the Old Testament, there is no teaching of a doctrine of Hellfire,
and no sinner in OT times is threated with an eternity in Hell.
HellFire as a place of punishment for all eternity seems to have been
abruptly introduced by Jesus Christ during his teaching ministry.
Be careful, too, if you read Jewish writers referring to Gehenna or GeHinnom.
When Jews refer to Gehenna, they are not referring to eternal Hellfire,
but to something akin to “Purgatory.” They believe that after death,
people are purified for a period of up to 12 months in this Gehenna.
This is why they pray for the dead for 11 months.
Why 11 months? Because they hope that the person is not so bad
as to deserve the entire 12 months of purification.

When Christian writers use Gehenna, by contrast, they are referring to Hellfire.
Tartarus is, I have read, the abode of the Fallen Angels.