In the first place bear in mind that the Old Testament scriptures were written in the Hebrew language, and the New Testament in the Greek. The word “hell” is an English word sometimes selected by the translators of the English Bible to express t h e  s e n s e  o f  t h e  H e b r e w  w o r d  s h e o l  a n d   t h e   G r e e k   words, hades, tartaroo and gehenna — sometimes rendered “grave” and “pit.”

The word “hell” in old English usage, before Papal theologians picked it up and gave it a new and special significance to suit their own purposes, simply meant     to conceal, to hide, to cover; hence the concealed, hidden or covered place. In old English literature records may be found of the helling of potatoes — putting potatoes into pits; and of the helling of a house — covering or thatching it. The word hell was therefore properly used synonymously with the words “grave” and “pit,” to translate the word sheol and hades as signifying the secret or hidden condition of death. However, the same spirit which was willing to twist the word to terrorize the ignorant is willing still to perpetuate the error, presumably saying, “Let us do evil that good may follow.”

If the translators of the Revised Version Bible had been thoroughly disentangled from the Papal error, and thoroughly honest, they would have done more to help the English student than merely to substitute the Hebrew word sheol and the Greek word hades as they have done. They should have translated the words. But they were evidently afraid to tell the truth, and ashamed to tell the lie; and so gave       us sheol and hades untranslated, and permitted the inference that these words mean the same as the word “hell” has become perverted to mean. Their course, while it for a time shields themselves, dishonors God and the Bible, which the common people still suppose teaches a “hell” of torment in the words sheol and hades. Yet anyone can see that if it was proper to translate the word thirty-one times “grave” and three times “pit,” it could not have been improper to so translate it in every other instance.

A peculiarity to be observed in comparing these cases, as we will do shortly, is that in those texts where the torment idea would be an absurdity the translators of the King James’ version have used the words “grave” or “pit”; while in all other cases they have used the word “hell”; and the reader, long schooled in the Papal idea of torment, reads the word “hell” and thinks of it as signifying a place of torment, instead of the grave, the hidden or covered place or condition. For example, compare Job 14:13 with Psalms 86:13. The former reads “O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave (sheol), etc.” while the latter reads “Thou has delivered my soul from the lowest hell (sheol).” The Hebrew word being the same in both cases, there is no reason why the same word “grave” should not be used in both. But how absurd it would have been for Job to pray to God to hide him in a hell of eternal torture! The English reader would have asked questions and the secret would have gotten out speedily.

While the translators of the Reformation times are somewhat excusable for their mental bias in this matter, as they were just breaking away from the old Papal system, our modern translators, specially those of the recent Revised Version, are not entitled to any such consideration. Theological professors and pastors of congregations consider that they are justified in following the course of the revisers in not explaining the meaning of either the Hebrew or Greek words sheol or hades, and by their use of the words they also give their confiding flocks to understand that a place of torture, a lake of fire, is meant. While attributing to the ignorant only the best motives, it is manifestly only duplicity and cowardice which induces educated men, who know the truth on this subject, to prefer to continue to teach the error inferentially.

But not all ministers know of the errors of the translators and deliberately cover and hide those errors from the people. Many, indeed, do not know of them, having merely accepted, without investigation, the theories of their seminary professors. It is the professors and learned ones who are most blameworthy. These have kept back the truth about “hell” for several reasons.

First, there is evidently a sort of understanding or etiquette among them, that if they wish to maintain their standing in the “profession” they “must not tell tales out of school,” i.e., they must not divulge professional secrets to the “common people,” the laity.

Second, they all fear that to let it be known that they have been teaching an unscriptural doctrine for years would break down the popular respect and reverence for the clergy, the denominations and the theological schools, and unsettle confidence in their wisdom. And, oh, how much depends upon confidence and reverence for men, when God’s Word is so generally ignored!

Third, they know that many of the members of their sects are not constrained by “the love of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:14), but merely by the fear of hell, and they see clearly, therefore, that to let the truth be known now would soon cut loose the names and the dollars of many in their flocks; and this, to those who “desire to make a fair show in the flesh” (Gal. 6:12) would seem to be a great calamity.

But what will be the judgment of God, whose character and plan are traduced by the blasphemous doctrine which these untranslated words help to support? Will the Chief Shepherd commend these unfaithful servants? Will he justify their course? Will he call these his beloved friends, and make known to them his further plans (John 15:15), that they may misrepresent them also to preserve their own dignity and reverence? Will he continue to send forth “things new and old” (Matt. 13:52), “meat in due season” (Matt. 24:45), to the household of faith, by the hand of the unfaithful servants? No, such shall not continue to be his mouthpiece or to shepherd his flock. (Ezek. 34:9,10) He will choose instead, as at the first advent, from among the laity — “the common people” — mouthpieces, and will give them words which none of the chief priests shall be able to gainsay or resist. (Luke 21:15) And, as foretold, “the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” — Isa. 29:9-19