Chapter 20

“Hell” in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the Greek word hades corresponds exactly to the Hebrew word sheol. As proof see the quotations of the apostles from the Old Testament in which they render it hades. For instance, Acts 2:27, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hades,” is  a  quotation  from  Psalms  16:10,  “Thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in sheol.” And in 1 Cor. 15:54,55, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave [hades], where is thy victory?” is an allusion to Isaiah 25:8, “He will swallow up death in victory,” and to Hosea 13:14, “O death, I will be thy plagues; O sheol, I will be thy destruction.”