Hypertext Webster Gateway: "hell"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Hell
derived from the Saxon helan, to cover; hence the covered or the
invisible place. In Scripture there are three words so rendered:
(1.) Sheol, occurring in the Old Testament sixty-five times.
This word sheol is derived from a root-word meaning "to ask,"
"demand;" hence insatiableness (Prov. 30:15, 16). It is rendered
"grave" thirty-one times (Gen. 37:35; 42:38; 44:29, 31; 1 Sam.
2:6, etc.). The Revisers have retained this rendering in the
historical books with the original word in the margin, while in
the poetical books they have reversed this rule.
In thirty-one cases in the Authorized Version this word is
rendered "hell," the place of disembodied spirits. The
inhabitants of sheol are "the congregation of the dead" (Prov.
21:16). It is (a) the abode of the wicked (Num. 16:33; Job
24:19; Ps. 9:17; 31:17, etc.); (b) of the good (Ps. 16:10; 30:3;
49:15; 86:13, etc.).
Sheol is described as deep (Job 11:8), dark (10:21, 22), with
bars (17:16). The dead "go down" to it (Num. 16:30, 33; Ezek.
31:15, 16, 17).
(2.) The Greek word hades of the New Testament has the same
scope of signification as sheol of the Old Testament. It is a
prison (1 Pet. 3:19), with gates and bars and locks (Matt.
16:18; Rev. 1:18), and it is downward (Matt. 11:23; Luke 10:15).
The righteous and the wicked are separated. The blessed dead
are in that part of hades called paradise (Luke 23:43). They are
also said to be in Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22).
(3.) Gehenna, in most of its occurrences in the Greek New
Testament, designates the place of the lost (Matt. 23:33). The
fearful nature of their condition there is described in various
figurative expressions (Matt. 8:12; 13:42; 22:13; 25:30; Luke
16:24, etc.). (See {HINNOM}.)
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Hell \Hell\, n. [AS. hell; akin to D. hel, OHG. hella, G.
h["o]lle, Icel. hal, Sw. helfvete, Dan. helvede, Goth. halja,
and to AS. helan to conceal. ???. Cf. {Hele}, v. t.,
{Conceal}, {Cell}, {Helmet}, {Hole}, {Occult}.]
1. The place of the dead, or of souls after death; the grave;
-- called in Hebrew sheol, and by the Greeks hades.
He descended into hell. --Book of
Common Prayer.
Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. --Ps. xvi. 10.
2. The place or state of punishment for the wicked after
death; the abode of evil spirits. Hence, any mental
torment; anguish. ``Within him hell.'' --Milton.
It is a knell That summons thee to heaven or to
hell. --Shak.
3. A place where outcast persons or things are gathered; as:
(a) A dungeon or prison; also, in certain running games, a
place to which those who are caught are carried for
detention.
(b) A gambling house. ``A convenient little gambling hell
for those who had grown reckless.'' --W. Black.
(c) A place into which a tailor throws his shreds, or a
printer his broken type. --Hudibras.
{Gates of hell}. (Script.) See {Gate}, n., 4.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Hell \Hell\, v. t.
To overwhelm. [Obs.] --Spenser.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
Hell
n 1: (Christianity) the abode of Satan and the forces of evil;
where sinners suffer eternal punishment: "Hurl'd
headlong...To bottomless perdition, there to dwell"-
John Milton; "a demon from the depths of the pit" [syn:
{Hell}, {perdition}, {Inferno}, {infernal region}, {nether
region}, {the pit}] [ant: {Heaven}]
2: any place of pain and turmoil: "the hell of battle"; "the
inferno of the engine room"; "when you're alone Christmas
is the pits"; [syn: {hell on earth}, {hellhole}, {snake
pit}, {the pits}, {inferno}]
3: (in various religions) the world of the dead; "he didn't
want to go to hell when he died" [syn: {Hel}, {Hell}, {Hades},
{infernal region}, {netherworld}, {Scheol}, {underworld}]
4: a cause of difficulty and suffering; "war is hell"; "go to
blazes" [syn: {blaze}]
5: (colloquial) violent and excited activity; "they began to
fight like sin" [syn: {sin}]
6: noisy and unrestrained mischief; "raising blazes" [syn: {blaze}]
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