Sheol
Excerpt
Hebrew term for the place of the dead. In ordinary usage, it means “ravine,” “chasm,” “underworld,” or “world of the dead.” In the OT it is the place where the dead have their abode, a hollow space underneath the earth where the dead are gathered in. Synonyms for Sheol are “pit,” “death,” and “destruction” (Abaddon). Sheol is a place of shadows and utter silence. Here all existence is in suspense, yet it is not a nonplace, but rather a place where life is no more. It is described as the Land of Forgetfulness. Those who dwell there cannot praise God (Ps 88:10–12). In Revelation, it is called the “bottomless pit” presided over by Abaddon, the prince of the pit (Rv 9:11). More
Elwell, Walter A., and Philip Wesley Comfort. Tyndale Bible dictionary 2001: 1191. Print. Tyndale Reference Library.
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