Sheol

Language: Hebrew (שְׁאוֹל)
Meaning: Grave / realm of the dead (temporary)
Audience: All dead (righteous & wicked)
Duration: Temporary until resurrection
Imagery: Pit, shadowy underworld

• Genesis 37:35
• Genesis 42:38
• Genesis 44:29
• Genesis 44:31
• Numbers 16:30
• Numbers 16:33
• Deuteronomy 32:22
• 1 Samuel 2:6
• 2 Samuel 22:6
• 1 Kings 2:6
• 1 Kings 2:9
• Job 7:9
• Job 11:8
• Job 14:13
• Job 17:13
• Job 17:16
• Job 21:13
• Job 24:19
• Job 26:6
• Psalm 6:5
• Psalm 9:17
• Psalm 16:10
• Psalm 18:5
• Psalm 30:3
• Psalm 31:17
• Psalm 49:14
• Psalm 49:15
• Psalm 55:15
• Psalm 86:13
• Psalm 88:3
• Psalm 89:48
• Psalm 116:3
• Psalm 139:8
• Proverbs 1:12
• Proverbs 5:5
• Proverbs 7:27
• Proverbs 9:18
• Proverbs 15:11
• Proverbs 15:24
• Proverbs 23:14
• Proverbs 27:20
• Proverbs 30:16
• Ecclesiastes 9:10
• Song of Solomon 8:6
• Isaiah 5:14
• Isaiah 14:9
• Isaiah 14:11
• Isaiah 14:15
• Isaiah 28:15
• Isaiah 28:18
• Isaiah 38:10
• Isaiah 38:18
• Isaiah 57:9
• Ezekiel 31:15
• Ezekiel 31:16
• Ezekiel 31:17
• Ezekiel 32:21
• Ezekiel 32:27
• Hosea 13:14
• Amos 9:2
• Jonah 2:2
• Habakkuk 2:5

Note: Sheol is not “hell.” It refers to the grave / realm of the dead.

Both believers and unbelievers (in separate compartments) are included prior to Christ’s resurrection.

Hades

Language: Greek (ᾅδης)
Meaning: NT equivalent of Sheol (temporary realm of the dead)
Audience: All dead (separated righteous/wicked; cf. Luke 16)
Duration: Temporary until final judgment
Imagery: Waiting place; sometimes torment

• Matthew 11:23
• Matthew 16:18
• Luke 10:15
• Luke 16:23
• Acts 2:27
• Acts 2:31
• Revelation 1:18
• Revelation 6:8
• Revelation 20:13
• Revelation 20:14

 Note: Hades is not the Lake of Fire. It is a temporary state/place and therefore not “eternal hell.”

Gehenna

Language: Greek (γέεννα)
Meaning: Valley of Hinnom; symbol of fiery judgment
Audience: Often unbelievers; sometimes disciples warned figuratively
Duration: Eternal (as judgment imagery)
Imagery: Fire, worm, destruction

• Matthew 5:22
• Matthew 5:29
• Matthew 5:30
• Matthew 10:28
• Matthew 18:9
• Matthew 23:15
• Matthew 23:33
• Mark 9:43
• Mark 9:45
• Mark 9:47
• Luke 12:5
• James 3:6

 Note: Gehenna can point to eternal fire for unbelievers, but Jesus also uses it in discipleship warnings (severe loss/discipline). Context decides.

Not every Gehenna use = automatic “believers go to hell.”

Tartarus

Language: Greek (ταρταρόω)
Meaning: Angelic prison
Audience: Fallen angels
Duration: Temporary until judgment
Imagery: Chains, darkness

• 2 Peter 2:4

 Note: Not about human destiny; not “hell” for people.

Lake of Fire

Language: Greek (λίμνη τοῦ πυρός)
Meaning: Final eternal place of punishment
Audience: Satan, Antichrist, False Prophet, demons, unbelievers
Duration: Eternal
Imagery: Fire, brimstone

• Revelation 19:20
• Revelation 20:10
• Revelation 20:14
• Revelation 20:15
• Revelation 21:8

Note: This is true, final “hell.” Believers are never threatened with it.

Second Death

Language: Greek (ὁ θάνατος ὁ δεύτερος)
Meaning: Eternal separation in the Lake of Fire
Audience: Unbelievers only
Duration: Eternal
Imagery: Death beyond death

• Revelation 2:11
• Revelation 20:6
• Revelation 20:14
• Revelation 21:8

 Note: Believers will “not be hurt” by the second death (Rev 2:11).

Bottomless Pit (Abyss)

Language: Greek (ἄβυσσος)
Meaning: Prison for demons/Satan
Audience: Demons and Satan
Duration: Temporary
Imagery: Pit, smoke, torment

• Luke 8:31
• Revelation 9:1
• Revelation 9:2
• Revelation 9:11
• Revelation 11:7
• Revelation 17:8
• Revelation 20:1
• Revelation 20:3

 Note: Not human hell; a separate holding place for evil spirits.

Furnace of Fire

Language: Greek (κάμινος τοῦ πυρός)
Meaning: Blazing furnace (judgment imagery)
Audience: Wicked in parabolic context
Duration: Final judgment pictured
Imagery: Burning furnace

• Matthew 13:42
• Matthew 13:50

 Note: Parabolic imagery; some FG interpreters see national judgment/loss rather than a technical “believer to hell” text.

Outer Darkness

Language: Greek (σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον)
Meaning: Exclusion from light/joy
Audience: Unfaithful or unbelieving in context
Duration: Reward-loss/exclusion imagery
Imagery: Darkness, exclusion

• Matthew 8:12
• Matthew 22:13
• Matthew 25:30

 Note: Not hell. These are warnings about loss of reward/joy and exclusion from kingdom celebration (Bema Seat shame), not loss of eternal life.

Weeping & Gnashing of Teeth

Language: Phrase
Meaning: Intense regret and anguish
Audience: Wicked or unfaithful (contextual)
Duration: Judgment or reward-loss
Imagery: Grief, pain, remorse

• Matthew 8:12
• Matthew 13:42
• Matthew 13:50
• Matthew 22:13
• Matthew 24:51
• Matthew 25:30
• Luke 13:28

Note: Often connected to believers’ regret at the Bema Seat (loss of reward), not eternal damnation.

Worm Does Not Die / Fire Not Quenched

Language: Hebrew/Greek
Meaning: Unending corruption & torment
Audience: Wicked (unbelievers)
Duration: Eternal
Imagery: Worms, unquenchable fire

• Isaiah 66:24
• Mark 9:43
• Mark 9:44
• Mark 9:46
• Mark 9:48

 Note: This is genuine eternal punishment imagery for unbelievers.

Unquenchable Fire

Language: Hebrew/Greek
Meaning: Fire that cannot be extinguished
Audience: Wicked (context dependent)
Duration: Eternal or national judgment (Isa 66:24)
Imagery: Fire

• Isaiah 66:24
• Matthew 3:12
• Luke 3:17
• Mark 9:43

Note: Isaiah speaks of national judgment; the Baptist’s warnings point to final fiery judgment. Context decides how “hell” the text is.

Everlasting Fire / Everlasting Punishment

Language: Greek
Meaning: Eternal penalty for unbelievers
Audience: Unbelievers (e.g., post-Tribulation judgment in context)
Duration: Eternal
Imagery: Judicial penalty

• Matthew 25:41
• Matthew 25:46

 Note: Clear eternal-hell texts for unbelievers.

Everlasting Destruction

Language: Greek
Meaning: Everlasting ruin/separation (not annihilation)
Audience: Unbelievers
Duration: Eternal
Imagery: Away from God’s presence

• 2 Thessalonians 1:9

 Note: Classic eternal punishment verse.

Everlasting Contempt

Language: Hebrew (דֵּרָאוֹן עוֹלָם)
Meaning: Eternal shame for the wicked
Audience: Unbelievers
Duration: Eternal
Imagery: Shame, contempt

• Daniel 12:2

 Note: OT prophecy of final destiny of unbelievers.

Blackness of Darkness Forever

Language: Greek
Meaning: Eternal gloom
Audience: Unbelievers / false teachers
Duration: Eternal
Imagery: Gloom, darkness, storm

• 2 Peter 2:17
• Jude 13

 Note: Eternal destiny of the unbelieving / false teachers, not a threat to the eternally secure believer.

Chains of Darkness

Language: Greek
Meaning: Confinement of fallen angels
Audience: Fallen angels
Duration: Temporary until judgment
Imagery: Chains, darkness

• 2 Peter 2:4
• Jude 6

 Note: Angelic confinement, not human hell.

Torment Day & Night Forever

Language: Greek
Meaning: Eternal conscious torment
Audience: Unbelievers, Satan, demons (as specified)
Duration: Eternal
Imagery: Fire, smoke, unrest

• Revelation 14:10
• Revelation 14:11
• Revelation 20:10

 Note: Clear “hell” texts - conscious, endless punishment.

Day That Burns Like an Oven

Language: Hebrew
Meaning: End-time fiery judgment on the wicked
Audience: Wicked
Duration: Final judgment pictured
Imagery: Oven, fire

• Malachi 4:1

Note: Prophetic image of the wicked’s end; not aimed at believers’ security.