Biblical Hebrew Forum

[James Christian <jc.bhebrew AT googlemail.com>]

Hi,
sure. I agree. Hades was not a perfect translation. But the translators
obviously had the problem of how to translate the word Sheol (place of the
inactive dead) into Greek. The closest term was Hades (also place of the
dead considered to be underground). The semantic overlap is not complete I
agree. But, I think if you ask a random sample of native English speakers
what hell is most people will reply that it is a fiery place of torment
where only bad people go. The overlap is so remote that it is not even worth
considering. In the tanakh *everybody* goes to Sheol not just the bad. And
there is no suffering or torment. It is a place of rest. For these reasons
'Hell' in English is a much worse translation than 'Hades' ever was.

James Christian

2009/9/28 Ishinan <ishinan AT comcast.net>

> James Christian wrote:
>
>
> " .....for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in
> She´ol,
> the place to which you are going. (Ecclesisates 9:10)
>
>
> Note that Hebrew She'ol is translated by Greek Hades the very word
> incorrectly translated as Hell in the Psalm your opponent is quoting from.
> She'ol is the common grave which we all go to when we die in the ideology
> presented in the Tanakh."
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Ishinan's response:
>
> If She'ol is incorrectly translated as "Hell" in the Psalm it is also
> wrongly rendered analogous to the Greek Hades.
>
> Hades is described as the lord of the dead and ruler of the nether world
> (the abode of the dead), which is referred to as the domain of Hades. Hades
> sits on a throne made of ebony, and carries a scepter. He also has a
> helmet,
> given to him by the Cyclopes, which can make him invisible. Hades rules the
> dead, assisted by various (demonic) helpers.  Although Hades does not allow
> his subjects to leave his domain, on several occasions, he granted his
> victims a retrieve. Plato's Cratylus discusses the etymology of the Hades
> extensively, with the character of Socrates asserting that the god's name
> is
> not from aiedes (unseen) as commonly thought, but rather from "his
> knowledge
> (eidenai) of all noble things".
>
> While the Hebrew She'ol, has a totally different meaning, like its
> corresponding Arabic zu'wl,* it simply means passed away, ceasing to be or
> to exist, hence a reference to the state of nonexistence.
>
> FYI,  She'ol as a term has nothing to do with "sha'al", "to ask nor  with
> "sha'al," the hollow of the hand.
>
> Best regards
>
> Ishinan Ishibashi
>
>
>  *If anyone wants to receive the JPEG of the dictionary entry please let me
> know privately, I'll be happy to oblige.
>
>
>
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