Category:Hades

Ha"des, n. Etym: [Gr.Un-, Wit.]

Defn: The nether world (according to classical mythology, the abode of the shades, ruled over by Hades or Pluto); the invisible world; the grave. And death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them. Revelation 20:13 (Rev. Ver. ). Neither was he left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. Acts 2:31 (Rev. Ver.). And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments. Luke 16:23 (Rev. Ver.).

- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Hades - That which is out of sight, a Greek word used to denote the state or place of the dead. All the dead alike go into this place. To be buried, to go down to the grave, to descend into Hades, are equivalent expressions. In the LXX. this word is the usual rendering of the Hebrew sheol, the common receptacle of the departed (Genesis 42:38; Psalms 139:8; Hosea 13:14; Isaiah 14:9). This term is of comparatively rare occurrence in the Greek New Testament. Our Lord speaks of Capernaum as being "brought down to hell" (Hades), i.e., simply to the lowest debasement, (Matthew 11:23). It is contemplated as a kind of kingdom which could never overturn the foundation of Christ's kingdom (Matthew 16:18), i.e., Christ's church can never die. In Luke 16:23 it is most distinctly associated with the doom and misery of the lost. In Acts 2:27 Peter quotes the LXX. version of Psalms 16:8, plainly for the purpose of proving our Lord's Resurrection from the dead. David was left in the place of the dead, and his body saw corruption. Not so with Christ. According to ancient prophecy (Psalms 30:3) He was recalled to life.