Original Word: שְׁאוֹל
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: sh'owl
Pronunciation: sheh-OL
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh-ole')
KJV: grave, hell, pit
NASB: Sheol
Word Origin: [from H7592 (שָׁאַל שָׁאֵל - ask)]

1. Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates

grave, hell, pit

Or shol {sheh-ole'}; from sha'al; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates -- grave, hell, pit.

see HEBREW sha'al

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
underworld (place to which people descend at death)
NASB Translation
Sheol (66).

שְׁאָ֫לָה Isaiah 7:11 see שְׁאוֺל 1 below

שְׁאוֺל, שְׁאֹל noun feminine^{Psalm 86:13} (apparently masculine Job 26:6 compare Isaiah 14:9, see Albr^{ZAW xvi(1896), 51}) She®°ôl, underworld (√ dubious; שׁאל, i.e. palce of inquiry (reference to necromancy) Jastr^{Amos. Jsem. Lang. xiv. 170. cf JBL xix (1900), 88 ff.} (Jerem^{Lebenn. d. Tode 109} 'Ort der Entscheidung'); Thes Bö^{De Inf. § 158} Di and others compare √ שׁעל, whence שֹׁעַל hallow hand, etc.; ׳שׁ then = hallow place, 'Hölle', hell; other conjectures see Hup^{Ps. 66} De^{Isaiah 5:14} Beer^{Bibl. Hades} in Holtzmann^{Festgabe,1902, 15}; most now refrain from positive etymology (e.g. Buhl); Old Aramaic שאול, Syriac ; Assyrian šu-alu is dubious: so reads and interprets Dl^{pa 121, Prol.47. 145} Jastr^{Amos. J. Semitic Lang. xiv. 165 ff.} Ency. Bib^s.v.; opposed to by Bertin^{TSBA viii. 269} Jen^{Kosmol.223 ff.} Zim^{KAT 3. 636} and others; see also Muss-Arn^{JBL xi (1892), 169 and references}); — always absolute, שְׁאוֺל Deuteronomy 32:22 52t.,הָ֯ Genesis 42:38; Psalm 9:18; שְׁאֹל 1 Kings 2:6; Job 17:16, הָ֯ Genesis 37:35 7t.; + Isaiah 7:11 (so read for שְׁאָ֫לָה Aq Σ Θ Du Che and now most); —

1 the underworld, תַּחְתִּית ׳שׁ Deuteronomy 32:22, מִתַּחַת Isaiah 14:9; מִ֑טָּה ׳מִשּׁ Proverbs 15:24; "" מָוֶת Proverbs 5:5; Proverbs 7:27; Songs 8:6; Psalm 89:49; whither men descend at death, Genesis 37:35 (E), Genesis 42:38; Genesis 44:29,31 (J), 1 Samuel 2:6; 1 Kings 2:6,9; Job 7:9; Job 21:13; Isaiah 14:11,15; Psalm 88:4, and Korah and associates go down alive by ׳יs judgment, Numbers 16:30,33 (J), compare Psalm 55:16; under mountains and sea Job 26:6 (compare Job 26:5), ׳בֶּטֶן שׁ Jonah 2:3 (compare Jonah 2:7); with bars Job 17:16 (si vera 1.: see ᵐ5 Du); ׳מִּי שׁ Psalm 141:7; ׳שַׁעֲרֵי שׁ Isaiah 38:10; personified Isaiah 28:15,18 ("" מות). as insatiable monster Isaiah 5:14; Habakkuk 2:5; Proverbs 1:12; Proverbs 27:20; Proverbs 30:16; as said (figurative) to have snares, ׳חֶבְלֵי שׁ Psalm 18:6 = 2 Samuel 22:6 compare ׳מְצָרֵי שׁ Psalm 116:3; opposed to (height of) שָׁמַיִם Amos 9:2; Job 11:8; Psalm 139:8 + (opposed to לְמָ֑עְלָה) Isaiah 7:11 (see above); dark, gloomy, without return Job 17:13 (compare Job 17:16; Job 7:9; Job 10:21; Job 16:22; all being alike Job 3:17-19; Job 21:23-26 ); without work or knowledge or wisdom according to Ecclesiastes 9:5,6,10 (compare Job 14:21, and see רְפָאִים below רפה; yet compare Isaiah 14:9f.).

2 condition of righteous and wicked distinguished in ׳שׁ (later than 1 Samuel 28, especially inWisdom Literature):

a. wicked יָשׁוּבוּ לִשְׁא֑וֺלָה Psalm 9:18, ׳יִדְּמוּ לִשׁ Psalm 31:18; death is their shepherd, without power and honour they waste away Psalm 49:15 (twice in verse); ׳שׁ consumes them as drought water Job 24:19; righteous dread it because no praise or presence of God there (as in temple) Psalm 6:6 (compare Psalm 88:5), Isaiah 38:18; deliverance from it a blessing Psalm 30:4; Psalm 86:13; Proverbs 23:14. In Ezek. ׳שׁ is land below, place of reproach, abode of uncircumcised Ezekiel 31:15,16,17; Ezekiel 32:21,27

b. righteous shall not be aban-doned, ׳לשׁ Ezekiel 16:10 ("" שַׁחַת q. v.; opposed to אִרַח חַיִּים etc., Ezekiel 16:11, compare Ezekiel 17:15), is ransomed from ׳שׁ Ezek 49:16 (compare Ezek 73:23; Ezek 73:25; Isaiah 57:1,2); compare Job's expectation and desire Job 14:13; Job 17:13 (compare Job 10:21; Job 19:25f.).

3 later distinction of places in ׳שׁ:

a. depths of ׳שׁ for sensualist Proverbs 9:18.

b. וַאֲבַדּוֺן ׳שׁ Proverbs 25:11, see אֲבַדּוֺן. [שַׁחַת and בּוֺר, q. v., when "" ׳שׁ, are usually in bad sense(Psalm 88:4); probably = pit in ׳שׁ, > ׳שׁ itself as pit; words at least prepare for local distinctions of post-Biblical Judaism and NT.]

4 ׳שׁ figurative of extreme degradation in sin Isaiah 57:9; as place of exile for Israel Hosea 13:14 (twice in verse) (compare Isaiah 26:19).

Definition and Overview

Sheol is the unseen realm of the dead, the destination of both righteous and wicked until the final resurrection. It is described as below the earth, always receiving, and never satisfied (Proverbs 27:20).

Range of Translation

English versions render the word variously (“grave,” “pit,” “hell”), but the Berean Standard Bible frequently preserves “Sheol,” allowing readers to track the concept consistently across passages.

Literary Settings

• Historical narrative: Patriarchs speak of descending to Sheol in grief (Genesis 37:35).
• Poetry and wisdom: Poets personify Sheol to portray life’s frailty (Psalms 49:14; Proverbs 15:24).
• Prophetic oracles: Prophets threaten nations with Sheol and promise its defeat (Isaiah 14:9–11; Hosea 13:14).

Major Characteristics

Depth – Numbers 16:32-33

Darkness and silence – Psalms 6:5

Restraining bars – Jonah 2:6

Unrelenting appetite – Proverbs 27:20

Universality – Job 3:13-19

Theological Themes

Divine sovereignty: “The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up” (1 Samuel 2:6).

Hope of deliverance: “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol” (Psalms 16:10).

Promise of redemption: “I will ransom them from the power of Sheol” (Hosea 13:14).

Contrast with Later Terms

Sheol is an intermediate realm. Gehenna (New Testament “hell”) denotes final judgment, and the lake of fire is the ultimate destiny of the unredeemed (Revelation 20:14).

Experience of the Righteous

Though most expected to enter Sheol, the righteous trusted God would ultimately redeem them: “God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol” (Psalms 49:15).

Experience of the Wicked

“Sheol has enlarged its appetite” for the wicked (Isaiah 5:14). Nations that forget God are consigned there (Psalms 9:17).

Prophetic Visions

Ezekiel 32:17-32 pictures Sheol as compartmentalized, foreshadowing the New Testament’s “paradise” and place of torment (Luke 16:22-23).

Intertestamental Development

Jewish writings elaborated Sheol into separate compartments for the righteous and wicked, reflecting but not contradicting earlier Scripture.

Christ’s Victory over Sheol

Psalms 16:10 finds fulfillment in Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 2:27). He now holds “the keys of Death and of Hades” (Revelation 1:18), guaranteeing that “the gates of Hades will not prevail” against His church (Matthew 16:18).

Pastoral Application

Funeral ministry: assurance that Sheol’s power is broken (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

Evangelism: warning of Sheol’s reality urges repentance (Proverbs 15:11).

Discipleship: awareness of Sheol fosters wise living (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Representative Occurrences

Genesis 37:35; Genesis 42:38; Numbers 16:30-33; Deuteronomy 32:22; 1 Samuel 2:6; 2 Samuel 22:6; Job 14:13; Psalms 16:10; Psalms 86:13; Psalms 139:8; Proverbs 1:12; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Isaiah 14:9-15; Ezekiel 31:15-17; Hosea 13:14; Jonah 2:2; Habakkuk 2:5.

Conclusion

Sheol underscores humanity’s mortality yet points to God’s power over death. In Jesus Christ the hope hinted at in the Old Testament becomes certain: death has lost its victory, and Sheol its sting.

אול בִּ֝שְׁא֗וֹל בִּשְׁא֕וֹל בִּשְׁא֬וֹל בִשְׁא֔וֹל בשאול כִּשְׁא֜וֹל כִּשְׁא֣וֹל כִשְׁא֖וֹל כשאול לִֽשְׁא֣וֹל לִשְׁא֑וֹל לִשְׁא֑וֹלָה לִשְׁא֥וֹל לִשְׁאֽוֹל׃ לשאול לשאול׃ לשאולה מִ֝שְּׁא֗וֹל מִשְּׁא֥וֹל משאול שְּׁא֣וֹל שְּׁאוֹל֙ שְׁ֝א֗וֹל שְׁא֑וֹל שְׁא֔וֹל שְׁא֖וֹל שְׁא֖וֹלָה שְׁא֗וֹל שְׁא֙וֹלָה֙ שְׁא֛וֹל שְׁא֣וֹל שְׁאָ֔לָה שְׁאֹ֑לָה שְׁאֹ֣ל שְׁאֹֽלָה׃ שְׁאֹֽל׃ שְׁאֽוֹלָה׃ שְׁאֽוֹל׃ שְׁאוֹל֙ שְׁאוֹל֮ שאול שאול׃ שאולה שאולה׃ שאל שאל׃ שאלה שאלה׃ ’ō·wl ’ōwl biš’ōwl ḇiš’ōwl biš·’ō·wl ḇiš·’ō·wl bishol chishol kiš’ōwl ḵiš’ōwl kiš·’ō·wl ḵiš·’ō·wl kishol liš’ōwl liš’ōwlāh liš·’ō·w·lāh liš·’ō·wl lishol lisholah miš·šə·’ō·wl mishsheol miššə’ōwl ol šə’ālāh šə’ōl šə’ōlāh šə’ōwl šə’ōwlāh šə·’ā·lāh šə·’ō·lāh šə·’ō·w·lāh šə·’ō·wl šə·’ōl sheAlah sheol sheOlah visholInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts