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Grafted Biblical Concept · Concept

Gehenna

γέεννα · Gehenna · G1067

Gehenna is a New Testament term derived from the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem.

12 Scripture references1 lexical sources3 supporting resources

Primary Study

Grafted Bible Dictionary

Definition

Gehenna is a New Testament term derived from the Valley of Hinnom near Temple, prophetic hope, Yeshua's death and resurrection, apostolic mission, and future restoration.">Jerusalem.
Yeshua uses Gehenna as powerful imagery of divine judgment.

Tanakh Background

The Valley of Hinnom became infamous because of idolatrous practices involving child sacrifice.
See:
• 2 Kings 23:10
• 2 Chronicles 28:3
• Jeremiah 7:31–32
• Jeremiah 19:2–6
Jeremiah announces that the valley would become associated with divine judgment.

Yeshua

Gehenna appears prominently in Yeshua's warnings.
See:
• Matthew 5:22
• Matthew 5:29–30
• Matthew 10:28
• Matthew 18:9
• Matthew 23:33
• Mark 9:43–48

Judgment Imagery

Yeshua draws on prophetic language involving:
• fire
• destruction
• exclusion
• judgment
Mark 9 echoes Isaiah 66:24.

Gehenna and Hades

Gehenna and Hades should not automatically be treated as identical concepts.
Hades generally describes the realm of the dead.
Gehenna functions primarily as judgment imagery.

Interpretive Questions

Christian traditions differ over whether Gehenna language supports:
• eternal conscious punishment
• final destruction
• symbolic judgment language
• combinations of these interpretations
The dictionary should distinguish the lexical and historical data from later doctrinal conclusions.
Editorial source: Grafted Bible Dictionary · Entry 83

Hebrew and Greek Word Study

Greek Word Study

γέεννα

géenna · G1067

Original Word
γέεννα
Transliteration
géenna
Strong’s
G1067
Meaning
hell

Unified Lexical Definition

valley of (the son of) Hinnom ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment

Lexical Sources

STRONG'SStrong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

valley of (the son of) Hinnom ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment

View original lexicon entry
{
    "strongs": "G1067",
    "language": "greek",
    "lemma": "γέεννα",
    "transliteration": "géenna",
    "pronunciation": "",
    "part_of_speech": "",
    "glosses": [
        "hell"
    ],
    "definitions": [
        "valley of (the son of) Hinnom",
        "ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment"
    ],
    "administrator_commentary": "",
    "source": {
        "dataset": "Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon",
        "provider": "Open Scriptures",
        "url": "https://github.com/openscriptures/strongs",
        "license": "CC BY-SA"
    },
    "version": 1,
    "updated_at": "2026-08-05T10:42:02-05:00",
    "strong": "G1067"
}

New Testament Usage

12 occurrences

View All Greek Occurrences

Sources: Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

Biblical Usage

Concordance and Scripture Usage

12Exact Lemma6Conceptual Relationship
Gospels · 11
Matthew 5:22Exact LemmaMatthew 5:29Exact LemmaMatthew 5:30Exact LemmaMatthew 10:28Exact LemmaMatthew 18:9Exact LemmaMatthew 23:15Exact LemmaMatthew 23:33Exact LemmaMark 9:43Exact LemmaMark 9:45Exact LemmaMark 9:47Exact LemmaLuke 12:5Exact Lemma
Epistles · 1
James 3:6Exact Lemma

Reference Works

Bible Dictionary, Encyclopedia, and Names

Unified Dictionary Summary

Gehenna is a New Testament term derived from the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)
(originally Ge bene Hinnom; i.e., "the valley of the sons of Hinnom"), a deep, narrow glen to the south of Jerusalem, where the idolatrous Jews offered their children in sacrifice to Molech (2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6; Jer. 7:31; 19:2-6). This valley afterwards became the common receptacle for all the refuse of the city. Here the dead bodies of animals and of criminals, and all kinds of filth, were cast and consumed by fire kept always burning. It thus in process of time became the image of the place of everlasting destruction. In this sense it is used by our Lord in Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5. In these passages, and also in James 3:6, the word is uniformly rendered "hell," the Revised Version placing "Gehenna" in the margin. (See [232]HELL; [233]HINNOM.)

Sources: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

Related Content10 items

Hades

Hades is a Greek term used in the New Testament for the realm of the dead.

Sheol

Sheol is the Hebrew Bible's principal term for the realm or condition of the dead.

Judgment

Judgment refers to God's evaluation of human actions and His exercise of justice.

Day of the Lord

The Day of the LORD is a prophetic expression describing decisive divine intervention in history for judgment, deliverance, kingship, and restoration.

Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the central biblical city associated with Davidic kingship, the Temple, prophetic hope, Yeshua's death and resurrection, apostolic mission, and future restoration.

Resurrection

Resurrection is God's act of raising the dead to bodily life.

Hell

Hell is an English theological term used in many Bible translations for several different Hebrew and Greek concepts.

Lake of Fire

The Lake of Fire is the final judgment image appearing in Revelation.

GEHENNA

Nave’s Topical Bible references for GEHENNA.

Gehenna

(originally Ge bene Hinnom; i.e., "the valley of the sons of Hinnom"), a deep, narrow glen to the south of Jerusalem, where the idolatrous Jews offered their children in sacrifice to Molech (2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6; Jer. 7:31; 19:2-6). This valley afterwards became the common receptacle for all the refuse of the city. Here the dead bodies of animals and of criminals, and all kinds of filth, were cast and consumed by fire kept always burning. It thus in process of time became the image of the place of everlasting destruction. In this sense it is used by our Lord in Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5. In these passages, and also in James 3:6, the word is uniformly rendered "hell," the Revised Version placing "Gehenna" in the margin. (See [232]HELL; [233]HINNOM.)

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