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Grafted Biblical Concept · Concept

Hades

ᾅδης · Hadēs · G86

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

10 Scripture references1 lexical sources4 supporting resources

Primary Study

Grafted Bible Dictionary

Definition

Hades is a Greek term used in the New Testament for the realm of the dead.
In the Septuagint, it frequently translates the Hebrew word Sheol.

Biblical Usage

Hades appears in passages including:
• 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 20:13–14
Acts 2
Peter quotes Psalm 16 concerning Messiah:
"You will not abandon my soul to Hades."
The Hebrew original uses Sheol.
This demonstrates the close relationship between the two terms.

Hades and Final Judgment

Revelation 20 distinguishes Hades from the lake of fire.
Death and Hades themselves are ultimately thrown into the lake of fire.
This suggests Hades is temporary rather than the final eschatological state.

Common Misconception

Claim: Every occurrence of Hades means the final place of eternal punishment.
Assessment: New Testament usage is more complex. Hades primarily relates to death and the realm of the dead, while final judgment imagery uses additional terminology.
Editorial source: Grafted Bible Dictionary · Entry 82

Hebrew and Greek Word Study

Greek Word Study

ᾅδης

háidēs · G0086

Original Word
ᾅδης
Transliteration
háidēs
Strong’s
G0086
Meaning
grave, hell

Unified Lexical Definition

properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls

Lexical Sources

STRONG'SStrong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls

View original lexicon entry
{
    "strongs": "G0086",
    "language": "greek",
    "lemma": "ᾅδης",
    "transliteration": "háidēs",
    "pronunciation": "",
    "part_of_speech": "",
    "glosses": [
        "grave, hell"
    ],
    "definitions": [
        "properly, unseen, i.e. \"Hades\" or the place (state) of departed souls"
    ],
    "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": "G0086"
}

New Testament Usage

10 occurrences

View All Greek Occurrences

Sources: Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

Biblical Usage

Concordance and Scripture Usage

10Exact Lemma3Conceptual Relationship
Gospels · 4
Matthew 11:23Exact LemmaMatthew 16:18Exact LemmaLuke 10:15Exact LemmaLuke 16:23Exact Lemma
Acts · 2
Acts 2:27Exact LemmaActs 2:31Exact Lemma
Revelation · 4
Revelation 1:18Exact LemmaRevelation 6:8Exact LemmaRevelation 20:13Exact LemmaRevelation 20:14Exact Lemma

Reference Works

Bible Dictionary, Encyclopedia, and Names

Unified Dictionary Summary

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

Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)
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 (Gen. 42:38; Ps. 139:8; Hos. 13:14; Isa. 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, (Matt. 11:23). It is contemplated as a kind of kingdom which could never overturn the foundation of Christ's kingdom (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 2:27-31 Peter quotes the LXX. version of Ps. 16:8-11, 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 (Ps. 30:3) he was recalled to life.

Sources: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

Related Content10 items

Sheol

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

Gehenna

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

Resurrection

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

Death

Death is the cessation of mortal life and, in biblical theology, one of the central consequences associated with humanity's rebellion against God.

Judgment

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

Lake of Fire

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

Hell

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

HADES

Nave’s Topical Bible references for HADES.

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 (Gen. 42:38; Ps. 139:8; Hos. 13:14; Isa. 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, (Matt. 11:23). It is contemplated as a kind of kingdom which could never overturn the foundation of Christ's kingdom (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 2:27-31 Peter quotes the LXX. version of Ps. 16:8-11, 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 (Ps. 30:3) he was recalled to life.

Sheol

(Heb., "the all-demanding world" = Gr. Hades, "the unknown region"), the invisible world of departed souls. (See [579]HELL.)

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