# G0086 - hades

<!-- type: lexicon | created: 2026-05-16 | updated: 2026-05-16 -->


**Strong's:** [G0086](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g0086/) · BLB lookup
**Pronunciation:** hah'-dace
**Part of speech:** masculine noun (proper noun in mythological use; common noun in theological-eschatological use)
**NT occurrences:** 10 in the NT ([Matt 11:23](/codex/matthew-11-23/); 16:18; [Luke 10:15](/codex/luke-10-15/); 16:23; [Acts 2:27](/codex/acts-2-27/), [31](/codex/acts-2-31/); [Rev 1:18](/codex/revelation-1-18/); 6:8; 20:13, 14)
**Hebrew equivalent (LXX):** [H7585 - sheol](/codex/h7585-sheol/), שְׁאוֹל (*sheol*); the LXX consistently renders Hebrew *sheol* as *Hadēs*; the OT-NT lexical bridge is direct and load-bearing
**Cognate Greek terms** (NOT to be confused with):
- [G1067 - geenna](/codex/g1067-geenna/), *Gehenna* (the Valley of Hinnom; the place of *final eternal punishment*)
- G5020, *tartaroō* (*Tartarus*; the place of imprisoned fallen angels per [2 Pet 2:4](/codex/2-peter-2-4/)), *pending lexicon*
- *abyssos* (G12), the *abyss* (the bottomless pit; [Rev 9:1-2](/codex/revelation-9-1-2/), [11](/codex/revelation-9-11/); 20:1-3)
- *limnē tou pyros*, the *lake of fire* ([Rev 19:20](/codex/revelation-19-20/); 20:10, 14-15; 21:8)

## Semantic range

The Greek noun *Hadēs* names the **unseen realm of the dead**, a *place* + *state* + *power*, distinct from both the *Greek-mythological* personification and the *modern-conflated-Hell* concept that mainstream English Bible translation has historically blurred.

1. **The realm of the dead** (the spatial-locative sense), the *unseen* place where the souls of the dead reside; the LXX-rendering of Hebrew *sheol* across the OT (~65 LXX occurrences)
2. **The state of death** (the existential sense), the *condition* of being-dead, beyond which the dead cannot return except by resurrection
3. **The power of death** (the personified sense), *Hades* as a personified-cosmic-power ([Rev 6:8](/codex/revelation-6-8/); 20:13-14 personifies Hades alongside Death as a hostile cosmic agency)

The mythological-Greek *Hadēs* (the god of the underworld in Hellenistic religion) is a cultural-linguistic *background* that the NT inherits as vocabulary but *radically demythologizes*. The NT does *not* affirm the Greek-pagan Hadēs-deity; it uses the *lexeme* for the OT-Hebraic-conceptual *sheol* tradition.

## Theological force, the OT-NT lexical bridge

### The Hebrew *sheol* substrate

Hebrew *sheol* (שְׁאוֹל) is the OT term for **the realm where the dead go**, a *neutral* spatial-locative term that is *not* equivalent to final-eternal-punishment. *Sheol* is the *intermediate-state-place* between death and resurrection; it is the destination of *all* the dead in the OT (both righteous and wicked); it is *distinct* from the post-resurrection-final-judgment-condition.

OT loci establishing the *sheol* framework:
- **[Gen 37:35](/codex/genesis-37-35/)**, Jacob: *"I shall go down to Sheol to my son mourning"*, the *all-the-dead-go-there* sense
- **[Num 16:30-33](/codex/numbers-16-30-33/)**, Korah's rebellion: the rebels go down alive *to Sheol*
- **[Job 7:9](/codex/job-7-9/)**, *"As a cloud is consumed and vanishes, so is he who goes down to Sheol"*
- **[Job 14:13](/codex/job-14-13/)**, Job's lament: *"O that You would hide me in Sheol, that You would conceal me until Your wrath returns to You"*
- **[Psalm 16:10](/codex/psalms-16-10/)**, *"For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay"*, the messianic-prophecy text quoted by Peter at Pentecost ([Acts 2:27](/codex/acts-2-27/), *eis hadēn*) and at Paul's Pisidian Antioch sermon ([Acts 13:35](/codex/acts-13-35/))
- **[Psalm 49:15](/codex/psalms-49-15/)**, *"But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me"*
- **[Psalm 139:8](/codex/psalms-139-8/)**, *"If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there"*
- **[Proverbs 9:18](/codex/proverbs-9-18/); 15:11; 27:20**, wisdom-literature references
- **[Isaiah 14:9-15](/codex/isaiah-14-9-15/)**, the king of Babylon descends to Sheol; the dead-kings rise to greet him
- **[Hosea 13:14](/codex/hosea-13-14/)**, *"From the power of Sheol I will ransom them; from death I will redeem them"*

The LXX renders all of these consistently as *Hadēs*. The lexical-bridge from Hebrew *sheol* to Greek *Hadēs* is *direct + systematic*; the NT inherits this LXX-rendering and applies it to the *intermediate-state-realm* the OT framework presupposes.

### Hades is NOT Hell (the popular-conflation problem)

The most theologically-important point about *Hadēs*: **it is NOT identical to *Gehenna* (Hell, the place of final eternal punishment)**. The popular-English-translation conflation (older KJV translates *Hadēs* as "hell" 10 times, the same English word it uses for *Gehenna* 12 times) has produced widespread confusion. Modern translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV, NRSV, CSB) generally transliterate *Hadēs* as *Hades* and reserve *hell* for *Gehenna* + *Lake of Fire*.

The biblical-theological distinctions:

| Greek term | OT equivalent | Concept | Theological function |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Hadēs** (G0086) | *sheol* | **The unseen realm of the dead** (intermediate-state) | Where souls reside *between death and resurrection*; both righteous (in Abraham's bosom, Luke 16:22) and wicked (in torment, Luke 16:23) but in distinguishable conditions |
| **Gehenna** (G1067) | Valley of Hinnom (cf. [G1067 - geenna](/codex/g1067-geenna/)) | **The place of final eternal punishment** (post-judgment) | Where the unrighteous experience *final eternal condemnation* after the general resurrection + final judgment |
| **Tartarus** (G5020) | (no direct OT equivalent) | **The place of imprisoned fallen angels** (2 Pet 2:4) | A *holding-place* for fallen-angels-awaiting-judgment (used once in NT, 2 Pet 2:4) |
| ***Lake of Fire*** (Rev 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8) | (eschatological NT-only term) | **The final-eschatological destination of Death-and-Hades-themselves + the unrighteous** (Rev 20:14, *"Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire"*) | The *eschatological consummation* of judgment; *Hades itself* is *destroyed* by being cast into the lake of fire |
| **Abyss** (G12, *abyssos*) | *tehom* deep-water | **The bottomless pit** (Rev 9:1-2, 11; 20:1-3) | Spatial-cosmic-deep where demonic powers are bound |

The cumulative-doctrinal claim: *Hadēs* is *temporary* (its inhabitants are released at the general resurrection, [Rev 20:13](/codex/revelation-20-13/)); *Gehenna* / Lake of Fire is *eschatologically-final*. Conflating them collapses Christian eschatology's temporal-staging.

### The Rich Man and Lazarus ([Luke 16:19-31](/codex/luke-16-19-31/))

[Luke 16:19-31](/codex/luke-16-19-31/) is the most-developed NT-narrative engagement of the *Hadēs* intermediate-state. The rich man dies and is *"in Hades* in torment" ([Luke 16:23](/codex/luke-16-23/), *en tō Hadē*); Lazarus is *"carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom"* (v. 22, *eis ton kolpon Abraam*). The framework:
- Both rich man and Lazarus are in *intermediate-state-Hadēs*, but in *distinguishable conditions*, *torment* vs. *Abraham's bosom* (a place of post-death rest for the righteous within the broader *Hadēs* framework)
- There is a *"great chasm fixed"* (v. 26, *chasma mega*) preventing crossing between the two
- The rich man's request to warn his brothers is denied (vv. 27-31), *"if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead"* (v. 31, a Christological foreshadowing of the rejection of Christ's resurrection)

The framework is *parabolic*, Christian interpretation has divided between *strict-literal* readings (the conditions are exactly as described) and *parabolic-symbolic* readings (the parable communicates the *truth* of post-death-judgment-distinction without committing to every detail). The intermediate-state framework is preserved across both readings: souls survive death; the righteous and unrighteous are in distinct conditions awaiting the general resurrection.

### Christ's descent into Hadēs

The Apostles' Creed confesses *descendit ad inferos*, "He descended into Hades" (older English: "He descended into hell"). The doctrinal basis:
- **[1 Peter 3:18-20](/codex/1-peter-3-18-20/)**, *"He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison"* (the disputed verse; multiple interpretive options, see Position-readings table below)
- **[1 Peter 4:6](/codex/1-peter-4-6/)**, *"the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead"*
- **[Ephesians 4:9-10](/codex/ephesians-4-9-10/)**, *"He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth"* (some readings reference Hades-descent; others read as Incarnation-descent)
- **[Acts 2:27](/codex/acts-2-27/), [31](/codex/acts-2-31/)**, *"You will not abandon my soul to Hades"* (Peter's Pentecost-sermon citation of [Ps 16:10](/codex/psalms-16-10/)) + *"He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay"* (v. 31)
- **[Matthew 12:40](/codex/matthew-12-40/)**, *"as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth"* (intermediate-state-during-three-days)

The Christological framework:
1. Christ truly died (body in tomb; soul in *Hadēs*)
2. Christ proclaimed His victory in *Hadēs*, the *harrowing of Hell* tradition (extensive patristic + medieval treatment)
3. Christ was *not abandoned* to *Hadēs*, His resurrection brought Him *out* of *Hadēs*
4. Christ now holds *the keys of Death and Hades* ([Rev 1:18](/codex/revelation-1-18/)), divine-prerogative attribution

### [Rev 1:18](/codex/revelation-1-18/) + 20:13-14, Christ's victory over Hadēs

**[Rev 1:18](/codex/revelation-1-18/)**, *"and the living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades."* The risen-and-ascended Christ holds the *keys*, the symbol of authority over a realm, of Death and Hades. The framework: Hadēs is no longer a *closed*, *inescapable* realm but is *under Christ's authority*; the resurrection-believer's eschatological-future is *secured* by Christ's keys-of-Hades possession.

**[Rev 20:13-14](/codex/revelation-20-13-14/)**, *"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire."* The eschatological-consummation: *Hadēs is itself destroyed* by being cast into the lake of fire. The intermediate-state-realm has its proper end at the eschatological-completion; only the *final* states (eternal life for the redeemed in the new heavens-and-new-earth; eternal judgment for the unrighteous in the lake of fire) persist after the general resurrection.

## NT occurrences, full corpus

1. **[Matthew 11:23](/codex/matthew-11-23/)** = **[Luke 10:15](/codex/luke-10-15/)**, Capernaum: *"will you be exalted to heaven? You will descend to Hades"* (judgment-threat-language; the eschatological-fate of unrepentant Capernaum)
2. **[Matthew 16:18](/codex/matthew-16-18/)**, *"upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it"*, the *gates of Hadēs* idiom (the city-gates were the locus of power + decision in ancient Near East); Christ promises that *death itself* (cosmic-power-Hades) will not prevail against the Church
3. **[Luke 16:23](/codex/luke-16-23/)**, the rich-man-and-Lazarus parable (treated above)
4. **[Acts 2:27](/codex/acts-2-27/), [31](/codex/acts-2-31/)**, Peter's Pentecost-sermon citation of [Ps 16:10](/codex/psalms-16-10/) (LXX); *"You will not abandon my soul to Hades"* applied Christologically; *"He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay"*
5. **[Revelation 1:18](/codex/revelation-1-18/)**, Christ has the *keys of Death and Hades* (treated above)
6. **[Revelation 6:8](/codex/revelation-6-8/)**, *"and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him"*, the pale-rider-Death + accompanying-Hades; cosmic-powers of mortality unleashed in the Seal Judgments
7. **[Revelation 20:13](/codex/revelation-20-13/)**, *"and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them"* (the general resurrection)
8. **[Revelation 20:14](/codex/revelation-20-14/)**, *"then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire"* (the eschatological-destruction of Hades itself)

## Apologetic load

1. **Anti-Hell-conflation correction.** The most basic apologetic-pedagogical task: *Hades is not Hell*. Popular Christianity (especially older-KJV-shaped popular preaching) routinely conflates *Hadēs* + *Gehenna* + *Tartarus* + *Lake of Fire* into a single undifferentiated *"hell"* concept. The biblical-theological framework distinguishes them temporally + functionally: *Hadēs* is the *temporary intermediate-state-realm*; *Gehenna* / *Lake of Fire* is the *eschatologically-final-condition*. The framework matters for engaging modern objections: when atheists object to *"hell"*, they typically have the eternal-Gehenna in view; the biblical *Hadēs* is a different concept the objection often doesn't address. See [Hell](/codex/hell-and-eternal-punishment/) and [Hell and Eternal Punishment](/codex/hell-and-eternal-punishment/) for the broader doctrinal-systematic engagement.

2. **Intermediate-state apologetic-coherence.** The *Hadēs* framework grounds the *between-death-and-resurrection* doctrinal-coherence the Christian tradition affirms (cf. [Resurrection of the Body](/codex/resurrection-of-the-body/) §intermediate-state-question). The framework engages the *what-happens-to-the-person-between-death-and-resurrection* question that contemporary Christian conversation often handles only via popular-disembodied-immortality language. The proper Christian framework is: *Hadēs* (intermediate-state-realm) → general resurrection → final judgment → *new heavens and new earth* or *lake of fire*.

3. **Christ's descent + harrowing of Hell tradition.** The *descendit ad inferos* of the Apostles' Creed is a doctrinal commitment many contemporary Protestants are unaware of. The doctrine has ancient-patristic + medieval-systematic + Reformation-Confessional roots and is supported by [1 Pet 3:18-20](/codex/1-peter-3-18-20/) + [Eph 4:9-10](/codex/ephesians-4-9-10/) + [Acts 2:27](/codex/acts-2-27/), [31](/codex/acts-2-31/). Engaging the doctrine apologetic-pedagogically addresses both (a) atheist *what-did-Jesus-do-on-Saturday* questions and (b) within-Christianity-confusion about creedal-confession.

4. **[Rev 1:18](/codex/revelation-1-18/) + 20:13-14, Christ's eschatological victory.** Christ's possession of the *keys of Death and Hades* ([Rev 1:18](/codex/revelation-1-18/)) and the eschatological-destruction of *Hadēs itself* ([Rev 20:14](/codex/revelation-20-14/)) supply the *cosmological-victory framework* the Christian-eschatology completes: the cosmic-powers of *death-and-the-grave* are *defeated*, not *eternally-coexisting*. The framework engages contemporary theological-cosmology questions about the *finitude* of evil within the Christian eschatological framework. See *Information-Conservation Convergence* for the adjacent argument on cosmic information-preservation.

5. **[Matt 16:18](/codex/matthew-16-18/), *gates-of-Hades* + ecclesiology.** *"The gates of Hades shall not prevail against [My Church]"* is one of the most-cited Christological-ecclesiological promises. The framework: *Hadēs* (cosmic-death-power) cannot overpower the *Church* (the people of Christ); the framework grounds Christian *cosmic-victory* + *ecclesial-perseverance* doctrines + engages popular-Christian-pessimism (cultural-decline narrative; *"the Church is dying"* framing).

## Patristic and historical development

- **Apostolic Fathers + Apostles' Creed**, *descendit ad inferos* clause; the harrowing-of-Hell tradition begins
- **Justin Martyr** *Dialogue with Trypho* 72 (c. 155), Christ preaches to the dead in *Hadēs*
- **Irenaeus** *Adversus Haereses* IV.27.2 (c. 180), Hadēs-descent + harrowing-of-Hell tradition
- **Origen** *Commentary on John* + *Contra Celsum*, extensive engagement of *Hadēs* in eschatological theology; controversial *apokatastasis* (universal-restoration) reading
- **Augustine** *De Civitate Dei* XX-XXI (c. 420), systematic engagement of post-mortem geography (Hades + Gehenna + Lake of Fire distinctions)
- **Aquinas** *ST* III, q. 52, Christ's descent into Hadēs; systematic-medieval treatment
- **Reformation**, Calvin *Institutes* II.16.8-12 (the harrowing-of-Hell as *spiritual* not *spatial* descent, Calvin's distinctive reading) + Luther retaining the harrowing-of-Hell tradition + Westminster Confession ch. 8.4 retaining the *descendit*-clause
- **Modern**, Hans Urs von Balthasar *Mysterium Paschale* (1969), Holy-Saturday-descent-as-radical-divine-solidarity-with-the-dead-and-godforsaken; controversial but influential 20th-century engagement

## Position-readings table for [1 Pet 3:18-20](/codex/1-peter-3-18-20/), the disputed locus

| Position | Reading | Engagement |
|---|---|---|
| **Christ preached to OT righteous dead in *Hadēs*** (Augustinian + medieval mainstream) | Between death and resurrection, Christ proclaimed His victory + the gospel to the OT-righteous-dead in *Hadēs*, leading them out to heaven | The classical reading; supports the harrowing-of-Hell tradition |
| **Christ preached to fallen angels** (some modern conservative, Wayne Grudem) | The *spirits in prison* are the fallen angels of Gen 6 (cf. 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6); Christ proclaimed His victory to them | Engages 2 Pet 2:4 and Jude 6 cross-references; preserves *prison* language for fallen-angel-Tartarus context |
| **Christ preached through Noah** (Reformed mainstream, Calvin) | The preaching is *retroactive*, Christ-through-the-Spirit preached *through Noah* to the pre-flood generation (now spirits in prison); not a literal post-death descent | Calvin's distinctive reading; preserves the *spiritual* descent without the *spatial* descent |
| **Hyperbolic / catacomb-imagery** (some critical-academic) | The passage uses Hellenistic-Greek imagery rhetorically rather than committing to a specific theological framework | Engaged on the substantive Greek-grammar evidence (*tois en phylakē pneumasin*, *spirits in prison*, has a *literal* register that the hyperbolic reading struggles with) |

The codex holds the *classical harrowing-of-Hell* reading (the Augustinian-medieval mainstream) as the apologetic anchor, while engaging the Reformed-Calvin + Grudem-fallen-angels + critical-academic readings on substantive textual grounds.

## Notable verses

### NT (full 10-occurrence corpus listed above)

### OT (LXX usage of *Hadēs* for Hebrew *sheol*)

- **[Gen 37:35](/codex/genesis-37-35/)**, Jacob's lament *"I shall go down to Sheol"* (*Hadēs* in LXX)
- **[Ps 16:10](/codex/psalms-16-10/)**, *"You will not abandon my soul to Hadēs"* (cited [Acts 2:27](/codex/acts-2-27/) + 13:35; the messianic-prophecy text)
- **[Ps 49:15](/codex/psalms-49-15/)**, *"God will redeem my soul from the power of Hadēs"*
- **[Isaiah 14:9-15](/codex/isaiah-14-9-15/)**, the Babylonian-king's descent + dead-kings reception
- **[Hosea 13:14](/codex/hosea-13-14/)**, *"From the power of Hadēs I will ransom them"* (cited [1 Cor 15:55](/codex/1-corinthians-15-55/) in modified form)

## See also

### Lexicon
- [G1067 - geenna](/codex/g1067-geenna/), *Gehenna* (Hell of fire; final eternal punishment); distinct from *Hadēs*
- [H7585 - sheol](/codex/h7585-sheol/), Hebrew *sheol*; LXX-equivalent of Hadēs
- *tartaroō* (G5020) *(pending, build-candidate)*, *Tartarus*; place of imprisoned fallen angels ([2 Pet 2:4](/codex/2-peter-2-4/))
- *abyssos* (G12) *(pending, build-candidate)*, the *abyss* / bottomless pit
- [G2288 - thanatos](/codex/g2288-thanatos/) *(check status)*, *thanatos* / death, paired with *Hadēs* across [Rev 1:18](/codex/revelation-1-18/); 6:8; 20:13-14
- [H4194 - mavet](/codex/h4194-mavet/), Hebrew *mavet* / death, OT companion lexeme
- [H4191 - mut](/codex/h4191-mut/), Hebrew *mut* / to die, verbal cognate
- [G0386 - anastasis](/codex/g0386-anastasis/) *(check status)*, *anastasis* / resurrection, the eschatological *exit* from *Hadēs*

### Concepts and syntheses
- [Hell](/codex/hell-and-eternal-punishment/), concept hub; engages the *Hadēs / Gehenna / Lake-of-Fire* distinctions
- [Hell and Eternal Punishment](/codex/hell-and-eternal-punishment/), synthesis hub; multi-position engagement
- [Resurrection of the Body](/codex/resurrection-of-the-body/), concept hub; the intermediate-state framework + eschatological consummation
- [Christology](/codex/christianity/), synthesis hub; Christ's descent + harrowing of Hell
- [Hypostatic Union](/codex/hypostatic-union/), Christological framework; Christ's death + intermediate state
- [Failed Messianic Prophecy Objections](/codex/failed-messianic-prophecy-objections/), adjacent apologetic
- [Two-Stage Messianic Prophecy](/codex/two-stage-messianic-prophecy/), adjacent hermeneutical framework
- [Failed Messianic Prophecy Objections](/codex/failed-messianic-prophecy-objections/), adjacent apologetic

### Novel arguments
- [Argument from the Narrative-Identity Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-narrative-identity-convergence/), the resurrection-body / personal-identity framework that handles the intermediate-state question
- [Argument from the Information-Conservation Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-information-conservation-convergence/), the divine-knowing-and-keeping framework that grounds personal-information-preservation through the intermediate-state

### Passages
- [Psalms 16](/codex/psalms-16/) *(check status)* / [Ps 16:10](/codex/psalms-16-10/), *"You will not abandon my soul to Hadēs"* (LXX text Peter cites)
- [Acts 2](/codex/acts-2/), Pentecost sermon citing [Ps 16:10](/codex/psalms-16-10/) as Hadēs-not-abandoned
- [Matthew 16:18](/codex/matthew-16-18/) *(check status)* / [Matt 16:18](/codex/matthew-16-18/), *gates of Hadēs shall not prevail*
- [Luke 16](/codex/luke-16/) / [Luke 16.19-31](/codex/luke-16-19-31/) *(check status)*, rich-man-and-Lazarus parable
- [Revelation 1.8](/codex/revelation-1-8/) / [Rev 1:18](/codex/revelation-1-18/), Christ has *keys of Death and Hadēs*
- [Revelation 6:8](/codex/revelation-6-8/) / [Rev 6:8](/codex/revelation-6-8/), pale-rider Death + Hadēs
- [Revelation 20](/codex/revelation-20/) *(check status)* / [Rev 20:13-14](/codex/revelation-20-13-14/), Hadēs cast into the lake of fire