How do Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, and Tartarus differ?

Sheol is a Hebrew term often associated with death, the grave, or the realm of the dead; its sense depends on context. Hades is a Greek term used for the realm of the dead, including in Luke 16. Gehenna draws on the Valley of Hinnom and is used in judgment language. Tartarus-related language occurs in 2 Peter 2:4 concerning sinning angels.

Interpretation · original explanationSource-linked reading

Context and limits

These are not interchangeable labels for every stage of the afterlife. Revelation 20 distinguishes Hades from the lake of fire. A full word study needs the original language and each occurrence; the supplied lexical resource is a starting point, not proof that one gloss fits all contexts.

Bible references and explanations here are identified paraphrases unless stated otherwise. Source inclusion does not mean full-text review, endorsement, or rights clearance. No named independent reviewer sign-off has been supplied.

Read the sources

S055 · STEPBible Data
Repository states CC BY 4.0; retain attribution and inspect each dataset S069 · Luke 16 — WEB Updated
Public-domain text; cite exact passage and edition S067 · Revelation 20 — WEB Updated
Public-domain text; cite exact passage and edition