Lexical Summary
hadés: Hades, the realm of the dead
Original Word:ᾅδης
Part of Speech:Noun, Masculine
Transliteration:hadés
Pronunciation:hah'-dace
Phonetic Spelling:(hah'-dace)
KJV: grave, hell
NASB:Hades
Word Origin:[fromG1 (α - Alpha) (as negative particle) andG1492 (εἴδω - To see)]
1. (properly) unseen
2. (commonly) "Hades," the place (state) of departed souls
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
grave, hell.
Froma (as negative particle) andeido; properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls -- grave, hell.
see GREEKa
see GREEKeido
HELPS Word-studies
86hádēs (from1/A "not" andidein/eidō, "see") – properly, the "unseen place," referring to the (invisible) realm in which all the dead reside, i.e. the present dwelling place of all the departed (deceased);Hades.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originperhaps from
alpha (as a neg. prefix) and
eidon (3708)
DefinitionHades, the abode of departed spirits
NASB TranslationHades (10).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 86: ἍιδηςἍιδης,
ᾅδης, ,
ὁ (for the older
Ἀΐδης, which
Homer uses, and this from the alpha privative and
ἰδεῖν, not to be seen (cf. Lob. Path. Element. 2:6f)); in the classics
1. a proper name, Hades, Pluto, the god of the lower regions; so inHomer always.
2. an appellative, Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead (cf:Theocritus, idyll. 2,159 schol.τήντοῦᾅδουκρούειπύλην.τουτ'ἔστινἀποθανεῖται. In theSept. the Hebrewשְׁאול is almost always rendered by this word (once byθάνατος,2 Samuel 22:6); it denotes, therefore, in Biblical Greek Orcus, the infernal regions, a dark (Job 10:21) and dismal place (but cf.γέεννα andπαράδεισος) in the very depths of the earth (Job 11:8;Isaiah 57:9;Amos 9:2, etc.; seeἄβυσσος), the common receptacle of disembodied spirits:Luke 16:23;εἰςᾅδου namely,δόμον,Acts 2:27, 31, according to a very common ellipsis, cf.Winers Grammar, 592 (550) (Buttmann, 171 (149)); (butLTTrWH inActs 2:27 andTWH in both verses readεἰςᾅδην; so theSept.Psalm 15:10 ());πύλαιᾅδου,Matthew 16:18 (πυλωροίᾅδου,Job 38:17; seeπύλη);κλείςτοῦᾅδου,Revelation 1:18; Hades as a power is personified,1 Corinthians 15:55 (whereLTTrWH readθάνατε forRGᾅδῃ (cf.Acts 2:24Tr marginal reading));Revelation 6:8;Revelation 20:13f. Metaphorically,ἕωςᾅδουκαταβαίνειν or)καταβιβάζεσθαι to (go or) be thrust down into the depth of misery and disgrace:Matthew 11:23 (hereLTrWHκαταβαίνειν);Luke 10:15 (hereTr marginal readingWH textκαταβαίνειν). (See especially Boettcher, De Inferis, under the wordἀϊδής in Greek index. On the existence and locality of Hades cf. Greswell on the Parables, Appendix, chapter x, vol. v, part ii, pp. 261-406; on the doctrinal significance of the word see theBB. DD.[Hades] and E. R. Craven in Lange on Revelation, pp. 364-377.)
Topical Lexicon
Old Testament BackgroundThe Greek term ᾅδης translates the Hebrew Sheol, the realm of the dead (for example,Psalm 16:10). In the Old Testament, Sheol is portrayed as a shadowy, conscious existence for both the righteous and the wicked, awaiting God’s final judgment.
Second Temple and Greco-Roman Context
By the first century, Jewish thought distinguished between a comforted side (often called “Abraham’s bosom”) and a place of torment within Hades. Greco-Roman readers also used ᾅδης for the unseen world, preparing the way for New Testament writers to communicate truth across cultures.
New Testament Usage
1. Temporary place of conscious existence
•Luke 16:23 depicts the rich man “in Hades, in torment,” while Lazarus is comforted. The passage affirms conscious post-mortem experience prior to the final resurrection.
2. Realm over which Christ has authority
•Revelation 1:18: “I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.” Christ decisively controls entry and exit, guaranteeing believers’ security.
3. No threat to the Church
•Matthew 16:18: “The gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Hades cannot thwart the advance of the redeemed community.
4. Eschatologically emptied and abolished
•Revelation 20:13-14: “Death and Hades gave up their dead… Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.” Hades is temporary; its final defeat underscores the completeness of God’s judgment.
5. Judicial humiliation of the proud
•Matthew 11:23;Luke 10:15 warn Capernaum of descent to Hades for rejecting Messiah, highlighting moral accountability.
6. Prophetic confirmation of resurrection
•Acts 2:27, 31 (citingPsalm 16): “You will not abandon my soul to Hades.” Peter applies this to Jesus, proving His resurrection and certifying believers’ hope.
7. Harbinger of apocalyptic judgments
•Revelation 6:8 pairs Hades with the Pale Horse, showing that widespread death is still provisional and subordinate to divine sovereignty.
Distinction from Gehenna and the Lake of Fire
ᾅδης is an intermediate state; Gehenna (Matthew 5:22) and the “lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15) describe final, irreversible punishment. Recognizing this distinction guards against confusion between temporary containment and ultimate destiny.
Christ’s Victory and the Believer’s Assurance
Because Jesus was not “abandoned to Hades” and now holds its keys, believers share His triumph (Romans 6:5). Physical death may bring entrance into Hades’ blessed side, but Christ’s resurrection guarantees release into bodily glory at His return.
Pastoral and Evangelistic Implications
• Urgency: Those outside Christ face conscious torment in Hades and, later, the lake of fire.
• Comfort: Departed believers are safe with Christ, beyond the reach of Hades’ gates.
• Mission: The Church, armed with the gospel, assaults the gates of Hades by rescuing souls through faith in Jesus Christ.
Summary
In Scripture, ᾅδης is the temporary abode of the dead, a conscious realm awaiting final judgment. It cannot overpower Christ or His Church, will ultimately surrender all captives, and will itself be destroyed. This truth grounds Christian hope and fuels evangelical urgency.
Forms and Transliterations
αδη άδη ᾅδῃ αδην άδην ᾅδην αδης άδης ᾅδης αδου άδου ᾅδου ade adē aden adēn ades adēs adou hade hadē haden hadēn hades hadēs hadou hā́idei hā́idēi hā́iden hā́idēn hā́ides hā́idēs hā́idouLinks
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