Abaddon: The Place of Destruction and the Angel of the Abyss
1. Abaddon in the Old Testament: Place of Destruction
The Hebrew word ʾăbaddôn comes from the root אבד (ʾbd), which means “to perish” or “to destroy.” In the Old Testament, Abaddon consistently points to death’s realm rather than functioning as a personal name.
Location, not person: Abaddon is paired with Sheol in passages like Job 26:6 and Proverbs 15:11, making it synonymous with the underworld.
Grave imagery: In Psalm 88:11, it stands in parallel with the grave (qeber), showing its role as a poetic expression of humanity’s end.
Wisdom literature: All six appearances of Abaddon occur in Job, Psalms, and Proverbs—books deeply concerned with life, death, and divine justice.
For example:
Job 31:12 treats Abaddon in a topographical sense, emphasizing destruction’s consuming nature.
Proverbs 27:20 states that “Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,” using insatiability to describe death’s endless appetite.
The Old Testament paints Abaddon as a cosmic location of destruction—a poetic name for the depths of death.
2. Abaddon and Sheol: Poetic Parallels
Abaddon rarely appears alone. Instead, it stands in parallel with other terms:
Sheol: the underworld, shadowy and inescapable (Job 26:6; Proverbs 15:11).
Grave (qeber): the resting place of the dead (Psalm 88:11).
Death (māwet): sometimes personified alongside Abaddon (Job 28:22).
These parallels show that biblical poetry often speaks in layered images, pairing terms to deepen their resonance. Abaddon is not merely destruction, but the place where destruction reigns.
At times, this language edges toward personification:
In Proverbs 27:20, Abaddon’s inability to be satisfied suggests a consuming appetite.
In Job 28:22, Abaddon and Death are pictured as speaking entities.
While these are poetic devices, they open the door to later interpretations that treat Abaddon not only as a place but also as a destructive power.
3. Abaddon in Second Temple Jewish Thought
Second Temple literature expands the imagery of the underworld and its angelic rulers, situating Abaddon within a broader apocalyptic imagination.
Qumran Hymns (1QH): Abaddon appears alongside Sheol as the realm of destruction, reinforcing the Old Testament’s locative sense.
Apocalypse of Zephaniah 10:3: An angel named Eremiel rules the underworld where souls are locked—similar in concept to Abaddon as an underworldly force.
1 Enoch 20:2: Lists angelic figures associated with judgment and the abyss, comparable to Abaddon’s destructive associations.
Rabbinic tradition: The Babylonian Talmud (Erubin 19a) lists Abaddon as the second of seven names for Gehenna, intensifying its association with punishment.
These writings show how Abaddon shifted from a poetic term for destruction into an image of the underworld ruled by spiritual beings.
4. Abaddon in Revelation: Angel of the Abyss
The New Testament develops Abaddon further than any Old Testament passage. Revelation 9:11 reads:
“They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.”
Here, Abaddon is no longer only a place but a personal ruler:
Angel of the abyss: He governs demonic locusts unleashed from the pit during the trumpet judgments.
Dual name: “Abaddon” (Hebrew) emphasizes destruction, while “Apollyon” (Greek) recalls both the verb apollymi (“to destroy”) and possibly Apollo, god of plague and destruction.
End-times role: Abaddon personifies chaos and ruin, serving as an agent of divine judgment in apocalyptic vision.
Whereas the Old Testament seldom personifies Abaddon, Revelation boldly names him as a king of destruction in God’s unfolding judgment.
5. Theological Reflections: Gospel Light on the Place of Destruction
The biblical witness to Abaddon invites theological reflection.
Reality of destruction: Abaddon symbolizes the insatiable pull of death—a reality all humanity faces.
God’s sovereignty: Even Abaddon is not beyond God’s sight. Job 26:6 declares, “Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering.” The destructive realm is not ultimate; God reigns over it.
Christ’s victory: The New Testament proclaims that Christ descended to the depths of death and triumphed (Ephesians 4:9–10; Revelation 1:18). Abaddon cannot hold him.
Eschatological hope: While Abaddon represents destruction, the Gospel promises restoration. Where Abaddon is insatiable, Christ is all-sufficient. Where Abaddon devours, Christ redeems.
In the end, Abaddon magnifies the good news: Christ’s death and resurrection break death’s dominion. The place of destruction becomes the backdrop against which the Redeemer shines as the conqueror of sin, death, and hell.
Conclusion: From Abaddon to Redemption
Abaddon begins in the Old Testament as the place of destruction, parallel to Sheol and the grave. In wisdom poetry it is insatiable and shadowy, a metaphor for death’s reach. Second Temple literature heightens its mythological aura, and Revelation culminates by naming Abaddon as the angel of the abyss, a king of destruction.
Yet Scripture never grants Abaddon the final word. God rules over Sheol and Abaddon. Christ enters death’s depths and rises victorious, ensuring that destruction does not define the destiny of God’s people. In the Gospel, the specter of Abaddon is answered by the promise of resurrection: what is lost will be restored, and what is destroyed will be made new.
Bible Verses on Abaddon, Sheol, and Christ’s Victory
“Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of man!” (Proverbs 15:11).
“Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man” (Proverbs 27:20).
“Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering” (Job 26:6).
“Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears’” (Job 28:22).
“Would your steadfast love be declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?” (Psalm 88:11).
“For fire would consume to Abaddon, and it would burn to the root all my increase” (Job 31:12).
“They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon” (Revelation 9:11).
“I am the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18).
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).
“He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things” (Ephesians 4:10).
