Hades Ἅιδης: The Biblical and Theological Meaning of the Underworld
Hades Ἅιδης is the Greek term used in the Bible to describe the realm of the dead, often corresponding to the Hebrew word Sheol (שְׁאוֹל). The name itself, likely derived from a root meaning “invisible” or “unseen,” reflects its nature as the hidden place where souls dwell after death. In Greek mythology, Hades was both the name of the god who ruled the underworld and the name of the underworld itself. In Scripture, however, the term Hades refers primarily to the abode of the dead, not a deity.
Hades appears 111 times in the Septuagint (LXX) and 10 times in the New Testament, often as the translation for Sheol. It is sometimes personified as Death itself, as in Revelation 6:8, where “Death and Hades followed” the pale horse, showing their intertwined role in the biblical imagination. Yet, unlike the fearful shadow of the Greek god, the Bible portrays Hades as a temporary realm—destined to be emptied and destroyed when Christ’s victory is complete.
This article will explore Hades in its ancient, biblical, and theological dimensions, showing how it fits within the biblical story of creation, death, and resurrection.
Hades in Greek and Ancient Thought
Before its biblical use, Hades was known in Greek religion as the ruler of the underworld and the brother of Zeus and Poseidon. According to Homer (Iliad 15:187–193), the three brothers divided the cosmos by lot: Zeus received the heavens, Poseidon the seas, and Hades the realm below. Hades ruled over the dead but was neither evil nor benevolent—simply inevitable. He was called “the most hated of all the gods” (Iliad 9:158), not because of cruelty, but because he governed the fate every mortal feared.
In mythology, Hades’ most famous act was the abduction of Persephone, symbolizing the seasonal descent and return of life to the earth. His domain represented both fertility and decay, mirroring humanity’s bond to the soil from which we were formed and to which we return (Genesis 3:19).
Hades rarely received worship in Greece. His temple in Elis was exceptional (Strabo 8.3.14), reflecting how the Greeks respected but avoided direct contact with him. Over time, Greek poets and artists depicted Hades as the stern ruler of souls, sometimes a judge, other times simply a warden. Yet in biblical theology, Hades takes on an entirely different meaning—not as a divine being, but as a conquered territory under God’s rule.
Hades and Sheol: The Hebrew Background
In the Old Testament, Sheol refers to the shadowy place of the dead, where both the righteous and the wicked go. It is described as a deep, dark, and silent realm, cut off from the world of the living (Psalm 88:3–5; Job 10:21–22). The imagery of Sheol is neither purely metaphorical nor purely spatial—it is the unseen realm beneath creation, a place of waiting.
The Septuagint’s translation of Sheol as Hades shows how Greek and Hebrew conceptions merged in the Second Temple period. Yet their meanings are distinct:
In Greek thought, Hades was a neutral underworld ruled by a deity.
In Hebrew thought, Sheol was the realm of the dead under God’s sovereignty.
This distinction is vital. The Bible does not portray Hades as an independent domain but as a place within God’s creation, subject to divine authority. As Psalm 139:8 declares, “If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.” Even in death, one cannot escape God’s presence.
Hades in the New Testament: A Temporary Holding Place
In the New Testament, Hades continues the meaning of Sheol but with clearer distinctions between the righteous and the unrighteous. In Luke 16:23, Jesus describes the rich man “in Hades, being in torment,” while Lazarus is comforted “at Abraham’s side.” This parable suggests that Hades, at least in the interim state before the resurrection, is divided between comfort and suffering—what later Jewish thought called Paradise and Gehenna.
Matthew 11:23 and Luke 10:15 use Hades to describe the depth of judgment, contrasting earthly pride with divine humiliation: “You, Capernaum, will be brought down to Hades.” Here, Hades symbolizes not merely death but divine reversal. Matthew 16:18 also famously records Jesus saying, “The gates of Hades will not prevail against” his church, showing that even the realm of death cannot overcome Christ’s resurrection power.
Finally, in Revelation 20:13–14, Hades is emptied: “Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them… and Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.” This marks the end of Hades’ function—a final judgment where the temporary state of death gives way to eternal reality. Hades, therefore, is not hell but the intermediate realm awaiting resurrection and judgment.
Theological Meaning: Death, Resurrection, and the Gospel
The Bible’s portrayal of Hades is not meant to frighten but to reveal the total scope of Christ’s redemption. When Jesus died, he truly entered death—“he descended to the dead” (Acts 2:27, quoting Psalm 16:10)—and rose victorious, breaking the power of Hades itself. His resurrection declares, “O Death, where is your victory? O Hades, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).
In this sense, Hades represents the defeated domain of death. It is no longer an absolute boundary but a temporary prison awaiting release. Christ’s descent to the realm of the dead was the invasion of light into darkness—the moment the ruler of life entered the invisible realm and proclaimed victory. As Revelation 1:18 says, “I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
In biblical theology, this means that the Gospel does not merely rescue souls from moral failure—it conquers death itself. The final destruction of Hades is the completion of redemption, when the last enemy, death, is destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26). The end of Hades corresponds to the renewal of creation, when God’s dwelling is with his people and “there will be no more death” (Revelation 21:4).
Conclusion: The End of Hades and the Hope of Resurrection
Hades Ἅιδης, once the unseen and dreaded realm of the dead, becomes in the biblical story a conquered province of Christ’s kingdom. What the Greeks feared as a final shadow, Scripture reveals as a temporary waiting ground destined for renewal. The resurrection of Jesus has turned Hades from a place of despair into a place of expectation, awaiting the full revelation of God’s justice and life.
In the end, Hades will be no more. Death itself will die. And the promise stands sure: those who belong to Christ will rise, not to the shadowy silence of the underworld, but to eternal life in the presence of the living God.
Bible Verses Related to Hades
Psalm 16:10 — “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.”
Psalm 139:8 — “If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!”
Isaiah 14:9 — “Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come.”
Jonah 2:2 — “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.”
Matthew 11:23 — “You, Capernaum, will be brought down to Hades.”
Matthew 16:18 — “The gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”
Luke 16:23 — “In Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes.”
Acts 2:27 — “You will not abandon my soul to Hades.”
Revelation 1:18 — “I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Revelation 20:14 — “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.”
