Lexical Definition

‎שְׁאוֹל‎ shᵉʼôwl (sheh-ole') hell: Sheol ^N:N--L
or שְׁאֹל shᵉʼôl (sheh-ole'); from ‎שָׁאַל‎

grave, hell, pit.

• Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates

1) sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit
1a) the underworld
1b) Sheol-the OT designation for the abode of the dead
1b1) place of no return
1b2) without praise of God
1b3) wicked sent there for punishment
1b4) righteous not abandoned to it
1b5) of the place of exile (fig)
1b6) of extreme degradation in sin

See Greek: ᾅδης · θάνατος

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎שְׁאָ֫לָה‎ Isa 7:11 see ‎שְׁאוֺל‎

1. below

‎שְׁאוֺל‎, ‎שְׁאֹל‎ noun feminine^{Ps 86:13} (apparently masculine Job 26:6 compare Isa 14:9, see Albr^{ZAW xvi(1896), 51}) She®°ôl, underworld (√ dubious; ‎שׁאל‎, i.e. palce of inquiry (reference to necromancy) Jastr^{Amos. Jsem. Lang. xiv. 170. cf JBL xix (1900), 88 ff.} (Jerem^{Lebenn. d. Tode 109} 'Ort der Entscheidung'); Thes Bö^{De Inf. § 158} Di and others compare √ ‎שׁעל‎, whence ‎שֹׁעַל‎ hallow hand, etc.; ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ then = hallow place, 'Hölle', hell; other conjectures see Hup^{Ps. 66} De^{Isa 5:14} Beer^{Bibl. Hades} in Holtzmann^{Festgabe,1902, 15}; most now refrain from positive etymology (e.g. Buhl); Old Aramaic ‎שאול‎, Syriac ; Assyrian šu-alu is dubious: so reads and interprets Dl^{pa 121, Prol.47. 145} Jastr^{Amos. J. Semitic Lang. xiv. 165 ff.} Ency. Bib^s.v.; opposed to by Bertin^{TSBA viii. 269} Jen^{Kosmol.223 ff.} Zim^{KAT 3. 636} and others; see also Muss-Arn^{JBL xi (1892), 169 and references}); — always absolute, ‎שְׁאוֺל‎ Deut 32:22 + 52 t.,‎הָ֯‎ Gen 42:38; Ps 9:18* ‎שְׁאֹל‎ 1Kgs 2:6; Job 17:16, ‎הָ֯‎ Gen 37:35 + 7 t.; + Isa 7:11 (so read for ‎שְׁאָ֫לָה‎ Aq Σ Θ Du Che and now most); —

1. the underworld, ‎תַּחְתִּית‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Deut 32:22, ‎מִתַּחַת‎ Isa 14:9 ‎מִ֑טָּה‎ ‎׳‎‎מִשּׁ‎ Prov 15:24 || ‎מָוֶת‎ Prov 5:5; Prov 7:27; Song 8:6; Ps 89:49* whither men descend at death, Gen 37:35 (E), Gen 42:38; Gen 44:29; Gen 44:31 (J), 1Sam 2:6; 1Kgs 2:6; 1Kgs 2:9; Job 7:9; Job 21:13; Isa 14:11; Isa 14:15; Ps 88:4*, and Korah and associates go down alive by ‎׳‎‎י‎'s judgment, Num 16:30; Num 16:33 (J), compare Ps 55:16* under mountains and sea Job 26:6 (compare vJob 26:5), ‎׳‎‎בֶּטֶן שׁ‎ Jonah 2:3* (compare v.Jonah 2:7*); with bars Job 17:16 (si vera 1.: see ᵐ5 Du); ‎׳‎‎פִּי שׁ‎ Ps 141:7 ‎׳‎‎שַׁעֲרֵי שׁ‎ Isa 38:10 personified Isa 28:15; Isa 28:18 (|| ‎מות‎). as insatiable monster Isa 5:14; Hab 2:5; Prov 1:12; Prov 27:20; Prov 30:16 as said (figurative) to have snares, ‎׳‎‎חֶבְלֵי שׁ‎ Ps 18:6* = 2Sam 22:6 compare ‎׳‎‎מְצָרֵי שׁ‎ Ps 116:3 opposed to (height of) ‎שָׁמַיִם‎ Amos 9:2; Job 11:8; Ps 139:8 + (opposed to ‎לְמָ֑עְלָה‎) Isa 7:11 (see above); dark, gloomy, without return Job 17:13 (compare vJob 17:16; Job 7:9; Job 10:21; Job 16:22 all being alike Job 3:17-19; Job 21:23-26 ); without work or knowledge or wisdom according to Eccl 9:5; Eccl 9:6; Eccl 9:10 (compare Job 14:21, and see ‎רְפָאִים‎ below ‎רפה‎; yet compare Isa 14:9f.).

2. condition of righteous and wicked distinguished in ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ (later than 1Sam 28, especially inWisdom Literature):
a. wicked ‎יָשׁוּבוּ לִשְׁא֑וֺלָה‎ Ps 9:18*, ‎׳‎‎יִדְּמוּ לִשׁ‎ Ps 31:18* death is their shepherd, without power and honour they waste away Ps 49:15* (twice in verse); ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ consumes them as drought water Job 24:19 righteous dread it because no praise or presence of God there (as in temple) Ps 6:6* (compare Ps 88:5*), Isa 38:18 deliverance from it a blessing Ps 30:4*; Ps 86:13; Prov 23:14. In Ezek. ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ is land below, place of reproach, abode of uncircumcised Ezek 31:15; Ezek 31:16; Ezek 31:17; Ezek 32:21; Ezek 32:27
b. righteous shall not be aban-doned, ‎׳‎‎לשׁ‎ Ezek 16:10 (|| ‎שַׁחַת‎ q. v.; opposed to ‎אִרַח חַיִּים‎ etc., vEzek 16:11, compare Ezek 17:15), is ransomed from ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Ezek 49:16 (compare Ezek 73:23; Ezek 73:25; Isa 57:1; Isa 57:2); compare Job's expectation and desire Job 14:13; Job 17:13 (compare Job 10:21; Job 19:25f.).

3. later distinction of places in ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎:
a. depths of ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ for sensualist Prov 9:18.
b. ‎וַאֲבַדּוֺן‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Prov 25:11, see ‎אֲבַדּוֺן‎. [‎שַׁחַת‎ and ‎בּוֺר‎, q. v., when || ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎, are usually in bad sense(Ps 88:4*); probably = pit in ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎, > ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ itself as pit; words at least prepare for local distinctions of post-Biblical Judaism and NT.]

4. ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ figurative of extreme degradation in sin Isa 57:9 as place of exile for Israel Hos 13:14 (twice in verse) (compare Isa 26:19).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References