Hell in the Bible: What Does the Bible Actually Say? (VERSES)

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. - Dr. Bart D. Ehrman

Hell in the Bible — could anything be more intertwined with our understanding of the afterlife? For many, it seems like common sense to associate the concept of hell with biblical teachings. In fact, according to a recent poll, six out of ten Americans believe that, after death, the soul journeys to either heaven or hell.

This deeply ingrained belief has shaped religious thought and art, literature, and culture across centuries.

Given the profound impact of this concept, exploring what the Bible actually says about hell becomes a fascinating area of study. Is the fiery underworld of popular imagination truly rooted in Scripture? Or is it the product of later theological interpretations and cultural influences?

As we’ll see, understanding the origins and development of the idea of hell requires examining both the Bible and the historical context in which its books were written.

In this article, we’ll take a scholarly approach to uncover the truth about hell in the Bible. We’ll explore how modern believers perceive it, identify the key biblical texts that mention it, and dive into the historical debates surrounding its interpretation.

By the end, you may find that the concept of hell is far more complex (and intriguing) than you ever imagined.

Common Perception of Hell: What Do Christians Believe?

Before diving into the topic of hell in the Bible, it’s worth asking: What do ordinary Christians believe about hell today? What is their description of hell? From a birds-eye view, sociological studies suggest that Christians, on average, are less inclined to believe in hell than in other foundational doctrines of their faith.

Croatian sociologist Ankica Marinović notes:

Interestingly, this observation aligns with my experience speaking to students who identify as Christians. They’re often quick to affirm their faith in God and the resurrection of Jesus but pause — or even squirm — when asked about hell.

Some have outright dismissed the notion of a literal hell; others echo the thoughts of the early Christian theologian Origen, who believed that God would eventually redeem everyone, even those who initially found themselves in hell.

It’s as if the idea of eternal damnation makes them shuffle uncomfortably, much like a sinner caught in a confessional booth. Yet, despite this reluctance, many Christians still believe in hell — firmly and passionately.

So, how do they imagine it? Theologian John Hick observed that in two iconic literary works (Dante’s Divine Comedy and Milton’s Paradise Lost), the emphasis is not so much on the resurrection of the body but on the journey of the soul after death. It seems this view has dominated the Christian imagination, especially in the United States.

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According to recent surveys, about 62% of U.S. adults believe in hell, and many envision it as a place where psychological torment reigns supreme. 

About half of these believers think hell involves awareness of the suffering one caused in life, physical pain, and eternal separation from God. A surprising 44% even believe it’s a realm where one might have the dubious honor of meeting Satan himself — presumably not for tea and cookies.

What’s even more striking is how vividly these descriptions mirror popular culture. From fiery pits and chains in Hollywood films to chilling sermons warning against eternal damnation, the imagery of hell often involves intense suffering and unending regret.

Now that we’ve explored what ordinary Christians think about hell, it’s time to turn to the Bible itself. Does the idea of hell as eternal torture find support in Scripture? Let’s take a closer look at hell in the Bible and the verses associated with this concept.

Where Is Hell Mentioned in the Bible?

To discuss hell in the Bible with a focus on specific verses, it’s important to remember that the Bible is, above all, a collection of diverse books written over centuries. These texts range from the poetic and legal writings of the Old Testament to the theological narratives and letters of the New Testament. 

Each book of the Bible reflects the cultural and historical contexts in which they emerged. By viewing the Bible as ancient literature, we gain valuable insight into how ideas (like the concept of hell) developed and shifted over time.

How is hell described in the Bible? Let's explore key biblical passages, beginning with the Old Testament before turning to the New Testament.

This chart highlights passages where terms like Sheol, Gehenna, Hades, and Tartarus appear, and which verses have vivid images of hell associated with them. Some of these terms sound extraordinary and mysterious. However, don’t worry! We’ll take a close look at them, as our inquiry into hell in the Bible continues!

Is Hell in the Bible?: A Scholarly View

I remember reading Jacques Le Goff’s classic The Birth of Purgatory years ago. What surprised me most was how he demonstrated that even the most basic elements of Christian belief (heaven, hell, and, in the case of the Catholic Church, purgatory) are deeply intertwined with specific cultural and social processes.

These ideas, which often seem eternal and universal, were shaped by historical moments, cultural exchanges, and key texts. So, to talk about hell in the Bible, we must begin with the Old Testament and its oldest layers.

Despite popular assumptions, the oldest texts of the Old Testament do not contain a concept of hell as we understand it today. As Bart D. Ehrman explains in Heaven and Hell, early Israelite theology didn’t include ideas of eternal punishment or reward. Death was seen as a final, irreversible state.

The poetic imagery in books like Job or Psalms portrays death as the cessation of life, with no continuation elsewhere: “When you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust” (Psalm 104:29).

A critical term in this context is Sheol, which appears over sixty times in the Hebrew Bible. As Ehrman highlights, Sheol originally referred to the grave or a pit, not a metaphysical realm of the afterlife. It was a shadowy place associated with death, silence, and forgetfulness, devoid of punishment or reward.

Passages like Psalm 88:4-5 reinforce this bleak image: “I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I am like those who have no help, like those forsaken among the dead.”

The notion of an afterlife began to emerge later in Jewish thought, particularly with the rise of apocalypticism during the Second Temple period. It was a worldview characterized by dualism (the division of reality into good and evil), a belief in divine intervention, the expectation of a future Judgment Day, and the resurrection of the dead. 

This ideology arose in response to periods of crisis, such as the oppression of Jewish communities under foreign empires. It provided hope that God would vindicate the righteous and punish the wicked.

In Introducing the New Testament, Mark A. Powell explains:

By the second century BCE, beliefs in the afterlife were widespread in both the Greco-Roman and Jewish worlds. Among Greeks, Platonic philosophy dominated, envisioning the immortal soul journeying to either Tartarus (for punishment) or the Elysian Fields (for reward).

Jewish thought, influenced by its own traditions and external ideas, embraced the concept of bodily resurrection rather than soul immortality. This reflected a worldview still rooted in the unity of body and nephesh, or life force.

As belief in the afterlife took hold, the idea of hell in the Bible became more nuanced. Older terms like Sheol were reinterpreted, and new imagery emerged to describe divine punishment. One of the most important terms was Gehenna.

As John B. Gabel explains in The Bible as Literature:

This transformation reflects how Jewish and later Christian traditions began to articulate their visions of divine justice by “borrowing” from cultural contexts and evolving theological frameworks.

However, our exploration into the ideas of hell in the Bible can’t stop short of the Old Testament. As you all (I hope!) know, the Christian Bible contains the New Testament as well — a collection of 27 different texts written during the 1st and 2nd century C.E.

Hell in the Bible: The New Testament and Beyond

The New Testament doesn’t provide a comprehensive doctrine of hell. As Jan Bremmer observes in The Rise and Fall of the Afterlife, its focus lies elsewhere, centering on resurrection and the Last Judgment rather than the detailed geography of heaven, hell, or purgatory. 

The earliest Christian writings, including Paul’s epistles, reflect an apocalyptic worldview rooted in the belief that Jesus’ return (the Parousia) was imminent. Paul’s descriptions of the afterlife, such as in Philippians (1:22-23) and 2 Corinthians (5:1-10), are vague, hinting at being “with Christ” after death but offering little about hell.

Instead, his emphasis was on the coming of God’s Kingdom, a transformative event in which Jesus would destroy the wicked and vindicate the faithful.

Among the evangelists, Luke uniquely portrays glimpses of the afterlife with his parable of the rich man and Lazarus (16:19-31), depicting postmortem states like Hades and Abraham’s bosom. He also recounts Jesus’ alleged words to the thief on the cross, promising: “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (23:43).

By the late first century, texts such as 1 Peter (3:19) and Revelation further expanded on eschatological imagery. The Book of Revelation, for instance, introduces the “lake of fire” where those not written in the Book of Life are cast (20:15).

But how did hell become so prominent within the early Christian tradition? The key to understanding this lies, in part, with the delayed Parousia.

As Alan F. Segal explains in Life After Death: A History of the Afterlife in Western Religion:

Segal also highlights another critical factor: the synthesis of the resurrection of the dead with the immortality of the soul. He writes:

This evolving notion, blending Greco-Roman philosophical ideas with apocalyptic Jewish thought, helped solidify hell as a cornerstone of Christian eschatology. Over time, the terrifying imagery associated with hell in the Bible, as Le Goff wrote decades ago, became a powerful theological and social tool, reinforcing moral behavior and religious devotion.

Conclusion

Hell in the Bible, as we have explored, is far more nuanced and complex than the vivid imagery often associated with it. 

From its earliest mentions in the Hebrew Bible as Sheol, a shadowy and silent realm of the dead, to its reinterpretations in the New Testament with terms like Gehenna and the “lake of fire,” the concept evolved alongside theological, cultural, and philosophical shifts.

Rooted initially in apocalyptic Jewish thought and later influenced by Greco-Roman ideas of the immortal soul, hell became a powerful symbol of divine justice and moral accountability.