Chapter 8 – Gehenna: Old Testament

I recently revised my book on hell and I’ve decided to post the updated chapters on this site. This is much more than a tour through the underworld. The Christian doctrine of hell drives us to take a closer look at Scripture, church history, and the character of God.

If you downloaded a previous Kindle version, you can get the updated version by following these steps.

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Have you ever wondered why a person acts a certain way and then you met his or her parents and things suddenly made sense? Likewise, when we study the Bible’s references to hell, it’s essential that we know the backstory.

Hell in the Bible

How many times do you think the word hell appears in the Bible?[i] Let’s begin with the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible. My search of the New International Version resulted in a grand total of zero references to hell in the Hebrew Bible. (The King James Version mentions hell a few dozen times, but scholars have concluded that hell is a poor translation of the Hebrew word sheol. Sheol is the Hebrew equivalent of Hades or the place of the dead in general, not necessarily a place of punishment.) What about the New Testament? Originally written in Greek, the New Testament has thirteen references to hell. And the Greek word behind all but one of the uses enters English as gehenna. The one reference that does not use gehenna is 2 Peter 2:4, which employs the word tartarus for the place where rebellious angels are kept in chains until judgment. Since angels are the focus of that verse, we will exclude it from consideration. That leaves us with twelve New Testament references to hell, all of which come from the same Greek word—gehenna. In order to properly understand hell, then, we must consider the meaning of the word gehenna. And that takes us back to the Old Testament.

The Valley of Hinnom

The word gehenna comes from the Hebrew word gehinnom, meaning “Valley of Hinnom” or “Valley of Ben Hinnom.” Since ben means son, Valley of Ben Hinnom means “Valley of the Son(s) of Hinnom.” This valley is mentioned several times in the Old Testament.

The boundary then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor and turned north to Gilgal, which faces the Pass of Adummim south of the gorge . . . Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. (Josh 15:7–8)

The people of Judah have done evil in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols in the house that bears my Name and have defiled it. They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind. (Jer 7:30–31)

This is what the Lord says: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take along some of the elders of the people and of the priests go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you . . . Listen! I am going to bring disaster on this place . . . people will no longer call this place Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.  Then break the jar while those who go with you are watching, and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter’s jar is smashed and cannot be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. This is what I will do to this place and to those who live here, declares the Lord. I will make this city like Topheth. The houses in Jerusalem and those of the kings of Judah will be defiled like this place, Topheth—all the houses where they burned incense on the roofs to all the starry hosts and poured out drink offerings to other gods.’” (Jer 19:1–13)

They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin. (Jer 32:35)

He [Ahaz] burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his children in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. (2 Chron 28:3)

He [Manasseh] sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger. (2 Chron 33:6)

He [Josiah] desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to Molek. (2 Kgs 23:10)

From these references we learn that the Valley of Hinnom was located outside the city of Jerusalem along its southern slope. In this valley the people of Israel built places of worship to the Canaanite god Molek (also spelled Molech or Moloch). At a specific site in this valley called Topheth, the people along with King Ahaz (reign: 732–716 BC) and King Manasseh (reign: 686–642 BC), burned their “sons and daughters in the fire.” Through the prophet Jeremiah, God called this practice “evil” and “detestable,” “something I did not command nor did it enter my mind.” After Manasseh’s reign, King Josiah desecrated Topheth so it could no longer be used for child sacrifice. In sum, the Valley of Hinnom was an actual valley where horrific things were practiced. But there’s more. In response to Israel’s wickedness in the Hinnom Valley, God promised that judgment would be executed in this ravine:

So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. Then the carcasses of this people will become food for the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away. (Jer 7:30–32, cf. 19:6)

The Valley of Hinnom would become the Valley of Slaughter with birds and wild animals feasting on corpses. Although I am not aware of explicit references to Hinnom’s actual demise, we know that during Jeremiah’s lifetime, Jerusalem suffered a devastating defeat by the Babylonians in 587 BC. The final chapter of Jeremiah records that the Babylonian commander “set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.” Then the Babylonian army “broke down all the walls around Jerusalem” and carried some of the people into exile (52:12­–30). There’s one final thing to observe about Gehenna. The Hebrew prophets are known for being preachers of doom and gloom, but there’s usually a note of mercy somewhere in their preaching. At times, that note becomes a song as they wax eloquently about divine compassion and restoration. After pronouncing God’s judgment of draught, famine, and unquenchable fire for several chapters, Jeremiah says:

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. The measuring line will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.” (31:38–40)

Can you see it? “The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown” is the Valley of Hinnom. This disgusting place filled with violence and death “will be holy to the Lord” (v. 40). God will reclaim and rebuild it. There’s hope even for the valley of slaughter. Moreover, God promised to fix something much deeper than a physical problem.[ii] In the next chapter, God says,

You are saying about this city, “By the sword, famine and plague it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon”; but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:  I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul. (32:36–41)

Summary

The English word hell is a translation of the Greek word gehenna. And Gehenna was a valley in the land of Israel with a notorious history. The idol worship and murder that occurred in this abyss represented defiance against God at the highest levels of Israelite society. Gehenna in the Old Testament refers  to a physical place—primarily the site of human wickedness then divine judgment, but eventually the site of divine restoration.

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[i] There are dozens of English Bible translations so one must choose which to use when answering this kind of question. These results hold true for the NIV, ESV, and NRSV. [ii] Insights on the restoration of Gehenna come from Jersak, chap. 3.