Definition
γέεννα (γέενα, Mark 9:45, Rec.), -ης, ἡ (perh. through Aram. גֵּיהִנָּם, from Heb. גֵּי הִנֹּם, Nehemiah 11:30; גֵּי בֶּן־הִנֹּם, John 18:16; גֵּי בּנֵי־הִנֹּם, 2 Kings 23:10; valley of (the son, sons of) lamentation);
[in LXX the nearest approach to γ. is γαίεννα, Joshua 18:16 (Γαὶ Ὀννόμ, A), elsewhere φάραγξ Ὀνόμ (Joshua 15:8, al.), V. Swete on Mark 9:43 ;]
Gehenna, a valley W. and S. of Jerusalem, which as the site of fire-worship from the time of Ahaz, was desecrated by Josiah and became a dumping-place for the offal of the city. Later, the name was used as a symbol of the place of future punishment, as in NT: Matthew 5:29, Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:43, 45, 47, Luke 12:5, James 3:6; γ. τ. πυρός, Matthew 5:22; 18:19, prob. with ref. to fires of Moloch (DB, ii, 119b); υἱὸς γεέννης, Matthew 23:15; κρίσις γεέννης, 23:33.
Usage patterns
Occurrences
- Matthew 5:22γέενναν · of hellBut I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.
- Matthew 5:29γέενναν · hellIf your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
- Matthew 5:30γέενναν · hellAnd if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.
- Matthew 10:28γεέννῃ · hellDo not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Matthew 18:9γέενναν · hellAnd if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
- Matthew 23:15γεέννης · of hellWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
- Matthew 23:33γεέννης · of hellYou snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?
- Mark 9:43γέενναν · hellIf your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, into the unquenchable fire.
- Mark 9:45γέενναν · hellIf your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
- Mark 9:47γέενναν · hellAnd if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
- Luke 12:5γέενναν · hellBut I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!
- James 3:6γεέννης · hellThe tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.