Hell is considered an important doctrine so let’s see what we can discover.
How often does the word “Hell” show up?
- KJV – 54 times
- NKJV – 32 times
- NASB – 13 times
- YLT – 0 times
Reflections – Wow, hell appears to be a shrinking entity if you look at the numbers. If you read the KJV hell is a big topic, mentioned 54 times. This is because several Greek words are combined and translated as hell. The Young’s Literal Translation takes each of these Greek words and translates them as separate words. For example Hades 11 times, Gehenna 12 times, Tartarus 1 time, Sheol 64 times and YLT never translates any of these words as hell.
We have four separate words often being translated as hell in the KJV, but never in the YLT. And you wonder why people may be confused about hell. Might be nice to research each of these separate words and see exactly what the Bible speaks about each.
How often does the word “eternal” show up - since hell is considered eternal?
- KJV – 47 times
- NKJV – 50 times
- NASB – 74 times
- YLT –2 times
Reflections – How can eternal be mentioned 50-74 times in three translations, and in a literal translation only be mentioned twice. Do you think people’s theology concerning hell and eternity will be greatly influenced by which translation they are reading? For sure!
So now it is easy to see why people hold different views on many topics, including hell. We trust our Bibles to be accurate but the disparity between various translations is astounding. So when push comes to shove, I go to the Young’s Literal Translation and the precise Greek and Hebrew translation of each word. I pray and meditate and ask God to grant revelation being wide open for God to change my mind.
I actually took a couple of months recently and did this exact Bible meditation, and have posted my results for anyone who wants to explore the topic with an open heart and mind. However, if your mind is made up and you don’t want to change it, then for sure don’t take the time to explore my seven files of research which can be accessed here.
