WHAT ABOUT HELL?

THE THE MEANING OF THE GREEK WORD GEHENNA

In the King James Bible translation from 1611 CE four words are translated by “hell”: The Hebrew word sheōl and the Greek words hades  and tartaroō. None of these words are translated by “hell” in modern Bible translations. Nevertheless, the view of a burning hell with torment was introduced by the King James version and by different creeds. One of the few Greek words whose contexts could suggest torment after death is Gehenna, written as geenna, and I will analyze this word in its contexts.

In the Christian Greek Scriptures, the word Gehenna occurs 12 times. According to these texts, Gehenna is associated with fire, and persons can be thrown into Gehenna. In Matthew 18:8, 9, Jesus uses the words “everlasting fire” as a parallel to Gehenna; in 13:42 he speaks about the “fiery furnace”; and in Matthew 25:41, Jesus speaks about “the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.” Jesus spoke Hebrew, and gē hinnom (the Valley of Hinnom) is the Hebrew equivalent to geenna. What did Jesus mean when he spoke about Gehenna? And how would his listeners understand his words?

THE HEBREW WORD GĒ HINNOM 

The Valley of Hinnom (gē hinnom) was located south and southwest of Jerusalem (Joshua 15:8). Ahaz sacrificed his sons to Molech by burning them alive in the Valley of Hinnom. (2 Chronicles 28:1, 3; Jeremiah 32:35) The place in the Valley of Hinnom where the sacrifices were offered is called Topheth (tofet). (Jeremiah 7:31, 32) King Josiah polluted the Valley of Hinnom to prevent idolatrous worship there. How could Topheth and the Valley of Hinnom be connected with the judgment of God? Jehovah would never command that living humans should be burned, as Jeremiah 32:35 shows. The Valley of Hinnom is never connected with torment by fire in the Hebrew Scriptures. But it is connected with the judgment of God against the wicked persons. Jeremiah 7:30-33 says:

³⁰ For the sons of Judah have done what is bad in my eyes . . . ³¹ They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, in order to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, something that I have not commanded and that has never even come into my heart.” ³² “Therefore look! the days will come,” declares Jehovah, “when it will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom but the Valley of the Slaughter. They will bury in Topheth until there is no place left. ³³ And the dead bodies of this people will become food for the birds of the heavens and for the beasts of the earth, with no one to frighten them away.”

We note that the Valley of Hinnom will be filled with dead bodies when God makes his judgment against Judah. This is also described in Jeremiah 19: 2, 6, 7, 10, 11. The judgment of Assyria is also connected with the Valley of Hinnom. Isaiah 30:31 says that Jehovah will strike Assyria with his rod, and Assyria will be terrified. Then verse 33 says:

³³ For his Topheth is already prepared; it is also made ready for the king. He has made the woodpile deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood. The breath of Jehovah, like a torrent of sulphur, will set fire to it.

Children were, contrary to the will of God, burned as sacrifices in Topheth. Now God speaks of a fire in Topheth that will consume the Assyrians. It is obvious that it is not a literal fire that will torment people, as we also can see from verse 27, “his tongue is like a consuming fire,” and verse 28, where we read that “his spirit is like a flooding torrent.” The imagery continues in verse 30 where we read:

Jehovah will make his majestic voice heard, and reveal his arm as it descends in the heat of anger, with the flame of a consuming fire, a cloudburst and a thunderstorm and hail stones.[1]

Because of this, we understand that the fire in Topheth is a consuming fire that led to the annihilation of the Assyrians and not to their torment. The place Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom is also connected with the universal judgment of God. Isaiah 66: 24 first describes the new heaven and new earth where the nations will worship God. Then he says:

And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.

As in the cases of the people of Judah and the Assyrians, the prophet does not speak of living persons but of dead ones — of corpses (pægær). When a person dies and is buried, worms will feed on the body (Isaiah 14:11). The worms are said to be “their worms,” the worms that feed on the dead body. Worms do not live forever, but these worms will not die as long as there is flesh to consume. The fire mentioned is “their fire,” and the fire must be treated in the same way as the worms — it will not be quenched before the bodies are totally consumed.

The prophet Jeremiah (7:32, 33) describes a situation that has some similarities with Isaiah’s words; when Topheth is filled with dead bodies. Isaiah says that their bodies will be consumed by worms and fire, and Jeremiah says that they will be consumed by birds and animals. In both cases, total annihilation is described.

Isaiah also describes the judgment of other nations. In 34:2–8 he says that God is angry with the nations, and he will destroy them and give them over to slaughter. A vivid imagery follows: The stench of the dead bodies will ascend, and the mountains will melt because of their blood. The heavens will be rolled up like a scroll, and all their army will wither away. In the heavens, God’s sword will be drenched with blood when it descends on Edom in judgment. The people of Edom are devoted to destruction, and there will be a great slaughter in the land of Edom. In order to show that the destruction of Edom is eternal, verses 9, 10 say regarding Edom:

⁹ Her streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur, and her land will become like burning pitch. ¹⁰ It will not be extinguished night and day, and its smoke will continue to ascend to time indefinite. From generation to generation she will remain devastated. No one will ever pass through her to time indefinite.

To emphasize total destruction, strong pictures that do not describe literal situations are used: Burning pitch and sulphur are mentioned, and the smoke of the fire will always ascend to the heavens. Let us now turn to the imagery related to the judgment of God and geenna in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

THE GREEK WORD GEENNA

There are 12 occurrences of geenna in the Christian Greek Scriptures. I will now discuss two questions, 1) What do we know about gē hinnom in the time of Jesus, and 2) what is the relationship between the words of Jesus regarding geenna and what is said about gē hinnom in the Hebrew Scriptures?

There is no contemporary evidence from the time of Jesus showing what occurred in gē hinnom and how the valley was viewed. Apart from the Christian Greek Scriptures, we must build on evidence before and after the time of Jesus. In the 6th century BCE, Jeremiah 31:40 speaks of “the valley of the corpses (pægær) and the fatty ashes.” This refers most likely to the Valley of Hinnom, and it suggests that the polluted condition continued, because corpses are unclean.

Neither the Dead Sea Scrolls nor other documents from BCE tell us anything about gē hinnom. As a matter of fact, we have no description of gē hinnom before the Jewish theologian David Kimhi, who was born in 1160 CE, wrote about this valley. In his comments on Psalm 27:13 he wrote:

And it is a place in the land adjoining Jerusalem, and it is a loathsome place, and there they throw unclean things and carcasses. Also, there was a continual fire there to burn the unclean things and the bones of the carcasses. Hence, the judgment of the wicked ones is called parabolically Gehinnom.

The evidence we possess, suggests that gē hinnom (geenna) was an unclean place where corpses or carcasses were thrown, and the carcasses and other rubbish were burned with fire.

Table 1.1 Passages where Gehenna is mentioned.

Matt 5:22	will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna
Matt 5:29	than for your whole body to be pitched into Ge·henʹna.
Matt 5:30	your whole body to go to Gehenna
Matt 10:28	destroy both soul and body in Gehenna
Matt 18:9	thrown into Gehenna of fire
Matt 23:15	a son of Gehenna
Matt 23:33	the judgment of Gehenna
Mark 9:43	go off into Gehenna, to the unquenchable fire
Mark 9:45	be thrown into Gehenna
Mark 9:47	be thrown into Gehenna
Luke 12:5	after killing has the authority to throw into Gehenna
James 3:6	set on fire by Gehenna

How will the words about geenna in the Christian Greek Scriptures corroborate the words of Kimhi?

GEHENNA REFERS TO A GEOGRAPICAL PLACE — THE VALLEY OF HINNOM  

Those who believe in eternal torment believe that man has an immortal soul, and it is this soul that will be tormented in the spiritual realm. The Bible shows that a human is a soul and does not have a soul, and when a man dies, he is in the same condition as a dead animal, as we read in Ecclesiastes 3:19, 20:

¹⁹ For there is an eventuality as respects the sons of mankind and an eventuality as respects the beast, and they have the same eventuality. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit, so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast, for everything is vanity. ²⁰ All are going to one place. They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust.

The view that the souls will be tormented in hell, which is in the spiritual realm is contradicted by the words of Jesus. We read in Matthew 18:8-10 (above), and Mark 9:45- 48 (middle), and 5:29, 30 (below):

⁸ If, then, your hand or your foot is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is finer for you to enter into life maimed or lame than to be thrown with two hands or two feet into the everlasting fire. ⁹ Also, if your eye is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you; it is finer for you to enter one-eyed into life than to be thrown with two eyes into the fiery Ge·henʹna.

 ⁴⁵ And if your foot makes you stumble, cut it off; it is finer for you to enter into life lame than with two feet to be pitched into Ge·henʹna ⁴⁶ —— ⁴⁷ And if your eye makes you stumble, throw it away; it is finer for you to enter one-eyed into the kingdom of God than with two eyes to be pitched into Ge·henʹna, ⁴⁸ where their maggot does not die and the fire is not put out.

²⁹ If, now, that right eye of yours is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you. For it is more beneficial to you for one of your members to be lost to you than for your whole body to be pitched into Ge·henʹna.  ³⁰ Also, if your right hand is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. For it is more beneficial to you for one of your members to be lost than for your whole body to land (aperkhomai) in Ge·henʹna.

I have marked similar words with similar colors, and I compare similar words with the same colors in Table 1.2:

Table 1.2 Comparison of similar words in passages with Gehenna.

18:8	The everlasting fire	thrown	with two hands and feet	enter into life than thrown into the everlasting fire
18:9	Gehenna	be thrown	with two eyes	enter into life than thrown into fiery Gehenna
9:45	Gehenna	be pitched	with two feet	enter into life than be pitched into Gehenna
9:47	Gehenna	be pitched	with two eyes	enter the kingdom of God than be pitched into Gehenna
5:29	Gehenna	be pitched	your whole body	one of your members to be lost than your whole body be pitched into Gehenna
5:30	Gehenna	to land	your whole body	one of your members to be lost than your whole body to land in Gehenna

In five instances, we find “Gehenna” as the place which the focus is, and in one instance, the parallel is everlasting fire. Fire is also connected with Gehenna in Matthew 18:9 and Mark 9:48. The action is to throw or pitch. In 5:30 the expression “to land” is used. The Greek word aperkhomai has the meaning “to go away, depart.” So, the idea is the same as in the other cases, though seen from another vantage point.

In two places Jesus said that “your whole body” will be thrown or get away into Gehenna, and in the other four instances Jesus mentions parts of the body like hands, feet and eyes. But these are parts of the body, so the whole body is also included in these sayings.

The point is that because it is the body of flesh and blood that could be thrown into Gehenna, the references must be to a geographical place, to the Valley of Hinnom southwest of Jerusalem.

WHAT DOES GEHENNA SYMBOLIZE?

The words of Jesus exclude the idea that there is a spiritual part of man, the soul, that is thrown into a place in the spiritual realm with eternal torment. And his words also show what the symbol of Gehenna is because of the contrasts Jesus makes. The English conjunction “than” makes the contrast in all six instances. And the opposite of Gehenna is “enter into life” in three instances and “enter the kingdom of God” in one instance. This means that Gehenna is the opposite of life, which is no life, or death.

How did the people in the days of Jesus view Gehenna? We cannot give a clear answer. But there are some allusions. I quote David Kimhi one time more:

And it is a place in the land adjoining Jerusalem, and it is a loathsome place, and there they throw unclean things and carcasses. Also, there was a continual fire there to burn the unclean things and the bones of the carcasses. Hence, the judgment of the wicked ones is called parabolically Gehinnom.

Gehenna was a garbage dump that was burning with fire in order to consume the garbage and the dead bodies that were thrown into Gehenna, and it is connected with the judgment of wicked persons. The graves of the Jews were called memorial tombs (mnemeion), indicating that a person who rested in such a grave was in the memory of God and would get a resurrection. Because of this, it was very important for a Jew to be placed in a memorial tomb. As Jesus shows, the bodies of wicked persons were thrown from the city wall and into Gehenna. This would symbolize that the person was so wicked that he was not in God’s memory and was not in line for a resurrection. Jesus knew how the Jews viewed Gehenna, and he used this in his teaching

It is very important to distinguish between the view of the people regarding what Gehenna symbolized and the view of God regarding those who were thrown into Gehenna. When the body of a dead criminal was thrown into Gehenna, this would mean for the people that he would not get a resurrection. But it is not certain that this was the view of God. This conclusion is supported by the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:21, 22 (above) and Matthew 12:31, 32 (below):

²¹ “YOU heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You must not murder; but whoever commits a murder will be accountable to the court of justice.’  ²² However, I say to YOU that everyone who continues wrathful with his brother will be accountable to the court of justice; but whoever addresses his brother with an unspeakable word of contempt will be accountable to the Supreme Court; whereas whoever says, ‘You despicable fool!’ will be liable to the fiery Ge·henʹna.

³¹ “On this account I say to YOU, Every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. ³² For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him, no, not in this system of things nor in that to come.

In his sermon on the Mount, Jesus points out that bad actions are wrong. But these actions start inside the hearts and minds of those doing them. In 5:21, Jesus show that not only is murder wrong but this starts with wrath and bad feelings toward a person. In 5:22, he does not describe how expressions of animosity toward a person will result in different court cases. But he describes that different degrees of animosity are bad. And the worst expression of animosity will cause his dead body to be thrown into Gehenna. And in the view of the people that would mean not to be in line for a resurrection.

It is obvious that if a person says ‘You despicable fool’ one or more times, God will not sentence that person to be eternally annihilated.  So, while Gehenna in the minds of the people, evidently meant eternal annihilation, that was not the view of Jehovah God. This is confirmed by the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:31, 32, where he says that “every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men” except sin against the holy spirit. The words of Jesus in Luke 12:4, 5 (above) and Matthew 10:28 (below) will also support this view:

⁴ Moreover, I say to YOU, my friends, Do not fear those who kill the body and after this are not able to do anything more (perissos). ⁵ But I will indicate to YOU whom to fear: Fear him who after killing has authority (eksousia) to throw into Ge·henʹna. Yes, I tell YOU, fear this One.

²⁸ And do not become fearful of those who kill the body but cannot (dynamai) kill the soul; but rather be in fear of him that can (dynamai) destroy both soul and body in Ge·henʹna.

According to Luke, Jesus speaks about a person who dies and of those who cannot do more. The Greek word perissos has the meaning, “pertaining to that which is exceptional in the sense of being more than what is expected.” (Louw and Nida) So, we must not fear those who are not able to decide the destiny of a dead person.

The noun eksousia has the meaning, “the right to judge on the basis of having the potential to evaluate; a state of control over someone or something.” (Louw and Nida) When a criminal died, his body could be thrown from the walls of Jerusalem and into Gehenna. This would symbolize that he was so wicked that he would not get a resurrection. By using the noun eksousia, Luke indicates that those who would throw criminals into Gehenna needed the permission to do so, perhaps from some court.

In Matthew 10:28, Jesus uses the view of the people that throwing a body into Gehenna symbolizes eternal annihilation for that person. On this background, he introduced the Hebrew word nephēsh corresponding to the Greek word psyche (“soul”), and he deployed a contrast between body and soul. In order to understand this contrast, I quote Genesis 2:7 (above), Genesis 6:17 (upper middle), Psalm 146:4 (lower middle), and Ecclesiastes 12:7 (below):

⁷ And Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life (neshāmā), and the man came to be a living soul (nephesh).

¹⁷ “And as for me, here I am bringing the deluge of waters upon the earth to bring to ruin all flesh in which the force (ruah) of life (hayyim) is active from under the heavens. Everything that is in the earth will expire.

⁴ His spirit (ruah) goes out, he goes back to his ground; In that day his thoughts do perish.

⁷ Then the dust returns to the earth just as it happened to be and the spirit (ruah) itself returns to the [true] God who gave it.

The noun neshāmā has the meaning “breath, blast of breath; by extension: life, life force, spirit.” (Kohlenerger and Mounce) The basic meaning of neshāmā is “breath.” However, when God blew neshāmā into Adam’s nostrils, he received his life force (ruah). This is seen in connection with the death of all humans and animals in the great flood. The Hebrew word ruah means “spirit,” and according to Genesis 6:17, humans and animals have ruah hayyim (“spirit of life”). Humans and animals are souls and a soul consists of body and spirit, as Psalms 146:4 shows. Ecclesiastes 12:7 uses a figurative language and says that when a person dies, the spirit (ruah) goes back to God who gave the life.

On the basis of the four scriptures above we can understand the words in Luke 12:4, 5 and Matthew 20:28. The soul (nephēsh/psykhē) consists of the body and the spirit of life. When a person dies, the body is lifeless, but the spirit of life (ruah hayyim, pneuma zoē) goes back to God. And God will again blow neshāmā into the nostrils of those who will be resurrected in the earthly paradise, so they get ruah hayyim (“the spirit of life”)

The point of Jesus is that we should not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill ruah hayyim. But we must fear him who has the authority to kill the soul, i.e., to kill both the body and ruah hayyim. The word “soul” in Matthew 20:28 can be defined as “the right to live” because when a person’s ruah hayyim goes back to God, this person has the right to live by a resurrection in the future.

Jesus spoke Hebrew, and he used the word nephesh (translated as psykhē) two times in Matthew 20:28. His listeners knew the meaning of the word “body” (Hebrew kofær, Greek soma) and “soul” (Hebrew nephēsh and Greek psyche).  But they would hardly get a correct understanding of what Jesus meant by the words “kill the soul.” We can see this by reading Joshua 10:10:

³⁰ Accordingly Jehovah gave it also and its king into Israel’s hand, and they went striking it and every soul (nephesh) that was in it with the edge of the sword. They did not let a survivor remain in it. So they did to its king just as they had done to the king of Jerʹi·cho.

Joshua speaks about killing all the souls in Jericho. So, the listeners would understand the words “kill the soul” as killing the person. They would perhaps wonder why Jesus differentiated between killing the body and killing the soul, that for them would be one and the same thing. But they would not understand what Jesus meant. Therefore, Jesus used a parallelism that could help the listeners:

who kill (apokteinō) the body but cannot kill (apokteinō) the soul;

can destroy (apollymi) both soul and body in Ge·henʹna.

The verb apokteinō means to take the life of someone so they die. The verb apollymi has the meaning “to destroy or to cause the destruction of persons, objects, or institutions.” (Louw and Nida).  Jesus used apollymi as a parallel and contrast to apokteinō. And apollymi is much stronger than apokteinōbecause it refers to destruction. However, whether this destruction is eternal or not we cannot know when this verb is used. Therefore, Jesus added an even stronger element, namely, Gehenna.

As I have shown, the people believed that those who were thrown into Gehenna were eternally annihilated. Therefore, when Jesus used the word Gehenna, it indicated that the destruction shown by the use of the verb apollymi was eternal and final. This is also shown by the use of “soul.” Because we know that that a human soul consists of a body and the spirit of life, when the soul is destroyed, both these elements are destroyed. And when the spirit of life does not return to God when a person dies but is destroyed, the person has no right to get a resurrection.

For the Jews in the time of Jesus, Gehenna symbolized that a person died without being in the memory of Jehovah, and without the possibility of a resurrection. However, only God knows whether those whose bodies were thrown into Gehenna or those whom the Christian Greek Scriptures say have come or will come to Gehenna will get a resurrection. “Vox populi vox dei” (the voice of the people is the voice of God) is wrong. We must distinguish between the view of the people and the view of Jehovah God.

[1]. See Isaiah 10:16–19, where fire also is said to consume the enemies.

HOW WOULD THE LISTENERS UNDERSTAND THE WORDS OF JESUS?

The book of 1 Enoch, which is not a part of the Bible, tells that we all have souls or spirits that continue to live after the body is dead and that sinners will be tormented by fire. On the other hand, both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Greek Scriptures teach that no part of a man continues to live after he is dead. The consequence of this is that sinners cannot be tormented by fire after they are dead because torment requires that a person, or a part of him, is living.

However, there is one problem that we must discuss. Parts of the book of 1 Enoch were probably written in the 2nd or 1st century BCE. But the verses that describe torment by fire in  fragments of the book from this time are lacking. However, the Ethiopic text of 1 Enoch 110:13 says:

In these days, my servant will lead them to a deep cleft with fire, and they will be tormented; they will be locked up in their prison forever.

In the Aramaic Dead Sea Scroll 4Q204 f1v:1, which is a fragmentary text of 1 Enoch, the half part of the word ‘yq (“torture”) corresponding to the word “tormented” in the Ethiopic text, and the half part of the word ‘lm (“time indefinite”)[1], corresponding to the word “forever” in the Ethiopic text, are found. This may suggest that the descriptions of torment in the Ethiopic text of 1 Enoch were original, and that this book existed in the day of Jesus.

Moreover, the Pharisees, who may have originated as a group in the 2nd century BCE, believed that sinners would be tormented. Josephus says regarding the beliefs of the Pharisees:

Every soul, they maintain, is imperishable, but the soul of the good alone passes into another body, while the souls of the wicked suffer eternal punishment.[2]

On several occasions, Jesus referred to the judgment of Gehenna and connected it with fire, as we have seen. We must, therefore, ask: Was Jesus’ view of the fate of the sinners influenced by 1 Enoch and others who believed in eternal torment?

It has been argued that if the destiny of God’s enemies is eternal annihilation, the words of Jesus about Gehenna would have misled his listeners. Because 1 Enoch and the Pharisees advocated eternal torment for the souls or spirits of God’s enemies, the listeners of Jesus would have taken his words about gē hinnom and geenna to mean that he agreed with this view.

After the conquest of the world by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCE, Greek influence spread all over the Middle East, including Israel. One important Greek idea was that every man has an immortal soul. Many Jews became influenced by Greek thoughts, but there were also many who resisted this influence. One reason behind the Maccabean uprising in the middle of the 2nd century BCE was to resist the Greek influence and to promote the religion of the Hebrew Scriptures.[3]

We do not know how many Jews in the days of Jesus subscribed to the Greek idea of an immortal soul. But there can be no doubt that many persons were faithful toward the Hebrew Scriptures, which say that the soul can die and that a man dies in the same way as an animal and comes to the same place, as we see in Ecclesiastes 3:19, 20:

¹⁹ For there is an eventuality as respects the sons of mankind and an eventuality as respects the beast, and they have the same eventuality. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit, so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast, for everything is vanity. ²⁰ All are going to one place. They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust.

 The hope mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures is not personal immortality but a resurrection from the dead. The resurrection of the dead is mentioned in Isaiah 26:19, Hoshea 13:14, and Daniel 12:13, and it is implied by all the prophecies about God’s creation of a new heaven and a new earth. One example that can illustrate the view of many sincere Jews in the days of Jesus, is the view of Martha, the sister of Lazarus. Her brother died, and Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise.” Martha answered: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” (John 11:23, 24) Martha was a god-fearing woman, and her words regarding the resurrection on the last day must have been the view of many other sincere Jews.

Confirming this, are the words of Paul when he stood before Felix. Paul said according to Acts 24:15:

¹⁵ And I have the hope toward God, which hope these men themselves also entertain, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

Who were “these men” who believed in a resurrection? It was the men who attacked and accused Paul. This would suggest that not only humble and sincere Jews, such as Martha but that the general Jewish population believed in a resurrection. If that belief were not widespread, Paul would not have argued that Jews, whom he did not know, held this belief.

One premise behind the argument that Jesus’ words about Gehenna could be misunderstood is that the belief in an immortal soul and eternal torment for sinners was widespread among those who listened to Jesus. The words of Martha and Paul suggest that this was not true, but that the belief in the resurrection was widespread.

There is also another issue that may throw light on how the listeners would understand the words of Jesus, namely, what gē hinnom represented in the minds of the ordinary Jews in the days of Jesus. When we communicate, we assume that we and our listeners have a common knowledge, and that when we use particular words, our audience has about the same understanding of these words as we have.

Geographical names are also today used to represent something. One geographical name may refer to a rubbish dump, another to a mental hospital. Other geographical names may refer to a university, a research institution, or a governmental office. When someone says that Washington said this and that, and Moscow answered this and that, the reference is to the governments in the two capitals. In a similar way, when Jesus referred to gē hinnom, that name represented something in the minds of his listeners.

As mentioned, we have no contemporaneous accounts from the days of Jesus as to what gē hinnom represented; therefore, we cannot rightly criticize Jesus and say that his words would mislead his listeners to think that he argued in favor of eternal torment for sinners. A rejection of the belief in an immortal soul would exclude the idea of eternal torment. And because ge hinnom was connected with God’s universal judgment in the Hebrew Scriptures, without an immortal soul, this judgment could not be anything but eternal annihilation.

[1]. The basic meaning of the word ‘lm is “a time whose length is not known; time indefinite.” But translators often use the word “everlasting” to translate ‘lm.

[2]. Josephus. Jewish Antiquities, XVIII, 14 i, 3.

[3]. The books 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees tell about this situation.

DOES THE GREEK WORD KOLASIS IN MATTHEW 25:46 REFER TO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT? 

Jesus concluded his illustration about the sheep and the goats with some words about the destiny of those who belong to these two groups. We read in Matthew 25:46:

NIV: “Then they will go away to eternal punishment (kolasis), but the righteous to eternal life.”

NWT: And these will depart into everlasting cutting-off (kolasis), but the righteous ones into everlasting life.”[1]

Some countries have the death penalty, and this is also called capital punishment. So, death can be viewed as a punishment. However, the adjective “eternal” before “punishment” in the words of Jesus could indicate that this punishment is not instantaneous and refers to death. But it refers to living persons who will be punished without end. But the expression “everlasting cutting-off” in NWT84 indicates the end of the life of those receiving this punishment. I will now consider this issue from the view of lexical semantics and linguistics.

The important word is kolasis, and according to Liddell and Scott, the core meaning of the noun kolasis is “checking the growth of trees, esp. almond trees.” Because checking the growth of trees implied the use of force to cut off unwanted branches, the word can, according to the same source, also denote “chastisement” and “correction.” The question, therefore, is how the Bible translator should render this word. It is clear that “punishment” and “cutting off” are legitimate renderings of kolasis, and a study of why the translators have made different choices will reveal the role played by theology in Bible translation.

Where can the translator look to make a balanced decision? There are essentially five sources that can be explored: how the word is used in 1) classical Greek writings, 2) in apocryphal and pseudepigraphic books, 3) in Josephus, and 4) in the Septuagint. Because the word is in a quotation of Jesus, source 5) is an exploration into the original Hebrew words. Also, the teachings of Jesus and the writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures about the destiny of those who will not gain everlasting life must be carefully considered. But kolasis occurs only  two times and kolazō occurs two times, as we see in 1 John 4:18 (above). 2 Peter 2:9 (middle) and Acts 4:21 (below)

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love throws fear outside, because fear exercises a restraint (kolasis). Indeed, he that is under fear has not been made perfect in love.

9 Jehovah knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people for the day of judgment to be cut off (kolazō).

21 So, when they had further threatened them, they released them, since they did not find any ground on which to punish (kolazō) them and on account of the people, because they were all

The noun kolasis is rendered as “restraint,” and the verb kolazō is rendered as “cut-off” and “punish.” We have these renderings in mind when we look at the other sources.

THE THE USE OF KOLASIS IN THE SEPTUAGINT 

The Greek word kolasis occurs seven times in the Septuagint. This word is a translation of miqshōl in five instances, as seen in Table 1.3, and I will now consider the meaning of miqshōl in these five instances and two other Hebrew words.

Table 1.3 Hebrew words translated by kolasis

	HEBREW	SEPTUAGINT	MEANING
Ezekiel 14:3	mikhshōl  ‘āwōn	kolasis	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 14:4	mikhshōl  ‘āwōn	kolasis	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 14:7	mikhshōl  ‘āwōn	kolasis2	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 18:30	mikhshōl ‘āwōn	kolasis	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 44:12	mikhshōl ‘āwōn	kolasis	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel  43:11	kālam	kolasis	be put to shame, punishment
Jeremiah 18:20	—	kolasis

In the Septuagint we find the expression kolasin tōn adikiōn, and NETS[2] renders this expression as “the punishment of their injustices.” The Hebrew expression is miqshōl ‘āwōn. Each of these Hebrew words has their own meaning, but together they signify the idea of punishment that can include death.

The basic meaning of miqshōl is, “(cause of) stumbling and so falling, a stumbling block, obstacle.” (The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew). In a figurative sense miqshōl has the meaning, ”calamity; in divine judgment, as a hindrance to restoration of people.” (BDB), and “stumbling block, obstacle; (occasion of) stumbling, downfall.” (Kohlenberger and Mounce)

One example of miqshōl referring to the punishment of death is Jeremiah 6:21:

21 Therefore this is what Jehovah has said: “Here I am setting for this people stumbling blocks (miqshōl), and they will certainly stumble over them, fathers and sons together; the neighbor and his companion—they will perish (’ābad).”

The parallel in the verse is between “stumbling blocks” and “perish.” So, when the Hebrew word miqshōl is used, it can refer to destruction and death of humans. Three elements are visible: 1) stumbling blocks are laid, 2) the people will stumble, and 3) the people will die.

The meaning of ‘āwōn is, “sin, wickedness, iniquity, often with a focus on the guilt or liability incurred, and the punishment to follow. (Kohlenberger and Mounce), and “misdeed, sin; guilt caused by sin; punishment.” (BDB)

The following passages are referred to in BDB as examples of the meaning “punishment” of ‘āwōn:

Jeremiah 51:6

6 “FLEE out of the midst of Babylon, and provide escape each one for his own soul. Do not be rendered inanimate through her error (‘āwōn). For it is the time of vengeance (neqāmā) belonging to Jehovah. There is treatment that he is paying back to her.

Ezekiel 21:23, 24, 25, 29 (Heb 21:30-34)

23 And it has become to them like an untrue divination in their eyes—those who are sworn with oaths to them; and he is calling error to remembrance, in order [for them] to be caught. (‘āwōn lehittāfēsh the sin/guilt to be caught).

24 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, ‘By reason of YOUR causing YOUR error (‘āwōn) to be remembered by YOUR transgressions being uncovered, in order that YOUR sins may be seen according to all YOUR dealings, by reason of YOUR being called to remembrance YOU people will be seized even by the hand.’

25 “And as for you, O deadly wounded, wicked chieftain of Israel, whose day has come in the time of the error (‘āwōn kets) of [the] end,

29 because of [their] beholding for you an unreality, because of [their] divining for you a lie, in order to put you on the necks of the slain ones, the wicked men whose day has come in the time of the error (‘āwōn kets) of [the] end.

Ezekiel 35:5

5 for the reason that you proved to have an indefinitely lasting enmity and you kept delivering the sons of Israel over to the power of the sword, in the time of their disaster, in the time of [their] final error (‘āwōn kets).”’

Ezekiel 44:10, 12

10 “‘But as for the Levites who got far away from me when Israel, who wandered away from me, wandered after their dungy idols, they must also bear their error (nāshū ‘āwōn).

12 For the reason that they kept ministering to them before their dungy idols and became to the house of Israel a stumbling block into error (miqshōl ‘āwōn), that is why I have raised my hand against them,’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, ‘and they must bear their error (nāshū ‘āwōnim).

In Jeremiah 51:6 ‘awōn stands parallel with “vengeance” and “paying back,” so the meaning must be “punishment for sin.” Ezekiel 21:23, 24, 25, 29 and 35:5 connects ‘āwōn with “being caught,” “being sized by the hand,” and with “the end.” All these expressions refer to punishment, indicating that ‘āwōn means punishment. Ezekiel 44:10, 12 shows that the people must bear their error, which means that they are guilty of punishment.

In five instances, the nouns miqshōl and and ‘āwōn stand together as a unit. Because miqshōl can refer to calamity and divine judgment, and ‘āwōn can refer to “punishment,” the combination of both words is a strong expression of divine adverse judgment. The Septuagint translates five of the examples of miqshōl and ‘āwōn with kolasis tōn adikōn, and NETS translates this expression with “punishment of their injustices.” This is a good translation of the Greek words, and I will translate the Hebrew expression miqshōl ‘awōn as “the punishment of their sin” or just “punishment.”

The Hebrew word kālam is also translated by kolasis. Its meaning is, “humiliated, ashamed, put to shame, dishonored, confounded: 1. be humiliated, ashamed, before men; before enemies (by defeat, etc.); before God. 2. be put to shame, dishonored, confounded, by judgments of (God)” (BDB) I quote Isaiah 41:11 (above) and Ezekiel 43:10 (below):

¹¹ All who rage against you will surely be ashamed (kālam) and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.

¹⁰ And if they actually feel humiliated (kalam, kolasis) because of all that they have done (‘āwōn) [“they shall receive their punishment,” the Septuagint]…

Isaiah 41:11 is constructed as a parallelism, which means that the same idea is expressed with two words or expressions that are synonyms and say the same. In this verse “be ashamed” is parallel to “will be as nothing and perish.” This shows that kālam in the Nifal stem can express the idea of people who are perishing. In this verse, the Septuagint uses the verb entrepō with the meaning “be ashamed.”

Ezekiel 43:10 has the verb kālam together with the noun ‘āwon as kolasis (“punishment). And just as the translators of the Septuagint in five instances have translated miqshōl (“stumbling block”) and ‘āwōn (“sin”) as kolasis (“punishment”), they have translated kālam and ‘āwōn as kolasis (“punishment”).

The noun kolasis occurs seven times in the Septuagint. In five instances, the meaning is “punishment,” in the sixth instance it can be either “punishment” or “be put to shame,” and in the seventh instance, there is no Hebrew equivalent to kolasis.

THE WORDS KOLASIS OF KOLAZŌ IN EXTRA-BIBLICAL LITERATURE 

Let us first take a look at the writings of Josephus, where kolasis occurs 49 times. In William Whiston’s translation, the word is translated as “punishment,” and an unreflective reader may, therefore, draw the conclusion that this is the meaning of the word. Could it, in some or many instances, have been translated as “cutting-off”? Certainly, it could. For example, we read about Jeremiah:

So they mollified the multitude with these words, and delivered Jeremiah from the punishment (kolasis) to which he was condemned.[3]

The prophet had not been tormented or tortured, but he had been thrown into a pit so that he would not be able to prophesy against the rulers. Because the prophet was cut off from the people, it would be more appropriate to describe this situation as a cutting-off rather than as a punishment. In another writing, Josephus uses the word kolasis two times in reference to death:

While Titus was in Cesarea, he solemnised the birthday of his brother [Domitian] after a splendid manner, and inflicted a great deal of the punishment (kolasis) intended for the Jews in honour of him: for the number of those that were now slain in fighting with the beasts, and were burnt, and fought with one another, exceeded two thousand five hundred. Yet did all this seem to the Romans, when they were thus destroying ten thousand several ways, to be a punishment (kolasis) beneath their deserts.[4]

In the second use of the word in this text, the parallel word of kolasis is “destroying,” which means that the Jews were killed. Thus, the word was used in the same sense as the Hebrew word kārat (“to cut off”), which I will come back to later. The victims were simply cut off from their lives. The word karat is used in this sense in several other passages as well.

In the translations of apocryphal and pseudepigraphic books, kolasis is often translated with “punishment.” The situation here is the same as in Josephus: in many instances, the context would not forbid the translation “cutting-off.” But because “punishment” is the traditional rendering, this word is used.

THE HEBREW WORD KĀRAT AS A POSSIBLE BASIS FOR KOLASIS

Persons in Israel who were guilty of grave sins were killed, according to the Law. Exodus 30:38 says:

³⁸ Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its smell must be cut off (kārat) from its people.

The verb translated by “cut off” is kārat, and it occurs 290 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Of these, 119 refer to “making a covenant” (Literally: “to cut a covenant”), and 171 refer to cutting for different objects, including being cut off from life. In the Septuagint, there are 23 different words translate kārat,[5] and all these relate in some way to the core meaning “cut.” Interestingly, there is a clear relation between the Hebrew word kārat and the Greek words used to describe the destiny of ungodly people, and the link is the translation of kārat in the Septuagint.

The Greek word in the Septuagint used to translate kārat in 45% of the cases referring to cutting-off is ‘eksolethreuō, but in The Christian Greek Scriptures this word occurs only in Acts 3:23 in the sense “being cut-off from the people.” Second Thessalonians 1:7, which describes the eternal destiny of wicked people, uses the word olethros (“destruction”). Because this is the substantive corresponding to the verb ‘eksolethreuō that is the most used word for translating kārat, the idea of kārat (cutting-off) must be the basis for the expression in 2 Thessalonians 1:9:

 ⁹ These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction (olethros) from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength.

The Septuagint uses the word apollymi 13 times, which translates kārat several times in The Christian Greek Scriptures for the destiny of the wicked.[6] Jesus uses the corresponding noun apōleia (“destruction”) one time in this same sense,[7] and the same is true in 2 Peter 3:7. The Hebrew word kārat — to be cut off from life was the destiny of ungodly people, according to the Hebrew Scriptures — is evidently behind the words olethros and apōleia. Even in Jesus’ illustration at Matthew 13:34–43, the idea of kārat is basic. He compared the sons of the kingdom to fine seed and the sons of the wicked to weeds. The final end is that the weeds are burned with fire,[8] which means that they are annihilated (cut off from any existence). The Greek word used for “burn” (or, “burn up”) in Matthew 13:40 is katakaiō, and the Septuagint uses this word as a translation of kārat.[9]

When Jesus uttered the words in Matthew 25:46, he spoke Hebrew. It is likely that Jesus used a form of the verb kārat and that this was translated by kolasis. This is likely because the idea of kārat (“cutting-off”) is so closely connected with the destiny of ungodly people in the Christian Greek Scriptures and the Hebrew Scriptures. Moreover, the word Jesus used is contrasted with life and living, and except for “death,” I am not aware of any Hebrew word other than kārat that could better express the opposite of life and living.

 We should also remember that the core meaning of kolasis well matches the core meaning of karat — the core meaning of kolasis was to cut off branches from trees, and the core meaning of kārat was to cut off any object, including branches and other objects of wood.[10] It is true that the seven occurrences of kolasis in the Septuagint never translate kārat. As shown above, kolasis refers to a stumbling block that causes people to be cut off from life. Thus, kolasis and kārat have a similar core meanings and can denote the same things. This may have been the reason why Matthew chose this word in 25:46.

THE TRANSLATION OF MATTHEW 25:46 

What is the best way to render kolasis in English? The answer must be based on the lexical and contextual evidence. If we look at the lexical evidence from a quantitative point of view, we see that most examples of the use of kolasis in ancient writings denote punishment (though not pain or torment). Quantitative arguments can be delusive, however, because the extra-biblical literature, where the word occurs, contains an immense amount of mythology, and we cannot decide the meaning of the word in its application to the destiny of ungodly people on the basis of mythological statements. The conclusion must be that, lexically speaking, kolasis can denote both punishment and also cutting off or restraining something.[11]

In the Christian Greek Scriptures, we find two examples of the verb kolazō and two examples of the substantive kolasis. In Acts 4:21, the context suggests that the verb denotes punishment, and NWT has “punish” in this verse, but we cannot rule out the stronger meaning “cut them off,” that is, “to kill them” in this verse. In 1 John 4:18, the context cannot tell us the exact reference of kolasis. NWT84 renders it as “a restraint,” and the footnote says, “Or, ’checking; correction; punishment.’ Lit., ‘lopping off.’” In 2 Peter 2:9, again the context is not decisive, and NWT renders the verb as “to be cut off,” and the footnote says, “Or, ‘be checked.’” The last place where we find the substantive is Matthew 25:46; the context (vv. 31–46), and we read in verse 41:

⁴¹ “Then he will say, in turn, to those on his left, ‘Be on YOUR way from me, YOU who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.

The Devil and his angels will be annihilated forever, and these words of Jesus show that this will also be the destiny of the goats. So, how should kolasis be rendered into English?

Bible translators have two options in Matthew 25:46, either to use “punishment” or to use “cutting off.” Lexically speaking, both options are equally good. The duty of the translators is not only to find a target language word that is lexically correct, but to consider what the word signals for the readers and which connotations they will make.

We can use the Greek word pornē as an example. The meaning is, “a prostitute, a whore, harlot, an unchaste female.” We can also add the words, “call girl, escort, sex worker, and streetwalker.” All eight words can translate the Greek word pornē. But which English word will a translator choose? That depends, first of all, on the context, how the woman is portrayed in the context. It also depends of the associations and connotations the reader will make regarding the word that is chosen.

In our context, the choice is between “everlasting punishment” and “everlasting cutting-off. Linguistically speaking, both expressions are equally good. But what about the associations and connotations that the readers will make?

It is true that a death sentence could be defined as punishment, but I am sure that few (if any) living persons whose mother tongue is English would use the term “everlasting punishment” in reference to a death sentence. This means that the natural connotations modern Bible readers will make when they read that some persons “will go away to eternal punishment” (NIV) is that they will continue to live after death and be punished all the time without ending.

The NWT84 rendering, “everlasting cutting-off” is more in line with the words of 25:41, that the destiny of the goats is the same as the destiny of the Devil and his angels. The understanding of most readers of the words “everlasting cutting-off” is that the goats will lose their lives forever, and no connotations about punishment that continues forever is possible. So, in my view, the rendering “everlasting cutting-off” is the best rendering.

[1]. The footnote says, “Lit., ‘lopping off; pruning.’

[2]. NETS is a translation of the Greek text of the Septuagint.

[3]. Josephus, Antiquities 10.6.2.93.

[4]. Josephus, The Jewish War, 7.3.1.37–38. Text is online at http://tinyurl.com/2bs4hvy.

[5]. The following 23 words are used: ‘eksolethreuō (exterminate): 77; koptō (cut down): 13; apollymi (destroy, lose): 13, ekleipō (fail, desert), afaireo (take away): 13; eksairo (lift up, remove): 10; ekkoptō (cut off): 7; ektribō (destroy): 3; afistēmi (remove, leave): 2; and afanizō (hide, destroy): 2. The following verbs occur one time: syntribō (crush, break), peritemnō (circumcise), eksollymi (destroy completely), katakaiō (burn up, consume), eksanaliskō (consume, destroy), olethreuō (destroy), katakoptō (cut to pieces), apokoptō (cut down), kataskapto (burn down, destroy), ekdyō (strip of, destroy), typtō (strike, beat). The two nouns thladias (eunuch) and ektomias (a castrated person) also translate kārat.

[6]. It is, for example, found in Matthew 10:28 in the phrase, “destroy (apollymi) soul and body in Gehenna.”

[7]. Matthew 7:13.

[8]. In Matthew 13:42, we read about the weeds: “And they will pitch them into the fiery furnace. There is where [their]weeping and the gnashing of [their] teeth will be.” Because weeds thrown into a fiery furnace will be burned to ashes, the weeping and gnashing of teeth must occur before the destruction of the people symbolized by the weeds.

[9]. In Exodus 34:13, we read according to the Hebrew text: “But the altars you people are to pull down (nātats, “break down”), and their sacred pillars you are to shatter (shābar, “crush; smash”), and their sacred poles you are to cut down (kārat, “cut”).” The NETS is an English translation of the Septuagint, and the last clause of the verse in this translation is “and the cast images of their gods you shall burn (katakaiō) with fire.”

[10]. Examples of kārat used to cut off wooden objects are Numbers 13:23, Judges 6:26, Job 14:7, and Jeremiah 6:6.

[11]. It is nothing strange that certain words may denote different things. This is also true in connection with other words that refer to the destiny of ungodly people. For example, olethros may denote both “utter destruction” and “waste,” and apōleia may denote both “destruction” and “losing” something.”

THE USE OF THE GREEK WORD BASANIZŌ, BASANOS, BASANISMOS AND BASANISTĒS 

The basic meaning of the verb bazanizō and the three related words given by lexicons of New Testament Greek is to torment/torment, and the words are used 29 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures. When the object of the verb bazanizō is a living creature, its meaning can be torment. However, inanimate things and symbols can also be objects, and these cannot feel pain. This means that the word cannot have only one meaning or reference.

In all languages, different meanings and nuances can be attached to a word through time. If a word is a physical object, meanings based on its appearance, its use, and what it stands for or represents often arise. We may use the Hebrew word kæræn as an example. The word is a physical object, and its basic meaning is “horn.” Horns could be used to store perfume, and one meaning was “perfume box” (Job 42:14); the words Keren Happuk, “horn of antimony,” are used as eye shadow. Horns could also contain oil and other liquids, and the meaning “receptacle” arose. A horn could also be used as a musical instrument and the meaning “trumpet” arose (Joshua 6:5). At sunrise and sunset, the rays of the sun may look like gigantic horns, and “ray” also became a meaning (Habbakuk 3:4). The word may also represent the word “strength.” (Jeremiah 48:25)

THE MEANING OF BASANOS AND RELATED TERMS

Like kæræn, which is a physical object, basanos was a physical object as well. We read in Dictionary of New Testament Theology, volume 3, page 855:

Basanos comes from the Egyptian word for touchstone for gold (lydia lithos Baccyl Frag 14). Attested since tehognis and Pindar in cl. Gk. Usage. It signifies originally a means of testing; then torture as a means of examination, and finally, torment generally.

This definition relates to Classical Greek, and word meaning is often different in New Testament Greek compared with Classical Greek. The word psykhē (“soul”), for example, refers to humans and animals which are souls, and souls can die. In classical Greek psykhē refers to a spiritual part of man that cannot die.  There is no doubt that basanos in the book of the Maccabees, written in the second century BCE and the apocryphal books 3 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees, and the Wisdom of Solomon, often refers to torture. This is also the case in some passages in the Christian Greek Scriptures.  But if we have the example of the Hebrew word kæræn in mind, we must be open to other meanings of the word as well.

As the quotation above shows, the word originally referred to a physical object, namely, a stone on which pure gold would leave a yellow streak if it was rubbed against the stone. So, the meaning was “touchstone.” Because the purity of gold could be tested, the word could be used for any test of genuineness. Because torture often was used in interrogations of prisoners, the word also got the meaning “inquiry by torture.” Regarding the related word basanistēs, The Greek-English Lexicon of Liddell and Scott gives the meanings “examiner; questioner; torturer; gaoler [prison guard].”

Before we look at the use in the Christian Greek Scriptures, I will look at the use of basanos in the Septuagint.

THE USE OF BASANOS IN THE SEPTUAGINT

Jesus spoke Hebrew, and Luke used the word basanos in an illustration told by Jesus. Which Hebrew word did Jesus use? Matthew uses the word basanizō three times and Mark two times. Their native tongue was Hebrew, and which Hebrew word(s) did they have in mind? In Revelation, basanizō is used five times and basanismos is used six times. This is a book that is heavy influenced by Hebrew. So, it is important to see if the Hebrew Scriptures can give us some clues as to the meaning of basanos and related words.

Table 1:4 lists the Hebrew words that are translated as basanos in the Septuagint and the meaning of these words. In what follows I will discuss each words.

Table 1.4 The use of the word basanos in the Septuagint

	HEBREW TEXT	SEPTUAGINT	MEANING
Ezekiel 3:20	mikhshōl	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 7:19	mikhshōl  ‘āwōn	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 16:52	kelimmā:	basanos	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 16:54	nāsā kelimmā	basanos	judgment/punishment to death
Ezekiel 32:24	nāsā kelimmā	basanos	judgment/punishment to death
Ezekiel 32:30	nāsā kelimmā	basanos	judgment/punishment to death
Ezekiel 12:18	de’āgā	basanos	fear, anxiety
1 Samuel 6:3	’āsham	basanos	guilt, guilt offering

The verb mikshōl is translated two times with basanos in the Septuagint. I start with the verb kāshal that corresponds to the noun miqshōl.

The verb kāshal has the active meaning of “to stumble, falter, fall,” the passive meaning, “be brought down,” and the causative meaning “be overthrown.” (Kohlenberger and Mounce). An example showing that even the active form can mean destruction is when Isaiah speaks about God’s judgment of both the houses of Israel, and he wrote in 8:15:

¹⁵ And many among them will be certain to stumble (kāshal) and to fall (nāfal) and be broken, (shābar) and to be snared (yāqash) and caught (lāqad).

The parallel verbs “stumble,” “fall,” and “be broken” point to the destruction of the people. The noun corresponding to the verb kāshal is mikhshōl, and its meaning is “stumbling, means or occasion of stumbling, stumbling-block.” (BDB) This noun can refer to people who stumble and are destroyed. This is seen in the Isaiah 8:14, the verse before the verse that is quoted above:

¹⁴And he must become as a sacred place; but as a stone to strike against and as a rock over which to stumble (mikhshōl) to both the houses of Israel, as a trap (pah) and as a snare (mōkēsh) to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

The point here is that both the verb kāshōl (“to stumble”) and the noun mikhshōl (“stumbling-block”) can refer to destruction of the those who are mentioned in the context

The noun mikhshol is translated in the Septuagint by the Greek word basanos, which is used with the meaning “torment” both in the apocryphal books and in the Bible. From the use of the noun basanos in the Septuagint, we see that the word has other meanings than “torment.”

THE HEBREW WORDS TRANSLATED AS BASANOS 

There are two places where the Septuagint translates mikhshōl with basanos. In the next section, I will show that the Septuagint also translates mikhshōl with kolasis, and this is very important for the meaning of basanos and related words in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

Ezekiel 3:20

²⁰ And when someone righteous turns back from his righteousness and actually does injustice and I must put a stumbling block (Hebrew: miqshol, Greek: basanos) before him, he himself will diE (mūt) because you did not warn him. For his sin he will die, and his righteous acts that he did will not be remembered, but his blood I shall ask back from your own hand.

As we see in the quotations from Isaiah 8:14, 15, above the Hebrew word miqahōl is a synonym for death. This means that the Greek word basanos also can refer to death and not necessarily to torment. We see this clearly in the parallel between “stumbling block” (mikhshōl) and “he himself will die” (mūt)  in 3:20.

Ezekiel 7:9, 19

⁹ Neither will my eye feel sorry nor shall I feel compassion. According to your ways shall I do the bringing upon you yourself, and your own detestable things will come to be right in the midst of you; and YOU people will have to know that I am Jehovah doing the smiting (nākā, kill; slaughter).

¹⁹ “‘Into the streets they will throw their very silver, and an abhorrent thing their own gold will become. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah’s fury. Their souls they will not satisfy, and their intestines they will not fill, for it has become a stumbling block (miqshōl) causing their error.

The last clause literally says: ki (for) miqshōl (punishment) ‘avōnām (their sin) hāyā (it will be). The Hebrew word miqshol, parallels the word nākā (kill, slaughter) at the end of verse 9. Therefore, I translate miqshol as punishment, and because miqshōl is translated as basanos in the Septuagint, basanos has the meaning of punishment to death or death penalty.

Ezekiel 16:52, 54

⁵² You also, bear your humiliation (kelimmā, basanos) when you must argue in favor of your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more detestably than they did, they are more righteous than you. And you also, be ashamed and bear your humiliation (kelimmā) in that you make your sisters appear righteous.’

⁵³ “‘And I will gather their captive ones, the captive ones of Sodʹom and of her dependent towns, and the captive ones of Sa·marʹi·a and of her dependent towns; I will also gather your captive ones in the midst of them, ⁵⁴ in order that you may bear your humiliation (nāsā kelimmā, basanos); and you must feel humiliated owing to all that you have done, in that you comforted them.

The Hebrew word kelimma occurs in Ezekiel 16:52. The first occurrence is translated as basanos (“punishment”) and the last occurrence is translated as atimia (“dishonor”). In 16:54, nāsā kelimmā is translated as basanos (“punishment”). The words nāsā kelimmā  (“to bear the disgrace”) points to having responsibility for the bad actions with the implication of punishment. But the context does not show what the judgment refers to.

Ezekiel 32:24, 25, 30

²⁴ “‘There are Eʹlam and all her crowd round about her grave, all of them slain ones, those falling by the sword, who have gone down uncircumcised to the land down below, those who have caused their terror in the land of those alive; and they will bear their humiliation (nāsā kelimmā, basanos) with those going down into [the] pit. ²⁵ In the midst of slain ones they have set a bed for her among all her crowd. Her burial places are round about it. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because their terror was caused in the land of those alive; and they will bear their humiliation (kelimmā) with those going down into [the] pit. In the midst of slain ones he has been put.

³⁰ “‘There is where the dukes of the north are, all of them, and all the Si·doʹni·ans, who have gone down with the slain ones, in their terribleness because of their mightiness, ashamed. And they will lie down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and will bear their humiliation (nāsā kelimmā, basanos) with those going down into [the] pit.

In verses 24 and 30 there are again the words nāsā kelimmā, which are stronger than kelimmā alone. It refers to the responsibility that will lead to punishment. In this case, the punishment is death, shown by the words, “going down into the pit.”

Ezekiel 12:18

The noun de’āgā with the meaning, “fear, anxiety, restlessness.” (Kohlberger and Mounce) is translated as basanos in the Septuagint in Ezekiel 12:18:

¹⁸ “Son of man, with quaking your bread you should eat, and with agitation and with anxious care (de’āgā, basanos) your water you should drink.

In this example, there is no association with judgment or death. But de’āgā is parallel to quaking and agitation, and must have the meaning “anxiety.”

1 Samuel 6:3

The Hebrew word ’āsham is also translated by basanos in the Septuagint. The meaning of the noun is:

“1. commit an offence, a trespass, do a wrong, or an injury, with לְ.

2. be or become guilty; in offences requiring a sin-offering, of trespass-offering; with ל guilty of, with ב in or through.

3. be held guilty, bear punishment.” (Louw and Nida)

The Philistines had captured the ark, and God punished them for this action. Therefore, they wanted to return the ark to Israel, and we read in 1 Samuel 6:1-3:

¹ And the ark of Jehovah proved to be in the field of the Phi·lisʹtines seven months. ² And the Phi·lisʹtines proceeded to call the priests and the diviners, saying: “What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah? Let us know with what we should send it away to its place.” ³ To this they said:  “If YOU are sending the ark of the God of Israel away, do not send it away without an offering (rēkām), for YOU should by all means return to him a guilt offering (āsham, basanos). Then it is that YOU will be healed, and it must become known to YOU why his hand would not turn away from YOU.”

The noun basanismos is not found in the Septuagint. But the verb basanizō is found one time in 1 Samuel 5:3. The NETS has “plagued them” for basanizō. However, this verb is parallel with the verb patassō with the meaning “strike kill.” So, there is no reason to believe that bazanizō includes any form of torment.. Moreover, there is no corresponding Hebrew text to the clause with basanizō.

The conclusion is that none of the eight occurrences of basanos in the Septuagint include any notion of torment or torture.

This is the most important part of this article

THE NOUN BASANOS HAS THE SAME MEANING AS KOLASIS

In the previous section dealing with the noun kolasis, I showed that according to the Septuagint, kolasis can refer both to “punishment” and “cutting-off” (death). Because basanos in six occurrences translated the same Hebrew words as kolasis, basanos is a synonym for kolasis and has the same meaning. This is seen in Table 1.5:

Table 1.5 The nouns kolasis and basanos are synonyms

	HEBREW	SEPTUAGINT	MEANING
Ezekiel 14:3	mikhshōl3  ‘āwōn	kolasis	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 14:4	mikhshōl3  ‘āwōn	kolasis	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 14:7	mikhshōl3  ‘āwōn	kolasis	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 18:30	mikhshōl2  ‘āwōn	kolasis	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 44:12	mikhshōl2  ‘āwōn	kolasis	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel  43:10	kālam	kolasis	be put to shame or judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 12:18	rāzā	kolasis	quivering
Ezekiel 3:20	mikhshōl	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 7:19	mikhshōl  ‘āwōn	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 16:52	kelimmā:	basanos	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 16:54	nāsā kelimmā	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 32:24	nāsā kelimmā	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 32:30	nāsā kelimmā	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 12:18	de’āgā	basanos	fear, anxiety
1 Samuel 6:3	’āsham:	basanos	guilt, guilt offering

The blue color shows that five occurrences of mikhshōl āwōn are translated in the Septuagint with kolasis with the meaning “punishment,” and that one occurrence of mikhshōl āwōn and one occurrence of mikshōl are translated by basanos, with the meaning “punishment” and “punishment by death.”

The Green color shows that one example of the verb kālam is translated with kolasis, with the meaning “be put to shame” or “punishment,” and that one example of the corresponding noun kelimmā is translated by basanos with the meaning “punishment” and three examples of nāsā kelimmā is translated by basanos with the meaning “punishment by death.”

Because of these parallels, there is no doubt that both kolasis and basanos can refer to punishment, either punishment by death or punishment in other situations. This shows that the almost universal view of Bible translators that basanos and related words in the Christian Greek Scriptures always refer to torment is wrong!

THE USE OF BASANOS AND RELATED WORDS IN THE CHRISTIAN GREEK SCRIPTURES

The verb basanizō occurs 12 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, the noun basanismos occurs five times, the noun basanos occurs three times, and the noun basanistēs occurs one time. I will now analyze the contexts and see if we can find the meaning of these words. Table 1:6 shows the meanings I have found, and I will discuss each example in turn.

Table 1.6 The use of basanos, basanismos, basaniastēs, and basanizō

Matthew 4:24	basanos	pain
Matthew 8:6	basanizō	judgment/torment
Matthew 8:29	basanizō	judge/punish
Matthew 14:24	basanizō	be hard pressed
Matthew 18:34	basanistēs	jailer
Mark 5:7	basanizō	judge/punish
Mark 6:48	basanizō	be hard pressed
Luke 8:28	basanizō	judge/punish
Luke 16:23	basanos	torment
Luke 16:28	basanos	torment
2 Peter 2:8	basanizō	torment
Revelation 9:5	basanismos2	torment
Revelation 9:5	bazanizō	torment
Revelation 11:10	bazanizō	torment
Revelation 12:2	basanizō	torment
Revelation 14:10	bazanizō	judge/punish
Revelation 14:11	bazanismos	judgement/punishment
Revelation 18:7	bazanismos	judgement/punishment
Revelation 18:10	bazanismos	judgment/punishment
Revelation 18:15	bazanismos	judge/punish
Revalation 20:10	bazanizō	judge/punish

THE USE OF BASANISTĒS IN MATTHEW 18:34 

The noun basanistēs occurs only in Matthew 18:34, and I quote verses 18:32-35:

³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘Wicked slave, I canceled all that debt for you, when you entreated me. ³³ Ought you not, in turn, to have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I also had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ With that his master, provoked to wrath, delivered him to the jailers (basanistēs), until he should pay back all that was owing. ³⁵ In like manner my heavenly Father will also deal with YOU if YOU do not forgive each one his brother from YOUR hearts.”

Both NIV and NRSV use “jailers.” But I am surprised that so many Bible translations use “torturer” or a similar word here. A Bible translator should be careful not to read ideas into the translated text that are not found in the original text. This would mean that if a translator is certain regarding the meaning of a word, he should use this meaning. But when he is uncertain, and a word can have different meanings, he should rather use a general meaning than an uncertain specific meaning. In this instance, the meaning “jailer” is general. By using this word, the translator does not signal anything about the work of the basanistēs. He may be a torturer or an ordinary gaoler.

Can we be certain of the meaning of basanistēs? If all the words beginning with basan- referred to torture, the translator had good reason to translate basanistēs with torturer. But that is not the case, as we see in Table 1.6. As I have shown above, none of the eight occurrences of basanos in the Septuagint refer to any kind of torment or torture. The closest we come is the biblical word ‘āni with the meaning “poor, afflicted, humble.”

I Modern Hebrew, “torture” is ‘annot and “torturer” is meanæ. Neither of these words is found in the Hebrew text of the Bible, and neither have I found them in Mishnah Hebrew. The reason is that torture was against the law of Moses. So, Jesus could not have used the word “torturer” because such a word does not exist, and those who claim that basanistēs means torturer should be able to tell which word Jesus used that Matthew translated with basanistēs.

We should also consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:35:

³⁵ In like manner my heavenly Father will also deal with YOU if YOU do not forgive each one his brother from YOUR hearts.”

Not to forgive his brother is a minor sin compared to murder and sexual immorality and other serious sins. Bible translators who translate basanistēs as “torturer” tell the readers that humans who are guilty of minor sins will be tortured when they die!

THE VERB BASANIZŌ WITHOUT THE MEANING OF “TORTURE” 

It is obvious that the slave that was jailed because he owed much money was not tortured — he was delivered to the jailers (gaolers).

A jailer often used torture, and therefore the word basanistēs could refer to the jailer even when he did not use torture. This shows that if the context does not clearly say so, we cannot know whether torment or torture is the reference of the words basanos, bazanizō, and basanistēs. A comparison of a few passages will show this. We read Matthew 14:24 (above), and Mark 6:48 (below):

²⁴ By now the boat was many hundreds of yards away from land, being hard put (bazanizō) to it by the waves, because the wind was against them.

⁴⁸ And when he saw them being hard put (bazanizō) to it in their rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night he came toward them, walking on the sea; but he was inclined to pass them by.

In 14:24, The boat is neuter singular, and the verb bazanizō is present participle neuter singular. So, it was the boat and not the persons in it that were the subject of bazanizō. The boat could not be tortured, but it was tossed by the waves or hard pressed by the waves.

In Mark 6:48, basanizō is present participle masculine plural accusative. The subject is “they” which is 3. plural masculine accusative. The boat could not be tormented. But it was tossed by the waves. Neither were the disciples in the boat tormented. But they used much force when they were rowing because of the waves. Both passages show that bazanizō in these two cases does not mean to torture.

There are also three examples of demons who spoke to Jesus and who used the verb basanizō. We read Matthew 8:29 (above),  Mark 5:7 (middle), and Luke 8:27-33 (below):

²⁹ And, look! they screamed, saying: “What have we to do with you, Son of God? Did you come here to torment (basanizō) us before the appointed time?”

⁶ But on catching sight of Jesus from a distance he ran and did obeisance to him, ⁷ and, when he had cried out with a loud voice, he said: “What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I put you under oath by God not to torment (basanizō) me.”

When Jesus was in the grave parts of three days, Paul says that he was in the abyss, according to Romans 10:7. Thus, the abyss is the same as the grave where there is no life. According to Revelation 20:2-3, the Devil (and his demons) will be thrown in the abyss before the thousand-year-reign of Jesus starts. This is “the appointed time” for the demons to be bound in the abyss. In Luke 8:28 and 31, there is a parallel between “do not torment me” and “go way into the abyss.” So, the demon asked that Jesus should not throw the demons into the abyss at that time — before the appointed time. This shows clearly that basanizō in this instance and the other two instances we are discussing have the meaning “to punish” the demons by throwing them into the abyss.

Table 1.7 The words basanos, basanismos, and bazanizō without any element of torture in the Septuagint and in the Christian Greek Scriptures

PASSAGES	HEBREW TEXT	SEPTUAGINT	MEANING
Ezekiel 3:20	mikhshōl	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 7:19	mikhshōl ‘āwōn	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 16:52	kelimmā:	basanos	judgment/punishment
Ezekiel 16:54	nāsā kelimmā:	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 32:24	nāsā kelimmā:	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 32:30	nāsā kelimmā:	basanos	judgment/punishment by death
Ezekiel 12:18	de’āgā	basanos	fear, anxiery
1 Samuel 6:3	’āsham:	basanos	guilt, guilt offering, compensation
PASSAGES		CHRISTIAN	MEANING
Matthew 18:34		basanistēs	jailer
Matthew 14:24		basanizō	be hard pressed
Mark 6:48		basanizō	be hard pressed
Matthew 8:29		basanizō	judge/punish
Mark 5:7		basanizō	judge/punish
Luke 8:28		basanizō	judge/punish
Revelation 14:10		basanizō	judgment/punishment by death
Revelation 14:11		basanizō	judgment/punishment by death
Revelation 18:7		basanismos	judgment/punishment by death
Revelation 18:10		basanismos	judgment/punishment by death
Revelation 18:15		basanismos	judgment/punishment by death
Revelation 20:10		basanizō	judgment/punishment by death

THE WORDS BASANOS, BASANISMOS, AND BASANIZŌ WITH THE MEANING OF GREIF OR FEELING PAIN 

The illustration of the rich man and Lazarus is found in Luke 16:23-28. Here the noun basanos occurs one time:

Luke 16:23-28

 ¹⁹ “But a certain man was rich, and he used to deck himself with purple and linen, enjoying himself from day to day with magnificence. ²⁰ But a certain beggar named Lazʹa·rus used to be put at his gate, full of ulcers ²¹ and desiring to be filled with the things dropping from the table of the rich man. Yes, too, the dogs would come and lick his ulcers.  ²² Now in course of time the beggar died and he was carried off by the angels to the bosom [position] of Abraham.

“Also, the rich man died and was buried.  ²³ And in Haʹdes he lifted up his eyes, he existing in torments (basanos), and he saw Abraham afar off and Lazʹa·rus in the bosom [position] with him.  ²⁴ So he called and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazʹa·rus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish (odynaō) in this blazing fire.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you received in full your good things in your lifetime, but Lazʹa·rus correspondingly the injurious things. Now, however, he is having comfort here but you are in anguish (odynaō).

²⁶ And besides all these things, a great chasm has been fixed between us and YOU people, so that those wanting to go over from here to YOU people cannot, neither may people cross over from there to us.’ ²⁷ Then he said, ‘In that event I ask you, father, to send him to the house of my father,  ²⁸ for I have five brothers, in order that he may give them a thorough witness, that they also should not get into this place of torment (basanos).’  ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to these.’ ³⁰ Then he said, ‘No, indeed, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them they will repent.’  ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”

The verb odynaō means “to be in pain.” And the same meaning has the noun basanos in this context. We know from both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Greek Scriptures that hadēs, which is mentioned in v. 23, is the grave, where there is no consciousness. The words of Jesus are an illustration that perhaps pointed to the Pharisees who were fond of money (16:14) just as the rich man. If a person literally was tormented in a blazing fire, one drop of water would not be of much help for his thirst (verse 24).

In the illustration in Luke 15:11–32, death is used symbolically. Verse 32 says that “your brother was dead but is alive.” But the lost son was not literally dead. That death is used in a symbolic way in connection with the rich and poor man would not be strange at all. We may also consider the account in Luke 15:1–13. If this was not an illustration, Jesus would condone unrighteous actions, because verse 8 tells that he commended the unrighteous steward. Illustrations are not literal accounts, but they are told to stress particular points. Therefore, we cannot use the words about the rich man and Lazarus to demonstrate that those who go to their grave (hadēs) will experience torment in a blazing fire.

Matthew 8:5, 6

There is also one example of the verb basanizō with the meaning “to have pain” in the gospel of Matthew, in 8:5, 6:

⁵ When he entered into Ca·perʹna·um, an army officer came to him, entreating him ⁶ and saying: “Sir, my manservant is laid up in the house with paralysis, being terribly (deinōs) tormented (bazanizō).”

The servant was ill, and the words deinōs and basanizō indicates that the servant had strong pains.

The last book in the Bible is the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John. In this book the noun basatismos occurs six times and verb bazanizō occurs five times, Revelation 1:1 says that the things that “must shortly take place” are “presented in signs.” So, the book is not a historical narrative, but the different messages are presented in a figurative way.

Revelation 9:5, 6

⁵ And it was granted the [locusts], not to kill them, but that these should be tormented (bazanizō) five months, and the torment (bazanismos) upon them was as torment (bazanismos) by a scorpion when it strikes a man. ⁶ And in those days the men will seek death but will by no means find it, and they will desire to die but death keeps fleeing from them.

Because of the illustration with the stings of a scorpion shows that the passive form of the verb basanizō indicates that the people were tormented, and the same is shown by the two examples of the noun basanos.

Revelation 11:10 

 ¹⁰ And those dwelling on the earth rejoice over them and enjoy themselves, and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented (basanizō) those dwelling on the earth.

The word basanizō in this verse has the meaning “torment.” But this is not literal torment on the body but rather torment of the mind because of the actions of the two prophets.

Revelation 12:12 

¹ And a great sign was seen in heaven, a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon was beneath her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars, ² and she was pregnant. And she cries out in her pains and in her agony to give birth.

In this verse, the verb basanizō refers to birth pains.

THE WORDS BASANISMOS AND BASANIZŌ WITH THE MEANING “PUNISHMENT” 

It is clear that the two basic meanings of kolasis is “cutting-off” and “judgment/punishment,” and it never means “torment.” Table 1.5 shows that basanos and basanismos are synonyms having the same meaning. Therefore, there is solid linguistic evidence for translating both these nouns as well as basanizō with “to punish” and “punishment” and not with “torment.” Examples of this follow.

Revelation 18:7, 8, 10, 15

⁶ Render to her even as she herself rendered, and do to her twice as much, yes, twice the number of the things she did; in the cup in which she put a mixture put twice as much of the mixture for her. ⁷ To the extent that she glorified herself and lived in shameless luxury, to that extent give her torment (basanismos) and mourning. For in her heart she keeps saying, ‘I sit a queen, and I am no widow, and I shall never see mourning.’ ⁸ That is why in one day her plagues will come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be completely burned with fire, because Jehovah God, who judged her, is strong.

¹⁰ while they stand at a distance because of their fear of her torment (basanismos) and say, ‘Too bad, too bad, you great city, Babylon you strong city, because in one hour your judgment has arrived!’

¹⁵ “The traveling merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of [their] fear of her torment (basanismos) and will weep and mourn.

Babylon the great is a symbol of organizations, and organizations cannot be tormented. The words “render to her” in verse 6 is aorist imperative, 2 plural. So the angel speaks to two or more angels who must give to Babylon the great what she has given to others. The word “give” in verse 7 is also aorist imperative 2 plural. So, the Greek words basanos and penthos, that are translated as “torment and mourning” are something that others have inflicted on her.

The plagues of Babylon the great are described in verse 8 as, “death, mourning, and famine, and she will be completely burned with fire.” We note that torment is not mentioned among her plagues. Moreover, Babylon the great is a symbol of organizations, and organizations cannot be tormented. Table 1:5 shows that basanos in five instances refer to judgment/punishment by death in the Septuagint, and in three instances it refers to judgment/punishment in the gospels. Therefore, I take the three occurrences of basanismos in Revelation 18:8-15 refer to judgment/punishment by death as well.

Depending on the context, a verb in the source language can be rendered by the corresponding noun in the target language, vice versa. I render verses 7, 10, and 15 in the following way. My changes are marked in red:

⁷ To the extent that she glorified herself and lived in shameless luxury, to that extent punish (basanismos) her and let her mourn. For in her heart she keeps saying, ‘I sit a queen, and I am no widow, and I shall never see mourning.’

¹⁰ while they stand at a distance because of their fear of her punishment (basanismos) and say, ‘Too bad, too bad, you great city, Babylon you strong city, because in one hour your judgment has arrived!’

¹⁵ “The traveling merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of [their] fear of her punishment (basanismos) and will weep and mourn.

Twelve of the expressions with basan- elements in Table 1.8 have meanings that do not include torment, and nine expressions include the meaning of pain or torment.

Table 1.8 The use of basanos, basanismos, basaniastēs, and basanizō

Matthew 8:29	basanizō	judge/punish
Matthew 14:24	basanizō	be hard pressed
Matthew 18:34	basanistēs	jailer
Mark 5:7	basanizō	judge/punish
Mark 6:48	basanizō	be hard pressed
Luke 8:28	basanizō	judge/punish
Matthew 4:24	basanos	pain
Matthew 8:6	basanizō	torment
Luke 16:23	basanos	torment
Luke 16:28	basanos	torment
2 Peter 2:8	basanizō	torment
Revelation 9:5	basanismos2	torment
Revelation 9:5	bazanizō	torment
Revelation 11:10	bazanizō	torment
Revelation 12:2	basanizō	torment
Revelation 14:10	bazanizō	judge/punish
Revelation 14:11	bazanismos	judgment/punishment by death
Revelation 18:7	bazanismos	judgment/punishment by death
Revelation 18:10	bazanismos	judgment/punishment by death
Revelation 18:15	bazanismos	judgment/punishment by death
Revelation 20:10	bazanizō	judgment/punishment by death

 

“THEY WILL BE TORMENTED FOREVER AND EVER” — REVELATION 20:10 

I start by quoting the context, which is 20:7-10:

⁷ Now as soon as the thousand years have been ended, Satan will be let loose out of his prison, ⁸ and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Maʹgog, to gather them together for the war. The number of these is as the sand of the sea. ⁹ And they advanced over the breadth of the earth and encircled the camp of the holy ones and the beloved city. But fire came down out of heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰ And the Devil who was misleading them was hurled into the lake of fire and sulphur, where both the wild beast and the false prophet [already were]; and they will be tormented (bazanizō) day and night forever and ever.

The tableaus in Revelation represent signs or symbols. But the words of the tableaus have a literal meaning. This means that if basanizō in 20:10 has the meaning “to torment,” this torment must be literal. Therefore, it is important to find the real meaning of basanizō in this text. The first point to discuss is why bazanizō in 20:10 cannot refer to torment, and the second point is to find its real meaning.

There are three different entities that are mentioned. Of these, two are symbols of organizations, namely, the wild beast and the false prophet. We cannot take the European Union and throw it into the Atlantic Ocean, and neither can we take the wild beast and the false prophet and throw them into a literal lake of fire. In order to be tormented forever, the wild beast, the false prophet, and the Devil must live forever. But the organizations will not last forever, and the Devil does not have everlasting life. Moreover, the personality of God, as we see it in the Bible, excludes any possibility that he will torment some of his creatures forever. All these factors exclude the possibility that bazanizō in verse 10 has the meaning “torment.”

As an illustration of the situation described in Revelation 20:10, I again quote Mark 5:6, 7 (above), Matthew 8:29 (middle), and Luke 8:27-33 (below):

⁶ But on catching sight of Jesus from a distance he ran and did obeisance to him, ⁷ and, when he had cried out with a loud voice, he said: “What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I put you under oath by God not to torment (basanizō) me.”

²⁹ And, look! they screamed, saying: “What have we to do with you, Son of God? Did you come here to torment (basanizō) us before the appointed time?”

²⁷ But as he got out onto land a certain man from the city who had demons met him. And for a considerable time he had not worn clothing, and he was staying, not at home, but among the tombs. ²⁸ At the sight of Jesus he cried aloud and fell down before him, and with a loud voice he said: “What have I to do with you,

 Jesus Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment (basanizō) me.” ²⁹ (For he had been ordering the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For over a long time it had held him fast, and he was repeatedly bound with chains and fetters under guard, but he would burst the bonds and be driven by the demon into the lonely places.) ³⁰ Jesus asked him: “What is your name?” He said: “Legion,” because many demons had entered into him. ³¹And they kept entreating him not to order them to go away into the abyss (abyssos). ³² Now a herd of a considerable number of swine was feeding there on the mountain; so they entreated him to permit them to enter into those. And he gave them permission. ³³ Then the demons went out of the man and entered into the swine, and the herd rushed over the precipice into the lake and drowned.

The men who cried out were possessed by demons, and the demons were speaking. The demons spoke about the situation there and then — this is shown by the words “before the appointed time.” Jesus could expel the demons from the men that were possessed. But Jesus could in no way torment the demons, and therefore, they did not ask that he should not torment them. This is particularly clear in verses 28 and 31 where we see that the meaning of basanizō is not to torment but to order the demons “to go away into the abyss.”

When Jesus was in the grave parts of three days, Paul says that he was in the abyss, according to Romans 10:7. Thus, the abyss is the same as the grave where there is no life. According to Revelation 20:2-3, the Devil (and his demons) will be thrown into the abyss before the thousand-year-reign of Jesus starts. This is “the appointed time” for the demons to be bound in the abyss. In Luke 8:28 and 31, there is a parallel between “do not torment me” and “go way into the abyss.” So, the demon asked that Jesus should not throw them into the abyss at that time — before the appointed time. This shows clearly that basanizō in this instance and the other two instances we are discussing has the meaning “to punish” or “to judge” the demons by throwing them into the abyss.

This situation relates to Revelation 20:10 because the demons asked Jesus, according to Matthew 20:29, not to basanizō them “before the appointed time.” What the demons expected of Jesus there and then was the same that they expected in the future at the final judgment.

I take the future passive form of basanizō in Revelation 20:10 in the same sense as in the situation of the demons, as “judgment” or “punishment.”

¹⁰ And the Devil who was misleading them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the wild beast and the false prophet were; and their judgment (bazanizō) will last day and night forever and ever.

⁹ And her torrents must be changed into pitch, and her dust into sulphur; and her land must become as burning pitch. ¹⁰ By night or by day it will not be extinguished; to time indefinite its smoke will keep ascending. From generation to generation she will be parched; forever and ever no one will be passing across her.

In order to show that Edom would be completely destroyed without any hope of recovery the text says that the fire will burn day and night and the smoke will be ascending forever.[1]

“HE SHALL BE TORMENTED WITH FIRE AND SULPHUR” — REVELATION 14:10 

I start by putting verse 10 in chapter 14 in its context, and I quote 14:9-12:

⁹And another angel, a third, followed them, saying in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the wild beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, ¹⁰ he will also drink of the wine of the anger of God that is poured out undiluted into the cup of his wrath, and he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment (basanismos) ascends forever and ever, and day and night they have no rest, those who worship the wild beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name. ¹² Here is where it means endurance for the holy ones, those who observe the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

The words of Revelation 14:10 relate to human beings, and as they are rendered in Bible translations, including NWT84, they clearly show that humans will be tormented.  However, the verb basanizō in this verse is future passive as is the case in Revelation 20:10. So, the meaning of the verb must be the same as in 20:10. And the imagery is the same as in Isaiah 34:9-11, with sulphur and burning pitch and the smoke that is ascending forever, that is quoted above. The clause, “And the smoke of their torment (basanismos) ascends forever and ever,” also questions the meaning “torment” for basanizō. There is no smoke from people who are being tormented. But if basanos refers to judgment or to grief, we can say that the smoke, or memory of the judgment or the grief descends forever and ever, just as in the case with Edom.

I translate the last part of verse 10 and verse 11 in chapter 14 in the following way:

¹⁰ …and his judgment with fire and sulphur will be in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their judgment (basanismos) ascends forever and ever. And day and night they are having no rest, those who continue to worship the wild beast and its image, and who are taking the mark of its name.

My translation differs from NWT84 because I have a full stop after “ever” because what follows is not connected with the previous judgment. All the verbs in the following text are Greek presents, which means that the lack of rest day and night, is not something that occurs after taking the mark of the beast when persons are judged. But this lack of rest is something that is experienced while people take the mark and continue to worship the wild beast.

But who are those who will be “tormented” (judged)? There are two Greek words that can throw light on this question. The first one is proskyneo with the meaning “do obeisance; worship.” In this text, the meaning must be “worship.” This verb is Greek present, which means that it refers to the action of worship that is continuing and is not stopping. It can be compared to John 17:3, where ginoskō (“know”) also is Greek present, and it refers to the process of taking in knowledge that never stops. So, the worshipping of the wild beast is continuing.

The subject in verse 10 is “he,” and the subject in verse 11 is “those.” Verses 1-4 refer to those who are new creations, and who have been adopted by God as his sons and who reign with Jesus Christ from the heavenly Mount Zion. They “did not defile themselves with women.” (verse 4), such as Babylon the great. But those who are judged have defiled themselves with the wild beast by worshipping it and taking its mark. Therefore, they get an adverse judgment.

That these persons  belongs to the 144,000 on the heavenly Zion is also supported by verse 12:

¹² Here is where it means endurance for the holy ones, those who observe the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Only those who belong to the group of 144,000 are called “the holy ones.” And this verse is an exhortation to them to keep their endurance and faith in Jesus, and not to worship the wild beast and take its mark.

In Matthew 12:31, 32 Jesus says:

³¹ “On this account I say to YOU, Every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. ³² For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him, no, not in this system of things nor in that to come.

Jesus bought all Adam’s descendants when he died, and most of these will get a resurrection during the thousand-year-long Judgment Day. The words of Jesus show that “every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.” And this includes worshipping the wild beast and taking its mark as well. But sin against the holy spirit cannot be forgiven, and the words in Hebrews 6:4-6 can throw light on this sin:

⁴ For it is impossible as regards those who have once for all been enlightened, and who have tasted the heavenly free gift, and who have become partakers of holy spirit, ⁵ and who have tasted the fine word of God and powers of the coming system of things, ⁶ but who have fallen away, to revive them again to repentance, because they impale the Son of God afresh for themselves and expose him to public shame.

These words relate to those who “have tasted the heavenly free gift” and will be among the 144,000 co-regents with Jesus. Those who are mentioned in these verses have rejected the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, and therefore they cannot be revived to repentance. The description of those who are mentioned in Revelation chapter 14 shows that they belong to the same group, and therefore they will be judged.

[1]. It is possible that the term “lake of fire” may have some relationship to the destiny of Sodom and Gomorrah. The first stage was that fire and sulphur rained down from heaven and burned the cities to ashes. (Genesis 19:24, 25) This may have been caused by an explosion of oil or gas in an area with bitumen and tar and layers of sulphur and salt. In any case, the area where Sodom and Gomorrah had been situated subsided, and the Dead Sea overflowed and covered the places where the two cities had been. (Genesis 14:3) Thus, the cities were first destroyed by fire and sulphur, and then they were covered by the Dead Sea and completely annihilated. The two instruments of destruction could have been combined into the phrase “the lake of fire and sulphur,” and the meaning would be “the second death.” (Revelation 20:14)

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Almost all English Bible translations show that those who worship the wild beast and take its mark will be tormented, and that the wild beast, the false prophet, and the Devil will be tormented forever and ever.

The reason why Bible translators consistently render words beginning with basan– with “torment” or similar words is that they slavishly follow Greek-English lexicons and they themselves have not done any research in the original text of the Bible to see how particular words are used. Moreover, many authors of Greek-English lexicons neither have made an extensive research as to how each Greek word is used. But they often copy the meanings given in older Greek-English lexicons.

Words in the Biblical languages may have different meanings. At the beginning I used the Hebrew word kæræn as an example. The basic meaning of this word is “horn.” But because the rays of the sun can be viewed as great horns at sunrise, kæræn can also have the meaning “ray of light,” and the corresponding verb kāran can have the meanig “shine, send out rays.”

When Moses came down from the mountain with the tablets with the ten commandments, (Exodus 34:29) his face was radiant and sent out light rays. When Jerome translated the Latin Vulgate, he misunderstood the verb kāran as referring to “horn.” Therefore, he used the Latin noun cornu “horn” and the adjective cornutus “horned.” Michelangelo read about Moses in the Vulgate, and he made a statue of Moses with two horns.

When Bible translations say that Babylon the great shall be tormented, and that the wild beast, the false prophet, and the Devil shall be tormented forever and ever, the translators have made the same kind of error as did Jerome. They have made translations “with horns,” so to speak, and they have misled their readers.