etc-04: State of the Dead -- Word Studies¶

Overview¶

This study examines two categories of vocabulary: (1) the sleep vocabulary used to describe death, and (2) the sheol/hades vocabulary for the abode of the dead. These word studies were completed using search_strongs.py (--lookup, --lexicon) on the Strong's database.

I. Sleep Vocabulary for Death¶

Hebrew Sleep Terms¶

H7901 -- shakab (שָׁכַב) -- "to lie down"¶

Definition: A primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease, or any other purpose)
Occurrences: 254 total (212 in BLB), the most common Hebrew word for "lie down"
Part of Speech: Verb
KJV translations: "slept" (36x), "lay" (11x), "lie" (11x), plus 112 other translations
Death usage pattern: The dominant OT death idiom "slept with his fathers" uses this word. It occurs approximately 36 times in the formulaic death notices of kings (1 Ki 2:10; 11:43; 14:20,31; 15:8,24; 16:6,28; 22:40,50; 2 Ki 8:24; 10:35; 13:9,13; 14:16,22,29; 15:7,22,38; 16:20; 20:21; 21:18; 24:6; etc.)
Key death passages:
Deut 31:16: "Behold, thou shalt sleep [shakab] with thy fathers" -- God speaking to Moses
Job 7:21: "Now shall I sleep [shakab] in the dust"
Job 14:12: "So man lieth down [shakab] and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep"
Isa 14:8,18: The kings of the nations "lie [shakab] in glory" in sheol
Significance: Shakab is used for both literal sleep and death, establishing the biblical pattern where death = lying down in rest/sleep. The formulaic "slept with his fathers" became the standard death notice for Israelite kings, implying death was understood as a kind of sleep awaiting future awakening.

H3462 -- yashen (יָשֵׁן) -- "to sleep"¶

Definition: A primitive root; properly, to be slack or languid; by implication, sleep (figuratively, to die); also to grow old, stale, or inveterate
Occurrences: 20 total (19 in BLB)
Part of Speech: Verb
KJV translations: "sleep" (5x), "slept" (2x), plus 14 other translations
Key death passages:
Jer 51:39: "They shall sleep [yashen] a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD"
Jer 51:57: "They shall sleep [yashen] a perpetual sleep, and not wake"
Job 3:13: "I should have slept [yashen]: then had I been at rest"
Dan 12:2 uses the related adjective form: "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake"
Significance: Yashen explicitly ties sleep to death ("figuratively, to die" is in the lexical definition). Jeremiah's "perpetual sleep" is the strongest OT connection between death and permanent unconsciousness until awakening (cf. Dan 12:2).

H8639 -- tardemah (תַּרְדֵּמָה) -- "deep sleep"¶

Definition: From H7290; a lethargy or (by implication) trance: deep sleep
Occurrences: 7
Part of Speech: Feminine noun
All occurrences:
Gen 2:21 -- God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam (creation sleep)
Gen 15:12 -- Deep sleep fell upon Abram (covenant vision)
1 Sam 26:12 -- Deep sleep from the LORD upon Saul's army
Job 4:13 -- "When deep sleep falleth on men" (Eliphaz's vision)
Job 33:15 -- "When deep sleep falleth upon men" (God speaks in dreams)
Prov 19:15 -- Slothfulness casts into deep sleep
Isa 29:10 -- "The LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep"
Significance: This is the supernatural, God-induced deep sleep. The creation tardemah (Gen 2:21) is the archetype: God causes unconsciousness, performs a creative work, then awakens. This pattern maps onto death and resurrection: God allows death-sleep, performs the creative work of resurrection, then awakens the sleeper. All 7 uses involve complete unconsciousness.

H7290 -- radam (רָדַם) -- "to stun, stupefy"¶

Definition: A primitive root; to stun, i.e. stupefy (with sleep or death)
Occurrences: 7
Part of Speech: Verb
All occurrences:
Judg 4:21 -- Sisera "was fast asleep" when killed
Ps 76:6 -- "The chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep"
Prov 10:5 -- "He that sleepeth in harvest"
Dan 8:18 -- "I was in a deep sleep on my face"
Dan 10:9 -- "I was in a deep sleep on my face"
Jonah 1:5 -- Jonah "was fast asleep"
Jonah 1:6 -- "What meanest thou, O sleeper?"
Significance: The definition itself says "stupefy (with sleep or death)." The phrase "cast into a dead sleep" (Ps 76:6) explicitly links stupefaction to death. This word represents the most complete unconsciousness -- total insensibility to all stimuli.

Greek Sleep Terms¶

G2837 -- koimao (κοιμάω) -- "to put to sleep / to die"¶

Definition: To put to sleep; passively/reflexively: to slumber, to decease
Occurrences: 18 (17 in search, 18 in BLB)
Part of Speech: Verb
KJV translations: "sleep" (3x), "slept" (2x), "sleeping" (2x), "are fallen asleep" (2x), "are asleep" (2x), "he fell asleep" (1x), "fell on sleep" (1x), "be dead" (1x), "that slept" (1x)
All occurrences with classification:
Death: Matt 27:52 (saints who slept); Acts 7:60 (Stephen fell asleep); Acts 13:36 (David fell on sleep); 1 Cor 7:39 (husband be dead); 1 Cor 11:30 (many sleep = many have died); 1 Cor 15:6 (fallen asleep); 1 Cor 15:18 (asleep in Christ); 1 Cor 15:20 (them that slept); 1 Cor 15:51 (we shall not all sleep); 1 Thess 4:13 (them which are asleep); 1 Thess 4:14 (sleep in Jesus); 1 Thess 4:15 (them which are asleep); 2 Pet 3:4 (the fathers fell asleep)
Literal sleep: Matt 28:13 (his disciples came while we slept); Luke 22:45 (found them sleeping); John 11:12 (if he sleep); Acts 12:6 (Peter was sleeping)
Death used by Jesus: John 11:11 ("Our friend Lazarus sleepeth")
Significance: This is THE dominant NT term for death-as-sleep. Of 18 uses, at least 13 clearly refer to death. Paul uses it consistently for the Christian dead (1 Cor 15:6,18,20,51; 1 Thess 4:13,14,15). Jesus deliberately chooses this word for Lazarus's death (John 11:11), then clarifies "plainly" that Lazarus is dead (11:14). The euphemism is so standard that the disciples initially take it literally.

G2518 -- katheudo (καθεύδω) -- "to lie down to rest / to sleep"¶

Definition: From G2596 and heudo; to lie down to rest, i.e. (by implication) to fall asleep (literally or figuratively)
Occurrences: 22 (23 in search)
Part of Speech: Verb
KJV translations: "asleep" (4x), "sleep" (4x), "sleepeth" (3x), "slept" (2x), "Sleep on" (2x), "sleeping" (2x)
Death passages:
Matt 9:24: "The maid is not dead, but sleepeth [katheudo]"
Mark 5:39: "The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth [katheudo]"
Luke 8:52: "She is not dead, but sleepeth [katheudo]"
Eph 5:14: "Awake thou that sleepest [katheudo], and arise from the dead"
1 Thess 5:10: "Whether we wake or sleep [katheudo], we should live together with him"
Figurative spiritual lethargy: 1 Thess 5:6,7; Mark 13:36; Matt 25:5
Significance: Jesus uses katheudo three times (Matt 9:24; Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52) to describe the dead girl, and people "laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead" (Luke 8:53). Jesus deliberately called death "sleep" knowing full well the girl was dead. This is the most direct evidence that Jesus himself endorsed the sleep-death metaphor. Eph 5:14 quotes what appears to be an early Christian hymn that equates sleep with death and awakening with resurrection.

Comparative Summary: koimao vs. katheudo ¶

Feature	koimao (G2837)	katheudo (G2518)
Primary death usage	Paul's standard term for dead believers	Jesus' term for Jairus' daughter
Total occurrences	18	22
Death occurrences	~13 (72%)	~5 (23%)
Used by Jesus for death	John 11:11 (Lazarus)	Matt 9:24; Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52
Used by Paul for death	1 Cor 15:6,18,20,51; 1 Thess 4:13-15	1 Thess 5:10
Literal sleep usage	4-5 times	~17 times

Key observation: koimao is primarily a death-euphemism (used for death 72% of the time), while katheudo is primarily literal sleep but is used for death by Jesus in all three Synoptic accounts of Jairus' daughter. Both words carry the same metaphorical implication: the dead are in a state analogous to sleep -- unconscious, inactive, awaiting awakening.

II. Sheol / Hades Vocabulary¶

H7585 -- sheol (שְׁאוֹל) -- "the underworld / grave"¶

Definition: From H7592; hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates: grave, hell, pit
Occurrences: 67 (65 in BLB)
Part of Speech: Feminine noun
KJV translation breakdown:
Translated "grave": Gen 37:35; 42:38; 44:29,31; 1 Sam 2:6; 1 Ki 2:6,9; Job 7:9; 14:13; 17:13; 21:13; 24:19; Ps 6:5; 30:3; 31:17; 49:14,15; 88:3; 89:48; 141:7; Prov 1:12; 30:16; Ecc 9:10; Song 8:6; Hos 13:14 (~31x)
Translated "hell": Deut 32:22; 2 Sam 22:6; Job 11:8; 26:6; Ps 9:17; 16:10; 18:5; 55:15; 86:13; 116:3; 139:8; Prov 5:5; 7:27; 9:18; 15:11,24; 23:14; 27:20; Isa 5:14; 14:9,15; 28:15,18; 57:9; Ezek 31:16,17; 32:21,27; Amos 9:2; Jonah 2:2; Hab 2:5 (~31x)
Translated "pit": Num 16:30,33; Job 17:16 (~3x)
Characteristics of sheol from Scripture:
Both righteous and wicked go there: Jacob (Gen 37:35), the wicked (Ps 9:17), David (Ps 16:10), Korah (Num 16:33)
A place of unconsciousness: "No work, device, knowledge, wisdom" (Ecc 9:10); no praise (Ps 6:5; 115:17; Isa 38:18); no remembrance (Ps 6:5)
Associated with dust: Job 17:16; 7:21
Associated with darkness: Job 10:21-22; 17:13
Associated with silence: Ps 115:17; 94:17
God's power reaches there: Ps 139:8; Amos 9:2; 1 Sam 2:6
Deliverance from sheol = resurrection: Ps 16:10; 49:15; Hos 13:14; 1 Sam 2:6
Personified poetically: Isa 5:14 (enlarges herself); 14:9 (moved to meet); Prov 27:20 (never full); Song 8:6 (cruel as the grave)

G86 -- hades (ᾅδης) -- "the unseen world"¶

Definition: From G1 (alpha privative) and G1492 (to see); properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls
Occurrences: 11
Part of Speech: Proper locative noun
All 11 occurrences:
Matt 11:23: Capernaum "brought down to hell (hades)"
Matt 16:18: "The gates of hell (hades) shall not prevail"
Luke 10:15: Capernaum "thrust down to hell (hades)"
Luke 16:23: Rich man "in hell (hades) he lift up his eyes, being in torments"
Acts 2:27: "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (hades)" -- quoting Ps 16:10 (H7585 sheol)
Acts 2:31: "His soul was not left in hell (hades)" -- explaining Ps 16:10
1 Cor 15:55: "O grave (hades), where is thy victory?"
Rev 1:18: "I have the keys of hell (hades) and of death"
Rev 6:8: "Death, and Hell (hades) followed with him"
Rev 20:13: "Death and hell (hades) delivered up the dead"
Rev 20:14: "Death and hell (hades) were cast into the lake of fire"
LXX equivalence: The Septuagint consistently translates H7585 (sheol) as G86 (hades), confirming they refer to the same concept. Acts 2:27,31 explicitly demonstrates this: Peter quotes Ps 16:10 (sheol in Hebrew) using hades in Greek.
Key observations:
Hades is temporary: Rev 20:13-14 shows hades delivering up the dead and then being destroyed (cast into the lake of fire). Hades is not the final destination but a holding state.
Hades paired with death: In 4 of 11 uses (Rev 1:18; 6:8; 20:13; 20:14), hades is paired with "death" as a hendiadys (two words expressing one concept).
Hades as the grave of Christ: Acts 2:27,31 uses hades for where Jesus was between death and resurrection -- in the grave, not conscious.
Only Luke 16:23 depicts consciousness in hades -- and this is within a parable using contemporary Jewish imagery.

Sheol-Hades Equivalence Table¶

Feature	Sheol (H7585)	Hades (G86)
Occurrences	67 OT	11 NT
LXX translation	sheol translated as hades	hades translates sheol
Both righteous/wicked	Gen 37:35; Ps 9:17	Acts 2:27 (Christ); Luke 16:23 (rich man)
Unconsciousness	Ecc 9:10; Ps 6:5; 115:17	(Inherited from sheol)
Deliverance = resurrection	Ps 16:10; 49:15; Hos 13:14	Acts 2:27,31; Rev 20:13
Temporary, not final	Hos 13:14; Ps 49:15	Rev 20:13-14 (destroyed)
Personified	Isa 5:14; 14:9	Rev 6:8; 20:13

III. Additional Relevant Terms¶

G3857 -- paradeisos (παράδεισος) -- "paradise"¶

Occurrences: 3 in NT
Luke 23:43: "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise"
2 Cor 12:4: "Caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words"
Rev 2:7: "To eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God"
Origin: Persian loanword (pairidaeza = enclosed garden/park). Used in LXX for the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:8).
Significance: The word occurs only 3 times and in three different contexts (Jesus' promise to the thief, Paul's vision, and the eschatological new earth). Rev 2:7 places the "tree of life" in paradise, echoing Gen 2:9 and Rev 22:2, suggesting paradise is the restored Eden in the new earth, not a current intermediate state.

H7496 -- rephaim (רְפָאִים) -- "shades of the dead"¶

Occurrences: ~8 (as "shades of the dead," distinct from the ethnic group)
Death passages: Job 26:5; Ps 88:10; Prov 2:18; 9:18; 21:16; Isa 14:9; 26:14,19
Significance: The rephaim are the dead inhabitants of sheol. They are described as "weak" (Isa 14:10), unable to rise (Isa 26:14 -- until God raises them, v19), and in the "land of forgetfulness" (Ps 88:12). The rephaim passages never describe the dead as actively conscious; rather, they emphasize weakness, helplessness, and inactivity.

IV. Vocabulary Patterns and Conclusions¶

Pattern 1: Sleep = Death across all biblical periods¶

Period	Author	Term	Passage
Mosaic	Moses/God	H7901 shakab	Deut 31:16
Patriarchal	Job	H7901 shakab	Job 7:21; 14:12
Prophetic	Jeremiah	H3462 yashen	Jer 51:39
Prophetic	Daniel	H3462 yashen	Dan 12:2
Gospel	Jesus	G2837 koimao	John 11:11
Gospel	Jesus	G2518 katheudo	Matt 9:24; Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52
Apostolic	Luke	G2837 koimao	Acts 7:60
Apostolic	Paul	G2837 koimao	1 Cor 15:6,18,20,51; 1 Thess 4:13-15

Pattern 2: Sheol/Hades = the unconscious grave¶

Sheol is described as a place of NO work, NO device, NO knowledge, NO wisdom (Ecc 9:10)
The dead in sheol do NOT praise God (Ps 6:5; 115:17; Isa 38:18)
The dead in sheol have NO remembrance (Ps 6:5)
Sheol is darkness (Job 10:21-22; 17:13)
Sheol is silence (Ps 115:17; 94:17)
Sheol is dust (Job 17:16; 7:21)
Sheol is rest (Job 3:17; Isa 57:2)

Pattern 3: Resurrection = awakening from sleep¶

Dan 12:2: "Many that sleep in the dust shall awake"
Isa 26:19: "Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust"
Job 14:12: "They shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep"
1 Cor 15:51: "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed"
1 Thess 4:14-16: "Them that sleep in Jesus... the dead in Christ shall rise first"
Ps 17:15: "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness"
Eph 5:14: "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead"

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