What is the original language of the word HELL?

The English word “hell” is used in the Bible to translate several different words from the original Hebrew and Greek, and they do not all mean exactly the same thing.

In the Old Testament, the main Hebrew word is Sheol. It generally refers to the grave, the realm of the dead, or the state of death. It does not necessarily mean a place of conscious torment.

In the New Testament, the Greek word Hades is often used in a similar way to Sheol, referring to the grave or realm of the dead. Another word is Gehenna, which Jesus used when speaking about final judgment and destruction. The term comes from the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem. A third Greek word, Tartarus, appears only once, in 2 Peter 2:4, and refers to fallen angels being held for judgment.

Because of this, it is important not to assume that every use of the English word “hell” refers to the same thing.

The Bible’s overall teaching is that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and that the wicked ultimately perish rather than live forever in conscious torment (John 3:16; Malachi 4:1–3).

So, strictly speaking, there is no single original-language word that corresponds exactly to the English word “hell.” Different Hebrew and Greek terms are translated that way, and each must be understood according to its context.