Sheol in Isaiah 14:9-10 Ismael Cabason
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THE MEANING AND USAGE OF SHEOL IN ISAIAH 14:9-10 Ismael Cabason Abstract his paper examined the etymological meaning of sheol in the context of Isaiah 14:9-10. It used the exegetical method which upholds the Bible as its own in- Tterpreter. The grammatical elements include the context, the theme, and the structure of the passage, the usage of the words and syntax, and the genre. The results present the linguistic study of sheol, sheol as a period of impending death, sheol and thematic consideration, contextual analysis of Isaiah 14: 9-10, sheol and the state of the dead, and figurative statements about sheol in Isaiah. The book of Isaiah does not present sheol as a place in the underworld where the spirit of the dead ones reside. There is no indication that Isaiah presents a notion that there is a conscious condition after death. The word sheol is a personification or an appellation of death, which means seeker or demander, seeking the life of men, righteous and sinners alike. It describes the condition where a person is approaching an impending death. The word does not entail any conception of a place in the underworld where the spirits of the departed people go. Isaiah presents death as an unconscious condition, but such condition is not eternal. Isaiah presents death as an unconscious condition, but such condition is not eternal. Sheol is not a place of no return. Keywords: death, Isaiah, meaning of sheol, demander, underworld The Hebrew word sheol appeared nine times in divided whether sheol is eternal, or it will only ex- the book of Isaiah. The word occurs more pre- ist until all things needed to be consumed will be dominant in the book of Isaiah than in the other consumed. However, others (Citation) view that books of the Prophets. The common understand- this passage should be taken figuratively and the ing of the word designates the “abode of the dead, meaning should be considered according to the place of no return, and state of dismal darkness context. without praise of God”. The occurrence of sheol in Isaiah 14:9-10 This paper examined the etymological seemingly suggests that there is a state of con- meaning of sheol in the context of Isaiah 14:9-10 sciousness and commotion in death. It is used to to unveil the meaning and usage of the word and posit the notion that there is a condition of abso- its function in the passage where it is used. lute unconsciousness. Does sheol mean a place The interpretation poses an unending de- in the underworld where the spirit of the dead is bate. There are those who hold that this passage conscious? How did Isaiah utilize the word in the should be interpreted as literally yet divided in passage? looking at this passage. The common view of This problem inspires the researcher to sheol is a name for the underworld where depart- investigate deeply the considered passage to find ed spirits go, or the place where bodies are laid out the possible meaning and usage of sheol. Dif- and rested commonly known as grave (Citation ferent commentaries and other Christian literature needed here). Even those who hold it literal are was consulted to give further light on this issue. The Meaning and Usage of Sheol in Isaiah 14:9-10 109 In view of the problem identified above, This personification entails that sheol in the Old the purpose of the study is to attempt the establish- Testament lacks an article attached to it conveying ment of the meaning and usage of the word sheol that it is an appellation or “nickname of Death.” through careful study of the passage in Isaiah 14: Therefore, sheol is an appellation of Death to be 9-10 considering the immediate and wider context understood as Seeker or Demander of Life. In the of the implication to Isaiah 14 must also be con- Old Testament, the verb sha’al signifies the idea of sidered and pondered upon. asking which is also used in Job. 38:3, where it is This study is significant because it helps translated as demanding. The idea of demanding to find out the meaning and usage of sheol in or seeking entails a superior force requiring an Isaiah 14:9-10. It will provide a broader scope inferior entity of succumbing to its power. Along or concept on the usage of sheol in the structure. this vein, Isaiah 5:14 describes the immense pow- Other denominations hold that it denotes place of er of sheol that can destroy the living and has the suffering at present but proper understanding of power to swallow up life. Thus, it is congruent to this passage even an impending calamity, death is the claim above that sheol is a demander or seeker also considered sheol. of life who is willing to swallow up man’s life. This study is delimited in exegetical pro- cess of investigation of the meaning of the word Sheol as a Period of Impending Death sheol in Isaiah and other selected passages in the The verbal forms are used in the Old Tes- Old Testament where the word is also used figu- tament several times and posit the idea of asking ratively. or requiring. Congruently, the Akkadian cognate, shalu, (in Wachter, 2004) entails the idea of ask- Methodology ing someone of something. Kobayashi argues that This study used the exegetical method. sheol does not categorically mean death, but also a This method upholds the Bible as its own inter- description of impending death or a state of griev- preter. The grammatical elements include the ous physical affliction, where life is about to be context, the theme, and the structure of the pas- required by death. In Psalms 89: 48, deliverance sage, the usage of the words and syntax, and the from sheol is rescue from impending death or fu- genre. ture punishment. David was told as brought up from the sheol (Ps. 30:3a)/. The text does not nec- Results and Discussion essarily mean that David went to the underworld Linguistic Study of Sheol or to the grave, and was resurrected because in 3b, The etymological root of sheol is obscure he testified that he was spared from going down because the word does except one in the Jewish into the pit. If sheol is understood as pit, or an un- Elephantine papyri, where it means grave. How- derworld sphere, he should not testify that he was ever, according to Yoshitaka Kobayashi (2003), spared in going down to it. The Hebrew noun sheol means a personified The fact that he was brought up from sheol death, which seeks to swallow the lives of man and was spared to go down to the pit, thenit does in the realm of death. The idea of demanding is not necessarily mean hell or pit, for how can Da- derived from verbal form, which suggests the idea vid be brought up from sheol if he was spared not of seeking or demanding. Thus, the etymological to go there. Instead, the word sheol demonstrates meaning of sheol may mean seeker or demand- an impending disaster that will befall to David. er. The feminine noun shela expresses the idea Psalm 30:3 is a plague that shockingly struck Isra- of request, and the petition of Hannah to God is el, which also threatened the life of David. There- expressed by this word. The etymological bearing fore, when he testified that he was brought up of the word and its nuances suggests the idea of from the grave, he refers to the impending death seeking, demanding, or claiming. that he could experience as one of the options in The Hebrew sheol is personification of the plague. This concept reverberated further in death, or in other sense, it is a synonym of Death. the book because Psalms 30:3a is not clear. How- Journal of Education, Psychology, and Humanities (JEPH) Volume 1 Issue 1 | June 2018 110 Journal of Education, Psychology, and Humanities (JEPH) | ISSN 2599-5294 ever, it is explicit from the text that he was in deep again to write such passage, where there is no bib- trouble: that he is “poor and needy” (Psalms 86:1). lical account of his resurrection. Second, God can- In the midst of this situation, God delivered him not dwell and cannot be present in a place of no from such calamity in life. Concurring with this, return. The passage seems to be figurative, which Isaiah states that sheol does not totally entail a suggests that Yihweh abides with David while he state of unconsciousness. He says, “In the noon is suffering from troubles and difficulties of life, or tide of my days I must depart; I am consigned to may mean Yihweh abides in him while his death is the gates of sheol for the rest of my years (38:10, impending. It cannot also be understood that sheol NRS). “Thus, these passages provide an idea that provides the information or measurement of the sheol embraces not only the period of death but great depth underworld, and not to claim that be- also an expectation of an impending death. cause of sheol is opposite to heaven, then its depth This claim can be glossed by the experi- is a heaven from earth. ence of the prophet Jonah. In the book of Jonah, The great depth as place allotted for the it is stated that the prophet testified that the Lord dead is unlikely because “The Hebrews had no answered his prayers while he was in the belly of deep mines or oil wells to compare from depth.