a-bis ́, (ἡ ἄβυσσος, hē ábussos): In classical Greek the word is always an adjective, and is used (1) literally, “very deep,” “bottomless”; (2) figuratively, “unfathomable,” “boundless.” “Abyss” does not occur in the King James Version but the Revised Version so transliterates ἄβυσσος, ábussos in each case. The King James Version renders the Greek by “the deep” in two passages (Luke 8:31; Romans 10:7). In Revelation the King James Version renders by “the bottomless pit” (Revelation 9:1-2, 9:11; 11:7-8; 20:1, 20:3). In the Septuagint abussos is the rendering of the Hebrew word תּהום, tehō̄m̌. According to primitive Semitic cosmogony the earth was supposed to rest on a vast body of water which was the source of all springs of water and rivers (Genesis 1:2; Deuteronomy 8:7; Psalms 24:2; 136:6). This subterranean ocean is sometimes described as “the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 5:8). According to Job 41:32 tehō̄m is the home of the leviathan in which he plows his hoary path of foam. The Septuagint never uses abussos as a rendering of שׁאול, she‘ōl (= Sheol = Hades) and probably tehōm never meant the “abode of the dead” which was the ordinary meaning of Sheol. In Psalms 71:20 tehōm is used figuratively, and denotes “many and sore troubles” through which the psalmist has passed (compare Jonah 2:5). In Romans 10:7 the word is equivalent to Hades, the abode of the dead.
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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia
Keywords: Abyss The, Bottomless pit, Pit, Hell, Hades, Sheol, Abyss
Bible reference(s): Psalm 71:20, Luke 8:31, Rom 10:7, Rev 9:1-2, Rev 9:11, Rev 11:7-8, Rev 20:1
Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.