The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-07-14
HELL's SUBSTITUTE.
Puzzled for the Right Word.

q. Vance Smith, ID. D., one of the
revisers, writes in the Nineteenth
Century: Another passage in the
same neighborhood calls for a few
remarks, remarks again not of ap-
proval but of disapproval and pro-
test. Matthew, V, %, "Shall be in dam
ger of the hell of fire"-ands so in two
other instances. In the authorized
version, "hell" is the rendering of
two different words, Gehenna and
Hades. The latter of these is to be
no longer so expressed. Being a
proper name, it is left by the revis-
ers untranslated, and so the revised
text will be enriched by a new word
new at least to the English Bible
the word Hades, which will be found
to occur eleven times. This treat
ment of the word, inasmuch as it is
proper name, is correct, but then
Gehenna is proper name also
Why, therefore, has not this been re-
tanned, but rendered by the ugly
seems especially Objectionable, for
two reasons: l, only one kind of
hell is knownt to the New Testament,
while this phrase suggests other hells
of different nature, thus indirectly
and quite needlessly importing into
the Christian books the conception
of certain Pagan mythologies, as to
hells of variety of kinds secondly,
the added words of "fire" Tor 'tof the
fire. are they more than simple
Hebraism? If not, the meaning of
the expression "Gehenna of fire" is
most probably the burning "Gehen-
ma" and no more. The reader NAV
see similar form in Luke xviii, 6,
'judge of funrighteOusness," properly
Englished by "unrighteous judge.n
The probability of this interpreta-
ton arises. from the nature of the
case. Gehenna was the name of a
valley near Jerusalem. The word
by its Hebrew etymology means
"Valley of Hinnom," an ancient
name found in the Old Testament
QI Kings, xiii, 10; IL Chron, xviii,
3). In former times it had been the
scene of idolatrous rites and of
human sacrifices to the god A1oloch.
Hence, TO the later Jews it was a
place of abomination, and TO mark
it's character it was defled by the
various refuse of the city there
thrown and kept burning that it
might be consumed. A veritable
place of fire, deserving of its name
and reputation! where amidst cor
rupting matters worms, too, might
live, until the all-consuming element
swallowed them up. Thus there
was here literally "pur aionion,"
an age-enduring fire, an "unquench-
able fire"-a place "where the worm
dieth not and the fire is not quench-
ed" Mark tx, AZ, 48).
1t is easy to understand that Ge-
henna being such place as this, il
would become the representative, in
popular speech, of the place of pun
ishment reserved for the wicked and
unbelieving, who were doomed to
destruction at the final judgment of
the coming of the Messiah. Tho un-
godly should be cast into the burn
ing Gehenna and consumed; IL does
not appear that they were to be kept
alive, burning forever, this being n
later addition to the ancient concep-
ton. The ideas associated with the
medieval hell-such as may be seen
painted on the wall of the Campo
Santo at Pisa-are unknown TO the
Gospels, and have only been added
to the original name in its modern
form by the lively Imagination of
speculative theologians. In other
words, the representation of "Ge-
henna" by "hell" is clearly unjustifi-
able, because this terrible word now
suggests ideas of horror and misery
which have no foundation in New
Testament usage, when due regard
is paid to the origin and history of
the word Gehenna. IL might have
been expected that a body of revis-
ers such as the Westminster COM
pany would have been able to raise
themselves above the popular con-
ceptions of our day, and would have
given us a rendering of the words in
question which was fairly based, not
upon the long descended notions of
the darkest ages of medieval super
stition, but upon the just historical
considerations which are applicable
to the subject. Those who expected
so much as this, il is q pity to think,
will be disappointed; and so it is
reserved for a future revision, ifever
such thing shall come to pass, to
do justice to words and thoughts
which, in connection with this sub
ject, have been so long misrepre-
sented, to the sore discredit, with
many thoughtful minds, of the Chris
tian gospel.