What Does Gehenna Mean in the Bible?

Gehenna, also known as Gehinnom, is spoken of in the Bible at various times. It originates from the Hebrew word Gai-Ben-Hinnom, which means Valley of the Son of Hinnom. It is located on the outskirts of Jerusalem in Israel, where the locals would carry their garbage and left to rot. As you might guess, such a place is always smelly, and being there, one can easily become sick from disease and even die from its debilitating effects. No joy can be found in such a place.

Where Does the Bible First Mention Gehenna as a Place?

It’s after the conquest of the Promised Land, and lots were allotted to each tribe of Israel, that we first see Gehenna mentioned in the Bible.

It all started when Moses took the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land ( which we know as the Exodus). During the trip to the Promised Land, the Jews had to go through the wilderness, where they were tested and tried in various ways. Many rebelled during that time, and an entire generation died in the wilderness. Moses, their leader, was one of those who died on the way. Only Joshua, Caleb, and those people born during the Exodus entered the Promised Land (Numbers 32:11-12).

When they reached the Promised Land, the twelve tribes received different land areas. The Valley of Hinnom is listed in a description of the borders of the land given to the tribe of Judah.

“And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the South side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom Westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants Northward” (Joshua 15:8 KJV)

What Pagan Sacrifices Happened at Gehenna?

Tophet was a place also used to identify Gehenna, and it was there that the people would carry out their ritual of pagan sacrifices in sacrificing children to the idol god Molech. For many days, the fires used in the sacrifices would be seen from a distance. Many people could smell the stench. It was a place especially hated by God because of the people’s evil sinfulness that they practiced there. In His wrath, God promised that Tophet, or the Valley of Hinnom, would be renamed the Valley of Slaughter because people would bury their dead in it.

“And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not to, neither came it into My heart. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter; for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place” (Jeremiah 7:31-32 KJV).

What Happened to Gehenna After It Was Desecrated?

God put an end through King Josiah to the sacrifice of infants by the nation of Israel. He caused King Josiah to destroy the place utterly and made it a detestable location for anyone to visit (2 Kings 23:10-14). King Josiah, in his zeal for God, thus, removed the abomination from Israel and made the people stop sacrificing human flesh to Molech. He made it a law that no more sacrifice should be performed at Gehenna.

After its desecration by the king, Gehenna became a hated place by the Jews. The Jews may have hated the place because it brought back memories of the many infant sacrifices that the people performed there. However, Gehenna was not altogether forgotten. Instead, Gehenna was used as a venue where people would deposit their garbage, leave animal carcasses to rot, and where cesspool water would pass through.

Additionally, the place became a well-known location where the bodies of criminals would be burned. Overall, after its desecration, people considered Gehenna to be the cesspool and filth of the earth. Additionally, the Jewish Encyclopedia notes that after some time, the Jews began referring to Gehenna as a place where sins are punished.

Where In the Bible Did Jesus Use the Word Gehenna?

When Jesus spoke about hell, he usually used the word Gehenna. For example, when talking to people about avoiding sin, he tells them:

“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into [Gehenna]. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is most profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into [Gehenna]” (Matthew 5:29-30 NKJV).

Jesus also uses Gehenna to refer to the final place of punishment, as seen in Matthew 10:28, Matthew 25:46, and Revelation 21:8.

In Matthew 10:28, as Jesus sent out His disciples on the mission field, He instructed His disciples by telling them not to fear those who may want to kill them. He explains while those people could destroy their bodies, they have no power to destroy their souls, only God has such power to do so.

Matthew 25:46 shows Jesus speaking to His disciples, helping them understand what separates the unrighteous and the righteous. He told them that the unrighteous would go to a place of great suffering while the righteous would go to an everlasting home where they will enjoy eternal life in joy and happiness.

In Revelation 21:8, Jesus speaks to the apostle John in a vision and says that all wrongdoers will end up in the lake of fire, where there is no escape.

Why Would Jesus Use Gehenna to Let the People Know of the Horrors of Hell?

The geographical location of Gehenna on Earth is not where hell is literally located. However, Jesus used Gehenna to strengthen His arguments about hell. Jesus used Gehenna to warn the people about hell because Gehenna was a place where the people in the past used to sacrifice their children by fire to the idol Molech. The fire that used to burn in Gehenna while infants were sacrificed was like none other. Hell is a place where the fire burns and will not cease (Matthew 13:50, Matthew 25:41, and Mark 9:48). Jesus wanted people to know of hell’s horrors and the importance of living a holy life unto God. His message would strike a chord if his audience knew Gehenna’s history and the many sacrifices by fire done there.

Gehenna in the Bible represented a place of torment where the fire would continue burning and where there could be no mercy given to infants who could not protect themselves and who could not depend on any adults, including their parents, to keep them safe. Hell is also a place where no one can protect us once we end up there.

What Is Happening Today to Modern-Day Gehenna?

Old Gehenna must have been an ugly place to behold in the Old and New Testament periods. Modern-day Gehenna is now an acceptable place to live. Buildings have been erected, vehicles travel back and forth on modern roads, and the residents thrive. People studying the Bible often visit modern-day Gehenna to learn from its rich history.

What Can We Learn From Gehenna?

We can learn several important lessons from Gehenna, but the most important ones may be the following.

1. We must not serve false gods: the people of Israel served a false God known as Molech, and they would even go as far as to sacrifice human lives for him. This practice made God angry, and He wanted to judge Israel. As Christians, we must never give ourselves to any false God, nor should we teach our children to serve them. Instead, we must remain faithful to the living God, knowing He made us and will never forsake us. Serving a false god is a grave sin committed before the Lord.

2. We must do everything in our power to teach our children to follow the Lord: like us, our children must follow after the Lord and not stray and follow another god. It is, therefore, up to us to teach them to make serving God their top priority in life. We must let them know that if they stray from serving the Lord, the consequences of their action can be great.

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Rastan

Lancelot Tucker is a book author and freelance writer who writes on a vast amount of topics. In addition, he serves as an associate pastor in his hometown, Spanish Town. Lancelot loves to do research and write, and is an avid reader of other authors' works. When not writing or reading, he spends his time reaching out to the less fortunate residing in his community.