Abaddon
The Hebrew in Job 31:12 and Pro 27:20, "destruction," or the place of destruction, sheol (Hebrew); Hades (Greek). The rabbis use Abaddon, from Psa 88:12 ("Shall Thy lovingkindness be declared in destruction?") (abaddon) as the second of the seven names for the region of the dead.
In Rev 9:11 personified as the destroyer, Greek, apolluon, "the angel of the bottomless pit," Satan is meant; for he is described in Rev 9:1 as "a star fallen from heaven unto earth, to whom was given the key of the bottomless pit"; and Rev 12:8-9,12: "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, for the devil is come down." Also Isa 14:12; Luk 10:18.
As king of the locusts, that had power to torment not kill (Rev 9:3-11), Satan is permitted to afflict but not to touch life; so in the case of Job (Job 1-2). "He walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1Pe 5:8). "A murderer from the beginning" (Joh 8:44), who abode not in the truth. Elliott identifies the locusts with the Muslims; their turbans being the "crowns" (but how are these "like gold"?)
; they come from the Euphrates River; their cavalry were countless; their "breast-plates of fire" being their rich-colored attire; the fire and smoke out of the horses' mouths being the Turkish artillery; their standard "horse tails"; the period, an hour, day, month, and year, 396 years 118 days between Thogrul Beg going forth Jan. 18, 1057 A.D., and the fall of Constantinople, May 29, 1453 A.D.; or else 391 years and 1 month, as others say, from 1281 A.D.
, the date of the Turks' first conquest of Christians, and 1672 A.D., their last conquest. The serpent-like stinging tails correspond to Mohammedanism supplanting Christianity in large parts of Asia, Africa, and even Europe. But the hosts meant seem infernal rather than human, though constrained to work out God's will (Rev 12:1-2). The Greek article once only before all the periods requires rather the translation "for (i.e.
"against") THE hour and day and month and year," namely, appointed by God. Not only the year, but also the month, day, and hour, are all definitively foreordained. The article "the" would have been omitted, if a total of periods had been meant. The giving of both the Hebrew and the Greek name implies that he is the destroyer of both Hebrew and Gentiles alike.
Just as, in beautiful contrast, the Spirit of adoption enables both Jew and Gentile believers to call God, in both their respective tongues, Abba (Hebrew in marked alliteration with Abaddon Father (Greek, pater). Jesus who unites both in Himself (Gal 3:28; Eph 2:14) sets us the example: Mar 14:36; Gal 4:6. Jesus unites Hebrew and Gentiles in a common salvation; Satan combines both in a common "destruction." ((See ABBA)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Abaddon
Abaddon a-bad'-on ('abhaddon, "ruin," "perdition," "destruction"): Though "destruction" is commonly used in translating 'abhaddon, the stem idea is intransitive rather than passive--the idea of perishing, going to ruin, being in a ruined state, rather than that of being ruined, being destroyed. ⇒See a list of verses on ABADDON in the Bible. The word occurs six times in the Old Testament, always as a place name in the sense in which Sheol is a place name. It denotes, in certain aspects, the world of the dead as constructed in the Hebrew imagination. It is a common mistake to understand such expressions in a too mechanical way. Like ourselves, the men of the earlier ages had to use picture language when they spoke of the conditions that existed after death, however their picturing of the matter may have differed from ours. In three instances Abaddon is parallel with Sheol (Job 26:6; Pr 15:11; 27:20). In one instance it is parallel with death, in one with the grave and in the remaining instance the parallel phrase is "root out all mine increase" (Job 28:22; Ps 88:11; Job 31:12). In this…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Abaddon
This word is found in the OT only in the Wisdom Literature. When it first appears, the old view of Sheol as a place where the family, national, and social distinctions of the world above are reproduced, had been partially displaced ; and in some measure the higher concep- tion had gained acceptance, which held that in Sheol at all events moral distinctions were paramount, and that men were treated there according to tlieir deserts. In Job 31" Abaddon (I";k) bears the general meaning of ' ruin,' ' destruction.' (But see Dillm. and Dav. in loc. ) In the other instances of its occurrence, however, it is specialised, and designates the place of the lost in Sheol. Thus in Job 26', Pr 15" 27** (■■n^K, in Ker6 fi^iV,) it occurs in conjunction with 'Sheol' (^iwe*), and in Pa 88" with 'grave' (■>3p). Again, in Job 28" a further development is to be observed. In this passage it is linked witli death (nm), and personified in the same way as we find K.'P^* in Dn 4" and Hades in Kev 6', and D'OP and Dipo in the Talmud. The word is found once more in the Bible in Rev 9". In this passage it is u.se…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia