Abyss (Hastings' Dictionary)

The translation (in RV, not in AV) of Hfivaaoi, a word compounded from a intensive and §vairbt. Tonic form of /SuSit, depth (2 Co 11"), and connected (see Curtius) with /SaSui, deep, and the En", bath ; primarily and classically an adj. = very deep, or even bottomless ; applied to the yawning gulfs of Tartarus (Eur. Phasn. 1605) and, metaph., to a sea of calamity (jEsch. Sujypl. 470) : in profane Greek nsed as a subst. by Diog. Laert. only (iv. 5.

27), on an epitaph, ' the black abyss of Pluto.' (Comp. Job 41" LXX Tii> Tdprapor rfis ipucffov.) Once (perliaps twice) in LXX it is an adj. (Wis 10" the bottomless deep of the Red Sea: possibly also Job 36" meta.n\\. =boundless) : elsewhere, LXX, NT, and eccl. Gr., a subst. ; in LXX the trans., with few exceptions, of tShOm, the tumultuoHS vxiter-deep (some thirty times), and, once each, of m/!

zulah, sea-deep (Job 4F'), of zHlah (Is 44"), tU'deep flood (of Euphrates) and of rnfiribh, spacious place (Job 30" if subst. ). Primarily in LXX it signifies (with tehOm) the waters beneath, by which the earth was at first covered (Gn 1», Ps 104'-»), but on which it was afterwards made to rest (Jon 2« ; see Ps 24=), and from which its springs and rivers welled up (Gn 7" 49", Dt 8' : cf. Rev 9> <t>p4oip).

Not unnatur- ally it denoted also the upper seas and rivers connected with the subterraneous waters (Ps 107" 106"), the original notion of tumultuousness in tSh6m (Ps 42^) being overlaid by that of depth in iavaaot (Sir 24**, Jon 2«, Ps 36'). Secondarilu, from the notion of subterraneousness and deptn, it is the place after death, but is never in LXX the actual translation of Sheol (though this etymologi- cnWy = de))th, Ps 71"; cf.

Ps 86"); in this sense, apparently, it is not justifiable to eliminate alto- gether the connotation of raging waters. [Comp. the contrast with heaven in Gn 7" (»''77ai dflwiroi/) with that in Ps 139» (Sheol) and in Ro 10' (a/3wr(ros); also Job 41" LXX, and Job 26»-« ({iSa.Tot).

\ The relation to Sheol, with its dull, shadowy monotony and even misery, coupled \vith the OT idea of Sheol as a pit dungeon (Is 24^), and with pre-NT apocalyptic usage (Enoch 10" chasm of fire ; 21" prison of the angels ; 18" abyss), prepared for the NT use of the word. It occurs only twice outside Rev : in Ro 10' it is simply the abode of the dead ; in Lk 8" it is the prison destined for evil spirits. In seven passages of Rev (chs. 9. 11. 17.

20) it is a prison in which evil powers are confined (20'''), and out of which they can at times be let loose (11' 17*), but is not the lake of fire (20^") ; nor is Satan regarded as himself cast into this prison, but only to be so cast (20'- ») for 1000 years. J. Massie.