Sheol (Hell) in the First Book of Enoch
The First Book of Enoch contains one of the most detailed early Jewish descriptions of Sheol, the realm of the dead. In this text Sheol is not presented as an abstract spiritual realm but as a place within the earth, associated with mountains, rock chambers, and deep subterranean divisions where the dead remain until judgement. The description occurs primarily in 1 Enoch chapter 22, where Enoch is shown the place where the dead are gathered.
The narrative begins with a geographical description of the location:
“22:1 And from there, I went to another place, and he showed me in the west a large and high mountain, and a hard rock, and four beautiful places.”
The setting described is a mountain with a hard rock formation containing four divisions. This description naturally suggests cavern-like chambers within a mountain, where the dead are separated according to their condition. The “four beautiful places” may be understood as compartments within this rock structure.
This idea corresponds closely with the broader biblical description of Sheol as a subterranean realm. Several passages describe Sheol as being in the earth and beneath the surface of the ground. For example:
“For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.” (Deuteronomy 32:22)
Here the foundations of the mountains are associated with the depth of hell. The phrase suggests that Sheol lies beneath the mountainous foundations of the earth.
Other passages emphasize the depth and downward direction of Sheol.
“It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?” (Job 11:8)
“Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell.” (Psalms 55:15)
“For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.” (Psalms 86:13)
“The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.” (Proverbs 15:24)
These passages consistently present Sheol as beneath the earth, reinforcing the description in Enoch of a deep cavernous region.
Enoch continues by describing the interior of these chambers:
“22:2 And inside, it was deep, wide, and very smooth. How smooth is that which rolls, and deep and dark to look at!”
This imagery conveys a vast hollow space within the earth, deep and dark, suggesting a silent and hidden region where the dead remain.
The angel Raphael then explains the purpose of these places.
“22:3 Then Raphael, one of the holy angels who was with me, answered me, and said to me: ‘These beautiful places are there so that the spirits of the souls of the (righteous and the unrighteous,) dead, might be gathered into them. For them they were created; so that here they might gather the souls of the sons of men.’”
The purpose of these chambers is to gather the dead until the appointed time of judgement.
Raphael continues:
“22:4 And these places they made, where they will keep them until the day of judgement, and until their appointed time, and that appointed time will be long, until the great judgement (seat of Christ) comes upon them (the righteous and unrighteous).”
The dead therefore remain in Sheol until the great judgement. The New Testament refers to this same event:
“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Likewise:
“For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God.” (1 Peter 4:17)
Thus both Enoch and the New Testament present a period between death and judgement.
While observing this realm of the dead, Enoch notices a voice making a complaint:
“22:5 And I saw the soul of a dead man making suit, and his voice went forth to heaven and made suit.”
The text emphasizes that the figure seen is a dead man, not an immortal being living consciously in heaven. The imagery reflects a slain person whose death cries out for justice.
Enoch asks Raphael about the voice.
“22:6 Then I asked Raphael, the angel who was with me, and said to him: ‘Whose spirit is that, the voice of which reaches to heaven, and complains?’”
Raphael answers:
“22:7 And he answered me, and said to me, saying: ‘This spirit is the one that came out of Abel, whom Cain, his brother, killed. And he will complain about him until his offspring are destroyed from the face of the Earth.’”
This scene parallels the statement in Genesis concerning Abel:
“The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.” (Genesis 4:10)
The cry is therefore symbolic language, representing the demand for justice.
The biblical principle behind this symbolism appears in Leviticus:
“For the soul of the flesh is in the blood.” (Leviticus 17:11)
Because the life of the flesh is in the blood, spilled blood can be poetically described as crying out. The writer of Hebrews also alludes to this concept:
“The blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:24)
Thus Enoch’s vision uses a personification of spilled blood to express the demand for judgement.
Enoch then asks another question regarding the structure of Sheol:
“22:8 At that time therefore I inquired respecting him, and respecting the general judgement, saying, Why is one separated from another?”
Raphael explains that the dead are separated into divisions.
“22:9 And he answered me, and said to me: ‘These three places were made, in order that they might separate the spirits of the dead... And thus the spirits of the righteous have been separated; this is the spring of water, and on it the light.’”
The righteous therefore occupy a separate division characterized by light and water, symbols of life and peace.
This idea of a separation between the righteous and the wicked appears in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.
“And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed.” (Luke 16:26)
Although the story uses symbolic imagery, it illustrates the concept of division between two groups.
In the parable the rich man says:
“Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue.” (Luke 16:24)
The request for only a drop of water suggests the imagery is symbolic rather than literal. Furthermore, Revelation clarifies that Hades itself will eventually be destroyed:
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14)
If Hades can be thrown into the lake of fire, it cannot itself be the final place of fiery punishment.
Returning to Enoch, Raphael describes another division:
“22:10 Likewise, a place has been created for sinners, when they die, and are buried in the earth, and judgement has not come upon them during their life.”
These sinners remain in Sheol awaiting judgement.
The description continues:
“22:11 And here their souls will be separated for after a resurrection to judgement, being in torment at the Great Day of judgement and Punishment.”
Thus the suffering is associated with the day of judgement, not necessarily the state immediately after death.
Another division is also described:
“22:12 And this division has been made for the souls of those who complain, and give information about their destruction, about when they were killed in the days of the sinners.”
This refers to victims of injustice whose deaths cry out for judgement.
Finally Raphael describes a class that remains permanently in Sheol:
“22:13 Thus a place has been created for the souls of men who are not righteous, but sinners… But their souls will not be killed on the day of judgement, nor will they rise from here.”
This statement suggests that some individuals never rise from the death-state.
The concept of a perpetual sleep also appears in the prophets:
“And they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake.” (Jeremiah 51:57)
Similarly Isaiah says:
“They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise.” (Isaiah 26:14)
These passages describe a class of people who remain in permanent death.
The Book of Enoch elsewhere reinforces the idea that Sheol temporarily holds the dead until the resurrection.
“1 Enoch 51:1 And in those days the Earth will return that which has been entrusted to it, and Sheol will return that which has been entrusted to it and that which it has received.”
Here the earth and Sheol both release the dead for judgement.
Another passage describes the fate of sinners:
“1 Enoch 56:8 And in those days Sheol will open its mouth and they will sink into it… Sheol will swallow up the sinners in the presence of the elect ones.”
Likewise:
“1 Enoch 99:11 Woe to you who extend evil to your neighbours; for you will be killed in Sheol.”
These passages portray Sheol as the death-state of the wicked.
According to the interpretation of Enoch 22, there are four chambers within Sheol. One is reserved for the righteous, while three are reserved for the unrighteous. Raphael states:
“Three of the four places have been reserved for the unrighteous, and only one place is reserved for the righteous.”
This creates a three-to-one ratio, suggesting that the number of the unrighteous greatly exceeds the number of the righteous.
Finally Enoch concludes his vision with praise:
“22:14 Then I blessed the Lord of Glory, and said: ‘Blessed are you O Yahweh, Lord of Righteousness, who rules over everything forever.’”
The vision of Sheol therefore emphasizes several key ideas: the dead rest within the earth, they remain there until the time of judgement, and they are separated according to their deeds. The First Book of Enoch thus provides one of the earliest and most detailed descriptions of the structure of Sheol in Jewish literature.
Sheol Hell in the 1st book of Enoch
Sheol
Translated from Ethiopic by Richard Laurence, London, 1883.
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/enoch.html#Enoch_22
http://qbible.com/enoch/22.html
22:1 And from there, I went to another place, and he showed me in the west a large and high mountain, and a hard rock, and four beautiful places.
the hard rock could be a cave within the mountain were the four beautiful places would be
Hell is described as being in the earth, and in the foundation of the mountains - the foundations being under the earth (Deuteronomy 32:22). Hell is deep - underground (Job 11:8). The direction of hell is down (Psalms 55:15, Ezekiel 32:21,27). Hell is low (Psalms 86:13). Hell is beneath us (Proverbs 15:24, Isaiah 14:9). Hell is a pit (Isaiah 14:15, Ezekiel 31:16). We must dig into hell (Amos 9:2). Hell (the grave) follows death (Revelation 6:8).
22:2 And inside, it was deep, wide, and very smooth. How smooth is that which rolls, and deep and dark to look at!
22:3 Then Raphael, one of the holy angels who was with me, answered me, and said to me: "These beautiful places are there so that the spirits of the souls of the (righteous and the unrighteous,) dead, might be gathered into them. For them they were created; so that here they might gather the souls of the sons of men.
22:4 And these places they made, where they will keep them until the day of judgement, and until their appointed time, and that appointed time will be long, until the great judgement (seat of Christ) comes upon them (the righteous and unrighteous).
1peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 “And if the righteous is being saved with difficulty, where will the ungodly [man] and the sinner make a showing?
2cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
22:5 And I saw the soul of a dead man making suit, and his voice went forth to heaven and made suit.
The slain soul, in a figure, cried for vengeance. the soul of a dead man was not, and is not an "immortal soul". Had this been so, it would have been symbolized as alive and not as a dead man slain.
22:6 Then I asked Raphael, the angel who was with me, and said to him: "Whose spirit is that, the voice of which reaches to heaven, and complains?"
22:7 And he answered me, and said to me, saying: "This spirit is the one that came out of Abel, whom Cain, his brother, killed. And he will complain about him until his offspring (the seed of Cain, the "Seed of the Serpent,") are destroyed from the face of the Earth, and from amongst the offspring of men, his offspring perish."
The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground" (Gen. 4:10). So God said to Cain concerning the slain soul of Abel his brother. This was a cry for vengeance upon Cain. So in this symbolic prophecy.
It is a principle in Scripture that "the life (soul, 'nephesh') of the flesh is in the blood". (Lev. 17:11). By personification, a slain person's blood is said to "cry" or "speak". (Gen. 4:10 cf. Heb. 12:24).
The word soul is an equivalent expression for life in many places. Leviticus 17:11 states: "For the soul of the flesh or the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." In this place, blood represents life or soul. Enoch, therefore, saw the blood of the slain man which was representative of the life, or soul, poured out in death.
The figure is obviously drawn from Leviticus 17.
22:8 At that time therefore I inquired respecting him, and respecting the general judgement, saying, Why is one separated from another?
22:9 And he answered me, and said to me: "These three places where made, in order that they might separate the spirits of the dead (the unredeemed) might be separated (from the Redeemed). And thus the spirits of the righteous have been separated; this is the spring of water, and on it the light.
LUKE 16:26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
The passage states that there was a great chasm fixed between Abraham and the rich man, yet they could both see and converse with each other (vs. 26). Is the great chasm to be taken literally?
LUKE 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
If you were being tormented in flames of fire, as the rich man was, would you request only a "drop of water" to quench your agony? Would not a jug or jar, or even a handful of water be more logical?
That it cannot be concluded from this parable that Hades itself is a place of blazing fire is made clear at Revelation 20:14, where death and Hades are described as being hurled into “the lake of fire.” The death of the rich man and his being in Hades must therefore be figurative, figurative death being mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures. (Lu 9:60; Col 2:13; 1Ti 5:6) So the fiery torment was experienced while he was figuratively dead but actually alive as a human after a resurrection to judgement), being in torment
22:10 Likewise, a place has been created for sinners (the unrighteous), when they die, and are buried in the earth, and judgement has not come upon them during their life.
22:11 And (they have lived the good life, but) here their souls will be separated (in sheol) for (after a resurrection to judgement), being in torment) this great anguish (the General concept of judgement, with painful consequences.), at the Great Day of judgement and Punishment and Torment for those who curse, forever, so that there may be retribution for their souls. And there he (Jesus Christ) will bind them forever.
22:12 And this division has been made for the souls of (the righteous) those who complain, and give information about their destruction, about when they were killed, in the days of the sinners.
22:13 Thus a place has been created, for the souls of men who are not righteous, but sinners, accomplished in wrongdoing, and with the wrongdoers will be their lot. But their souls will not be killed on the day of judgement, nor will they rise from here (to be judged with the righteous and unrighteous."
The Angel Raphael answers this question in Verse 9. above when he says
"Three of the four places have been reserved for the unrighteous, and only one place is reserved for the righteous."
This is a 3-to-1 ratio, which means that out of the over seven billion people who are alive on the earth today, only about 1.75 billion of the people on the earth today will enter into the kingdom of Heaven. To say noting of the billions who have lived on the earth for the past 6000 years of generations that have gone before us,
22:13 Thus a place has been created, for the souls of men who are not righteous, but sinners, accomplished in wrongdoing, and with the wrongdoers will be their lot. But their souls (life) will not be killed on the day of judgement, nor will they rise from here (to be judged with the righteous and unrighteous.") the sinners remain in sheol forever
Thus, the Scriptures speak of the DEATH-STATE into which all go when they depart from among the living. While "in death" they are said to sleep. From this sleep some never awake; which is equivalent to saying, that they are never the subject of resurrection. This is evident from JER 51:57 where, speaking of the princes, wise men, captains, rulers, and mighty ones of Babylon, the eternal spirit saith: "they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake": and Isaiah, speaking of the same class, says, "they are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise;
1st book of enoch 51:1 And in those days the Earth will return that which has been entrusted to it, and Sheol will return that which has been entrusted to it and that which it has received. And destruction will return what it owes.
1st book of enoch 56:8 And in those days Sheol will open its mouth and they will sink into it and their destruction; Sheol will swallow up the sinners in the presence of the elect ones."
1st book of enoch 99.11 Woe to you who extend evil to your neighbours; for you will be killed in Sheol.
22:14 Then I blessed the Lord of Glory, and said: "Blessed are you O Yahweh, Lord of Righteousness, who rules over everything forever."
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