Bible Dictionary
Sheol
Sheol is the unseen realm or abode of the dead in Old Testament usage. It is portrayed as a place of darkness and diminished earthly activity, yet still under God’s authority and anticipating the hope of deliverance.
Biblical Usage
The Old Testament describes the dead as being gathered to their peoples and going to their fathers in Sheol. It is associated with the pit, darkness, forgetfulness, and the absence of ordinary praise and activity. Yet God is present there, and the believer’s hope is deliverance from Sheol and restoration to life in God’s presence.