Gehenna: (originally Genesis bene Hinnom; i.e., "the valley of the sons of Hinnom"),
a deep, narrow glen to the south of Jerusalem, where the idolatrous
Jews offered their children in sacrifice to Molech
(2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6)
(Jeremiah 7:31; 19:2-6) This valley afterwards became the common
receptacle for all the refuse of the city. Here the dead bodies of
animals and of criminals, and all kinds of filth, were cast and
consumed by fire kept always burning. It thus in process of time
became the image of the place of everlasting destruction. In this
sense it is used by our Lord in
(Matthew 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33)
(Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5) In these passages, and also in
(James 3:6)
the word is uniformly rendered "hell," the Revised Version placing
"Gehenna" in the margin.
