Bottomless Pit — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Phrase used in the Bible to denote the abode of the dead and of demonic forces. The Hebrew word (literally “the deep”) is translated “abyss” in many versions of the Bible. In the ancient world, the concept referred to anything so deep as to be unfathomable—for example, wells or fountains. It is used in that way in the OT to describe the primeval sea (Gn 1:2) or the ocean depths (Pss 33:7; 77:16). In Near Eastern cultures, the term was used to signify the inverse of the great vault of heaven; hence, it came to be used metaphorically for the grave, synonymous with Sheol (Ps 71:20). In intertestamental times, it came to be used for the abode of evil spirits (Jubilees 5:6; 1 Enoch 10:4, 11).

Show passage in OET: GEN 1:2

OET-RV GEN 1:2

2 The earth was formless and empty and darkness covered the surface of the deep waters and God’s spirit was hovering over the waters’ surface.

OET-LV GEN 1:2

2 And_the_earth it _was formlessness and_emptiness and_darkness was_over the _surface _of the _deep and_spirit god was_hovering over the _surface _of the_waters.

Show passage in OET: PSA 33:7

OET-RV PSA 33:7

7 He gathers the waters of the sea together like a heap.
⇔ ≈ He puts the oceans into storehouses.

OET-LV PSA 33:7

7 He_is_gathering like_heap the _waters _of the_sea he_is_putting in_storehouses the _deeps.

Show passage in OET: PSA 77:16

OET-RV PSA 77:16

16 The waters saw you, God.
⇔ The waters saw you, and they were afraid.
⇔ ≈ The ocean depths trembled.

OET-LV PSA 77:17

17  They_saw _you the_waters Oh _god they_saw _you the_waters they _writhed _in _agony also the _deeps they _trembled.

Show passage in OET: PSA 71:20

OET-RV PSA 71:20

20 You who made me see many troubles, will revive us again,
⇔ ≈ and will bring us back up from the depths of the earth.

OET-LV PSA 71:20

20 Who mmm troubles many and_calamities you _will _return mmm and_from_the _depths _of the_earth/land you _will _return you.

Jump to OET GEN 1:2 section.

Jump to OET PSA 33:7 section.

Jump to OET PSA 77:16 section.

Jump to OET PSA 71:20 section.

In the NT, the term is used in both of these metaphorical ways. The demons pleaded not to be flung into “the abyss” (Lk 8:31), which many connect with later references to a “prison” (2 Pt 2:4; Jude 1:6). The exact meaning of such a prison is difficult to define; recent studies of passages like the above and of 1 Peter 3:19 and 4:6 suggest that the abyss is probably not meant to be synonymous with hades. More likely, it refers to a place where evil spirits are confined. Romans 10:7, on the other hand, uses the term for the grave, contrasting descent into it with ascension into heaven. Paul there freely adapted Deuteronomy 30:12-13.

Show passage in OET: LUK 8:31

OET-RV LUK 8:31

31 and now they were pleading with Yeshua not to command them to go back to the bottomless pit.

OET-LV LUK 8:31

31 And they _were _imploring him that he _may_ not _command to _them to _go _away into the abyss.

Show passage in OET: PE2 2:4

OET-RV PE2 2:4

4 Because if God didn’t spare the messengers when they sinned, but chained them in darkness and kept them to be delivered to judgement in due course,

OET-LV PE2 2:4

4 For/Because if the god not spared of_the_messengers having _sinned, but having _committed _to_the_underworld them to _pits of _darkness, gave _over them for judgement being _kept,

Show passage in OET: JDE 1:6

OET-RV JDE 1:6

6 Even the messengers who broke their own rules and left their own domain have been held in eternal chains in the darkness until the time of judgement in the great day.

OET-LV JDE 1:6

6 And the_messengers which not having _kept the rule of _themselves, but having _left _behind their own dwelling, has _kept in_ eternal _bonds under darkness to the_judgement of_the_great day.

Show passage in OET: PE1 3:19

OET-RV PE1 3:19

19 and with that life he also went to the spirits in prison and preached to them—

OET-LV PE1 3:19

19 in which also having _been _gone to _the to _spirits in prison he _proclaimed,

Show passage in OET: PE1 4:6

OET-RV PE1 4:6

6 That’s why the good message was preached even to the dead, so that while people might judge them according to this world’s standards, yet they might live spiritually according to God’s judgement.

OET-LV PE1 4:6

6 For/Because to this end was _good _message _preached even to_the_dead, in _order _that they _may _be _judged on _one _hand according _to humans in_the_flesh, on _the _other _hand may _be _living according _to god in_the_spirit.

Show passage in OET: ROM 10:7

OET-RV ROM 10:7

7 and don’t ask about who’ll go down to the pit in order to bring Messiah up.’

OET-LV ROM 10:7

7 or:
Who will _be _coming _down into the abyss?
(This is chosen _one /messiah from the_dead to _bring _up).

Show passage in OET: DEU 30:12–13

OET-RV DEU 30:12

12 it’s not like you have to send someone up to heaven to get them so you can hear them and follow them.

OET-RV DEU 30:13

13 Nor are they on the opposite side of the ocean such that you have to find someone to cross over to get them so you can hear them and follow them.

OET-LV DEU 30:12

12 Not in_the _heavens it to_say who will _he _go _up to/for_ourselves to_the_heavens so_that_he _may _fetch _it to/for_ourselves and_so_that _he _may _make _us _hear DOM_her/it and_so_that _we _may _do _it.

OET-LV DEU 30:13

13 And_not is_from_the_other _side of_sea it to_say who will _he _pass _over to/for_us to the _other _side _of the_sea so_that_he _may _fetch _it to/for_ourselves and_so_that _he _may _make _us _hear DOM_her/it and_so_that _we _may _do _it.

Jump to OET LUK 8:31 section.

Jump to OET PE2 2:4 section.

Jump to OET JDE 1:6 section.

Jump to OET PE1 3:19 section.

Jump to OET PE1 4:6 section.

Jump to OET ROM 10:7 section.

Jump to OET DEU 30:12–13 section.

The major use of the term comes in the book of Revelation. There the “bottomless pit” is the abode of scorpion-like locusts (Rv 9:1-11); of the prince of the underworld, named “Abaddon” or “Destruction” (9:11); and of the “Beast,” or Antichrist (11:7; 17:8). It is also the place where Satan is confined for 1,000 years (20:1, 3 OET REV 20:1 · OET REV 20:3).

Show passage in OET: REV 9:1–11

OET-RV REV 9:1

9 Then the fifth messenger blew his trumpet and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he/it was given the key to the deep, dark pit.

OET-RV REV 9:2

2 When he/it unlocked and opened that pit, smoke came up out of it like the smoke of a large furnace, and the smoke darkened the sun and the air.

OET-RV REV 9:3

3 Then locusts came out of the smoke and descended on the land, and they were given stinging power like the large scorpions of the earth.

OET-RV REV 9:4

4 However the locusts were told that they shouldn’t harm the grass or any green plants or trees, but only those people who didn’t have God’s mark on their foreheads.

OET-RV REV 9:5

5 They weren’t given power to kill them, but only to torment them for five months, and their torment was like that of a scorpion when it strikes a person.

OET-RV REV 9:6

6 People in those days will try to die, but won’t be able to—they will long to die, but death will run away from them.

OET-RV REV 9:7

7 The locusts looked like horses that had been prepared for battle, with something on their heads that were similar to golden crowns and their faces being like human faces.

OET-RV REV 9:8

8 Their hair was like women’s hair and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.

OET-RV REV 9:9

9 They wore chestplates that seemed to be made of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses rushing into battle pulling chariots.

OET-RV REV 9:10

10 They had tails with stingers like scorpions which had the power to harm people for five months.

OET-RV REV 9:11

11 They had a king in charge of them who’s the messenger of the deep pit—his name is ‘Destroyer’. (‘Avadon’ in Hebrew and ‘Apolluon’ in Greek.)

OET-LV REV 9:1

9 And the fifth messenger trumpeted, and I _saw a_star out _of the sky having _fallen to the earth, and was _given to _him the key of _the pit of _the abyss,

OET-LV REV 9:2

2 and he _opened _up the pit of _the abyss, and went _up smoke out _of of _the pit, like the_smoke of_a_furnace great, and was _darkened the sun and the air by the smoke of _the pit.

OET-LV REV 9:3

3 And out _of the smoke came _out locusts to the earth, and was _given to _them power, like are _having power the scorpions of _the earth.

OET-LV REV 9:4

4 And it _was _said to _them that neither they _may _injure the grass of _the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, except not/lest the people who not are _having the seal of_ the _god on their foreheads.

OET-LV REV 9:5

5 And it _was _given to _them, in _order _that not they _may _kill _off them, but in _order _that they _will _be _being _tormented five for _months, and the torment of _them is like torment of_a_scorpion, whenever it _may _strike a_person.

OET-LV REV 9:6

6 And in the days those, will _be _seeking the people the death, and by _no _means not they _will _be _finding it, and they _will _be _desiring to _die _off, but is _fleeing the death from them.

OET-LV REV 9:7

7 And the likenesses of _the locusts was similar to _horses having _been _prepared for war, and something on the heads of _them were like crowns similar to _gold, and the faces of _them like the_faces of _humans,

OET-LV REV 9:8

8 and they _were _having hairs like the_hairs of _women, and the teeth of _them like of _lions were,

OET-LV REV 9:9

9 and they _were _having breastplates like breastplates iron, and the sound of _the wings of _them as the_sound of _chariots of _horses many running into war,

OET-LV REV 9:10

10 and they _are _having tails similar to _scorpions and stings, and in the tails of _them is the power of _them to _injure the people five for _months.

OET-LV REV 9:11

11 They _are _having over themselves a_king, the messenger of _the abyss, the_name to _him In _Hebraios is, Abaddōn/(ʼAⱱaddōn), and in the Hellaʸn he _is _having, the_name Apolluōn.

Show passage in OET: REV 9:11

OET-RV REV 9:11

11 They had a king in charge of them who’s the messenger of the deep pit—his name is ‘Destroyer’. (‘Avadon’ in Hebrew and ‘Apolluon’ in Greek.)

OET-LV REV 9:11

11 They _are _having over themselves a_king, the messenger of _the abyss, the_name to _him In _Hebraios is, Abaddōn/(ʼAⱱaddōn), and in the Hellaʸn he _is _having, the_name Apolluōn.

Show passage in OET: REV 11:7

OET-RV REV 11:7

7 When the two witnesses have finished speaking out, the creature that comes up from the deep, dark pit will attack them. It’ll overpower them and then kill them.

OET-LV REV 11:7

7 And whenever they _may _finish the testimony of _them, the wild _animal which going _up out _of the abyss will _be _making with them war, and will _be _overcoming them, and will _be _killing _off them.

Show passage in OET: REV 17:8

OET-RV REV 17:8

8 The wild animal that you saw used to be here and isn’t anymore but is about to come up from the abyss. Then it’s going to destruction, and the ones living on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will wonder, seeing the creature that used to be here and isn’t anymore but will come back.

OET-LV REV 17:8

8 The wild _animal that you _saw was, and not is, and is _going to _be _going _up out _of the abyss, and into destruction to _be _going.
And will _be _marvelling the ones dwelling on the earth, whose not has _been _written the names in the scroll of_ the _life from the_foundation of_the_earth, seeing the wild _animal, that it _was and not is and _yet will _be _being _present.

Show passage in OET: REV 20:1; REV 20:3

OET-RV REV 20:1

20 Then I saw a messenger coming down from heaven holding the key to the pit as well as a heavy chain

OET-RV REV 20:3

3 The messenger threw him into the pit and shut it and sealed it over him so that he wouldn’t deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, it will be necessary for him to be released for a short time.

OET-LV REV 20:1

20 And I _saw a_messenger coming _down out _of the heaven, holding the key of _the abyss, and a_chain great in the hand of _him.

OET-LV REV 20:3

3 and he _throw him into the abyss, and shut and sealed it over him, in _order _that not he _may _deceive anymore the nations, until may _be _finished the thousand years, after these things, it _is _fitting him to _be _released a_little time.

Jump to OET REV 9:1–11 section.

Jump to OET REV 9:11 section.

Jump to OET REV 11:7 section.

Jump to OET REV 17:8 section.

Jump to OET REV 20:1 section. · OET REV 20:3 section.

Several characteristics should be noted in a study of the “bottomless pit” concept in Revelation. First, it is under the absolute control of God. The angel “was given the key of the shaft of the bottomless pit” to unlock it (9:1, rsv); the Beast “is to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to perdition” (17:8, rsv). Satan is seized, bound, thrown, and locked in it (20:2-3). Second, from the beginning it is meant for eternal destruction. After it was opened, “from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace” (9:2, rsv). Although the bottomless pit is not the place of torment (i.e., “the lake of fire” in 20:10-15), it will be replaced by eternal punishment after the End (cf. 17:8). Finally, it is the reverse image of heaven, and from it wickedness gushes forth. This is in keeping with the metaphor and the picture throughout Revelation in which the dragon (12:9) and the Beast attempt to duplicate the power and glory reserved for God alone. Just as heaven is the source of all that is worthwhile, the bottomless pit is the source of all that is evil. See Revelation, Book of.