The Afterlife Term “Pit” in the Old Testament
Expository Bible Studies
Christ Assembly
If you do not recall a day in your life when you received eternal life as a free gift from Jesus, then this article will not make sense to you. Please click the eternal life button now and learn more about finding peace with God and being born again today.
In this study of the term “Pit” in the Old Testament, I will focus upon the use of a few terms referring to a place in the Afterlife (what happens after your body dies on earth). I have made many choices below concerning whether to answer yes, no, maybe to whether the term was connected to death, grave, body, soul in the verse or near context. In my personal judgment, unless the context was clear that the Afterlife was in view, I ignored the term “pit.” I offer the table for quick summary purposes. I have not devoted the time yet to a thorough study of the Old Testament term “Pit.”
Let me emphasize the distinction that Jesus drew in Matthew 10:28 between body and soul. As you consider all aspects of the Afterlife, keep in mind the difference between the body and the soul. For example, we know that David’s body underwent decay, but we have no indication his soul ever went to Sheol or the Pit. In contrast, the evil people went both body and soul to Sheol, with great suffering. At times, the term “Pit” may have a symbolic meaning for death. At other times, it may be a place in Sheol or apart from Sheol. Context decides and further study will be required of at least the passages below. I will add this material as an appendix to my book on Afterlife.
Verse Word Content Death Grave Body Soul
Job 3:31 בַּשַּׁ֣חַת Job acknowledges his unrighteousness before God. Even if he washed himself with snow and his hands with lye, God would still cast him into the pit, and my own clothes would abhor me. No No Yes No
Job 17:14 לַשַּׁ֣חַת I call to the pit, You are my father; to the worm, you are my mother and my sister. No No No No
Job 33:18 מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing over into Sheol Yes No No Yes
Job 33:22 לַשַּׁ֣חַת God chastens men who do not listen to Him. He speaks to them in dreams at night. The sinner’s soul draws near to the pit, and his life to those who bring death. Yes No No Yes
Job 33:28 בַּשָּׁ֑חַת God redeemed my soul from going to the pit No No No Yes
Job 33:30 מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת To bring his soul from the pit No No No Yes
Psalm 30:9 אֶ֫ל־שָׁ֥חַת What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it declare Your faithfulness? No No No No
Psalm 55:23 שַׁ֗חַת God will bring down men of bloodshed and deceit to the pit of destruction; they will not live out half their days Yes No No No
Psalm 103 מִשַּׁ֣חַת Who redeems your life from the pit Yes, Maybe No No No
Isaiah 38:17 מִשַּׁ֣חַת You have kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, for you have cast my sins behind Your back No No No Yes
Ezekiel 28:8 לַשַּׁ֖חַת They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die the death of those who are slain in the heart of the seas Yes No No No
Jonah 2:6 מִשַּׁ֛חַת You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God No No No No
Psalm 28:1 בֹֽור If God is silent to David, then he will become like those who go down to the Cistern. No No No No
Psalm 30:3 בֹֽור O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. Yes, Maybe No No Yes
Psalm 30:9 מִבֹּ֥ור He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my steps firm. No No Yes No
Psalm 69:15 בְּאֵ֣ר nor the well (NASB “pit”) shut its mouth on me No No No No
Psalm 88:4 בֹ֑ור I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength No No No No
Psalm 88:6 בְּבֹ֣ור You have put me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the depths No No No No
Psalm 143:7 בֹֽור My spirit fails; do not hide Your face from me, or I will become like those who go down to the pit No No No No
Proverbs 1:12 בֹֽור Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, even whole, as those who down to the pit Yes, Implied No No No
Isaiah 14:15 אֶל־יַרְכְּתֵי־בֹֽור Nevertheless you will be thrown down to Sheol, to the recesses of the Pit No No No No
Isaiah 14:19 אֶל־אַבְנֵי־בֹ֖ור You go down to the stones of the pit like a trampled corpse No No No No
Isaiah 38:18 יֹֽורְדֵי־בֹ֖ור For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness Yes No No No
Lamentations מִבֹּ֖ור I called upon Your name, O LORD, out of the lowest pit No No No No
Ezekiel 26:20 בֹ֔ור I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, like the ancient waste places, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set glory in the land of the living Yes, Maybe No No No
Ezekiel 31:16 אֶל־יֹ֥ורְדֵי בֹֽור For they have all been given over to death; to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit. Yes No No No
Ezekiel 31:16 בֹ֑ור I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I made it go down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit No No No No
Ezekiel 32:30 בֹֽור They lay down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and bore their disgrace with those who go down to the pit Yes No No No
Zechariah 9:11 מִבֹּ֔ור Because of His covenant, God set free Ephraim from the waterless pit
No No No No
Isaiah 24:17 וָפַ֖חַת Terror and pit and snare confront you, O inhabitant of the earth No No No No
| Verse | Word | Content | Death | Grave | Body | Soul |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job 3:31 | בַּשַּׁ֣חַת | Job acknowledges his unrighteousness before God. Even if he washed himself with snow and his hands with lye, God would still cast him into the pit, and my own clothes would abhor me. | No | No | Yes | No |
| Job 17:14 | לַשַּׁ֣חַת | I call to the pit, You are my father; to the worm, you are my mother and my sister. | No | No | No | No |
| Job 33:18 | מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת | He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing over into Sheol | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Job 33:22 | לַשַּׁ֣חַת | God chastens men who do not listen to Him. He speaks to them in dreams at night. The sinner’s soul draws near to the pit, and his life to those who bring death. | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Job 33:28 | בַּשָּׁ֑חַת | God redeemed my soul from going to the pit | No | No | No | Yes |
| Job 33:30 | מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת | To bring his soul from the pit | No | No | No | Yes |
| Psalm 30:9 | אֶ֫ל־שָׁ֥חַת | What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it declare Your faithfulness? | No | No | No | No |
| Psalm 55:23 | שַׁ֗חַת | God will bring down men of bloodshed and deceit to the pit of destruction; they will not live out half their days | Yes | No | No | No |
| Psalm 103 | מִשַּׁ֣חַת | Who redeems your life from the pit | Yes, Maybe | No | No | No |
| Isaiah 38:17 | מִשַּׁ֣חַת | You have kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, for you have cast my sins behind Your back | No | No | No | Yes |
| Ezekiel 28:8 | לַשַּׁ֖חַת | They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die the death of those who are slain in the heart of the seas | Yes | No | No | No |
| Jonah 2:6 | מִשַּׁ֛חַת | You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God | No | No | No | No |
| Psalm 28:1 | בֹֽור | If God is silent to David, then he will become like those who go down to the Cistern. | No | No | No | No |
| Psalm 30:3 | בֹֽור | O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. | Yes, Maybe | No | No | Yes |
| Psalm 30:9 | מִבֹּ֥ור | He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my steps firm. | No | No | Yes | No |
| Psalm 69:15 | בְּאֵ֣ר | nor the well (NASB “pit”) shut its mouth on me | No | No | No | No |
| Psalm 88:4 | בֹ֑ור | I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength | No | No | No | No |
| Psalm 88:6 | בְּבֹ֣ור | You have put me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the depths | No | No | No | No |
| Psalm 143:7 | בֹֽור | My spirit fails; do not hide Your face from me, or I will become like those who go down to the pit | No | No | No | No |
| Proverbs 1:12 | בֹֽור | Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, even whole, as those who down to the pit | Yes, Implied | No | No | No |
| Isaiah 14:15 | אֶל־יַרְכְּתֵי־בֹֽור | Nevertheless you will be thrown down to Sheol, to the recesses of the Pit | No | No | No | No |
| Isaiah 14:19 | אֶל־אַבְנֵי־בֹ֖ור | You go down to the stones of the pit like a trampled corpse | No | No | No | No |
| Isaiah 38:18 | יֹֽורְדֵי־בֹ֖ור | For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness | Yes | No | No | No |
| Lamentations | מִבֹּ֖ור | I called upon Your name, O LORD, out of the lowest pit | No | No | No | No |
| Ezekiel 26:20 | בֹ֔ור | I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, like the ancient waste places, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set glory in the land of the living | Yes, Maybe | No | No | No |
| Ezekiel 31:16 | אֶל־יֹ֥ורְדֵי בֹֽור | For they have all been given over to death; to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit. | Yes | No | No | No |
| Ezekiel 31:16 | בֹ֑ור | I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I made it go down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit | No | No | No | No |
| Ezekiel 32:30 | בֹֽור | They lay down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and bore their disgrace with those who go down to the pit | Yes | No | No | No |
| Zechariah 9:11 | מִבֹּ֔ור | Because of His covenant, God set free Ephraim from the waterless pit | No | No | No | No |
| Isaiah 24:17 | וָפַ֖חַת | Terror and pit and snare confront you, O inhabitant of the earth | No | No | No | No |
