A-Z: General definitions: Gates of Hell

Definition

The Gates of Hell or Hades. In the Old Testament Hades was the place of the dead therefore this is an idiom for death (Psalms 107:18). In the New Testament it may also represent the power of evil forces (Matthew 16:18). See Harrowing of Hell.

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! ²Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble ³and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. ⁴Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; ⁵hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. ⁶Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ⁷He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. ⁸Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ⁹For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. ¹⁰Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, ¹¹for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. ¹²So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. ¹³Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ¹⁴He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. ¹⁵Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ¹⁶For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron. ¹⁷Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; ¹⁸they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. ¹⁹Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ²⁰He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. ²¹Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ²²And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! ²³Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; ²⁴they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. ²⁵For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. ²⁶They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; ²⁷they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. ²⁸Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ²⁹He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. ³⁰Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. ³¹Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ³²Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. ³³He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, ³⁴a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. ³⁵He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. ³⁶And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; ³⁷they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. ³⁸By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. ³⁹When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, ⁴⁰he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; ⁴¹but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. ⁴²The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. ⁴³Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

¹O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. ²Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; ³And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. ⁴They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. ⁵Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. ⁶Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. ⁷And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. ⁸Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ⁹For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. ¹⁰Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; ¹¹Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: ¹²Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. ¹³Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. ¹⁴He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. ¹⁵Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ¹⁶For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. ¹⁷Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. ¹⁸Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. ¹⁹Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. ²⁰He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. ²¹Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ²²And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. ²³They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; ²⁴These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. ²⁵For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. ²⁶They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. ²⁷They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. ²⁸Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. ²⁹He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. ³⁰Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. ³¹Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ³²Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. ³³He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; ³⁴A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. ³⁵He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. ³⁶And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; ³⁷And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. ³⁸He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. ³⁹Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. ⁴⁰He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. ⁴¹Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock. ⁴²The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. ⁴³Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ²He answered them, When it is evening, you say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red. ³And in the morning, It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening. You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. ⁴An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. So he left them and departed. ⁵When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. ⁶Jesus said to them, Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. ⁷And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, We brought no bread. ⁸But Jesus, aware of this, said, O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? ⁹Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? ¹⁰Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? ¹¹How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. ¹²Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. ¹³Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? ¹⁴And they said, Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. ¹⁵He said to them, But who do you say that I am? ¹⁶Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. ²⁰Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. ²¹From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. ²²And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you. ²³But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. ²⁴Then Jesus told his disciples, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? ²⁷For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. ²⁸Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

¹The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. ²He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. ³And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? ⁴A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. ⁵And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. ⁷And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. ⁸Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? ⁹Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? ¹⁰Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? ¹¹How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? ¹²Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. ¹³When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? ¹⁴And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. ¹⁵He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? ¹⁶And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. ¹⁷And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. ¹⁸And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. ²⁰Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. ²¹From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. ²²Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. ²³But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. ²⁴Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ²⁵For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. ²⁶For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. ²⁸Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

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