Gehenna

See also: gehenna

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin gehenna, from Ancient Greek γέεννα (géenna), from Hebrew גֵּיהִנּוֹם (ge'henom, “hell”, literally “valley of Hinnom”), named after the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem, which was constantly filled with the waste of the city, which was then burnt. Heinous deeds are also associated with this valley, as during the time when Jerusalem was ruled by non-Jews (referred to in scriptures simply as 'pagans') child sacrifice was practiced there.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡəˈhɛ.nə/

Proper noun

Gehenna

1. In rabbinical literature and Christian and Islamic scripture, the place where the souls of the wicked go after death, where they suffer eternal damnation or annihilation.
   • Matthew 23:33

     Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of Gehenna?

2. Hell.
3. A place of suffering and misery.

   School was Gehenna for the restless student.

4. The valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem.
   • 1833, Selumiel, or a visit to Jerusalem, etc, page 185:

     The people obeyed his commandment, and succeeding ages followed the example, and Gehenna became the general sink of the city, and the receptacle of all its pollutions.

   • 1991, Bible Review:

     By the fifth century C.E., however, confusion about the tradition led to transference of the reputed site of Gehenna to the Kidron Valley, on the eastern side of Jerusalem.

Synonyms

• Gehenom, Gehennom, Gehinom, Gehinnom (Jewish)
• Jahannam (Islamic)

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “Christianity, uncountable”): heaven

Descendants

• Hawaiian: kehena

Translations

where the wicked go

• Arabic: الهَاوِيَة f (al-hāwiya)
• Aramaic:

  Classical Syriac: ܓܝܗܢܐ f (gêhannā)

• Armenian: գեհեն (hy) (gehen)
• Belarusian: гее́на f (hjejéna)
• Bulgarian: гее́на f (geéna)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 地獄 / 地狱 (zh) (dìyù)

• French: Géhenne f
• Greek: γέεννα (el) f (géenna)

  Ancient: γέεννα f (géenna)

• Hebrew: גיהנום (he) m or f (ge'henom)
• Hindi: जहन्नम (hi) m (jahannam), जहन्नुम (hi) m (jahannum)
• Japanese: ゲヘナ (gehena), 地獄 (ja) (jigoku)
• Malay: Gehena
• Romanian: gheenă (ro) f
• Russian: гее́нна (ru) f (gejénna), гее́нна о́гненная f (gejénna ógnennaja)
• Swahili: jahanamu
• Swedish: gehenna (sv) n
• Ukrainian: геє́на f (hejéna)

hell, in Abrahamic religions

• Arabic: جَهَنَّم m (jahannam)
• Aramaic:

  Classical Syriac: ܓܝܗܢܐ f (gêhannā)

• Armenian: գեհեն (hy) (gehen)
• Catalan: Gehenna f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 革哈納 / 革哈纳 (Géhānà)

• Czech: Gehenna f, džehenna f
• Dutch: gehenna f
• Finnish: Gehenna
• French: Géhenne f
• German: Gehinnom
• Greek: γέεννα (el) f (géenna)

  Ancient: γέεννα f (géenna)

• Hebrew: גיא בן הנם, גיהנום (he) (gehenom)
• Hindi: जहन्नम (hi) m (jahannam), जहन्नुम (hi) m (jahannum)
• Hungarian: gyehenna (hu)
• Italian: Geenna f
• Japanese: ゲヘナ (gehena)
• Norwegian: Gehenna
• Polish: gehenna (pl) f
• Portuguese: Geena f
• Romanian: gheenă (ro) f
• Russian: гее́нна (ru) f (gejénna)
• Spanish: Gehena (es) f
• Swahili: jahanamu
• Swedish: Gehenna (sv) c
• Turkish: cehennem (tr)
• Turkmen: Jähennem
• Ukrainian: геє́нна f (hejénna)

Czech

Alternative forms

• gehenna, džehenna

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡɛɦɛna]

Proper noun

Gehenna f

1. Gehenna (one of various hells in Abrahamic religions)

Declension

Declension of Gehenna (sg-only hard feminine)

	singular
nominative	Gehenna
genitive	Gehenny
dative	Gehenně
accusative	Gehennu
vocative	Gehenno
locative	Gehenně
instrumental	Gehennou

Portuguese

Proper noun

Gehenna f

1. Alternative spelling of Geena