Hades / Sheol

The Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez and Greek that is often translated in English as “Hades” or “Sheol” is translated in the German Luther Bible 2017 (and pre-1912) as Totenreich or “realm (or: kingdom) of the dead” in these verses. (Source: Jost Zetzsche)

In Chuj it is translated as “among the dead,” in San Mateo Del Mar Huave as “the place where are the dead,” and in Coatlán Mixe as “the grave.” (Source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Sheol .

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 4:41

And I said, “No, lord, it cannot”: The pronoun it refers to the “womb” in the previous verse. Some translators will prefer to mention the womb here by saying “I said, ‘No, lord, the womb can’t [hold the child].’ ” Others will prefer to translate “I replied, ‘No, sir, she cannot!’ ” (similarly Good News Bible). For lord see the comments on 2 Esd 2.44.

And he said to me, “In Hades the chambers of the souls are like the womb: Hades is the realm of the dead, much like Sheol in the Old Testament, except that here it is implied that residence in Hades is temporary, awaiting final judgment, when souls will be assigned to heaven or to hell. For the chambers of the souls, see verse 35. Good News Bible says “the place where God has stored the souls.”

Good News Bible provides a good model for this verse. We also recommend Contemporary English Version‘s following model:

• “No sir,” I answered, “she cannot.”
Then he said, “The place where the souls are waiting in the world below is like a mother’s womb.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.