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 Baruch 3:19

They have vanished and gone down to Hades: This does not mean that they have vanished into thin air, but simply that they have died. Hades is the world of the dead; see the comments on Bar 2.17. If possible, translators should keep the figure of “the world of the dead” (Good News Translation) or even “the place where the dead go.”

Others have arisen in their place: This does not mean that some dead people have come to life, but rather “others have been born to take their place” (see verse 20).

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.