Hades / Sheol

The Hebrew, Latin 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)

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.