What is the meaning of the Greek word "Gehenna" and why do some translations render the word as "hell" ?

Question

For example at Matthew 18:9 & James 3:6

The word traces to Greek, ultimately from Hebrew (Wikipedia)

Answer 1

Gehenna = The Lake of fire.
Revelation 20;14
Hades and death [ Hades = Hell] are to be cast into it.
so Gehenna cannot be hell.
In the Bible, Hell is always associated with death.
so Hell is man's grave.
Rev. 21;4. no death no sickness.
So no death = no grave.

Answer 2

Gehenna (or Gehenom or Gehinom), in Jewish eschatology, is a fiery place where the wicked are punished after they die or on Judgment Day. Gehenna also appears in the New Testament and early Christian writing, and appears in Islam as Jahannam.

The word traces to Greek, ultimately from Hebrew: גי(א)-הינום‎ Gêhinnôm (also Guy ben-Hinnom (Hebrew: גיא בן הינום‎) meaning the Valley of Hinnom's son. The valley forms the southern border of ancient Jerusalem and stretches from the foot of Mt. Zion, eastward, to the Kidron Valley. It is first mentioned in Joshua 15:8. Originally it referred to a garbage dump in a deep narrow valley right outside the walls of Jerusalem (in modern-day Israel) where fires were kept burning to consume the refuse and keep down the stench. It is also the location where bodies of executed criminals, or individuals denied a proper burial, would be dumped. In addition, this valley was frequently not controlled by the Jewish authority within the city walls; it is traditionally held that this valley was used as a place of religious child-sacrifice to Moloch by the Canaanites outside the city.

Answer 3

Gehenna was a very literal "dump". All trash was hauled there to be burned including the dead bodies no one wanted to bury.
It was the custom of the people to dispose of all trash and for a long time this method filled the cities needs.
It has been done away with now in favor of practices such as we now used, machines digging an burying.
Hell, is in the bible as the common grave of mankind, and thus, the confusion of the pastors who were ignorant of Gehenna's use.

Answer 4

Most have it right, the garbge dump. The valley on the west side of Jerusalem is the Hinnon Valley, so in Greek the Valley of Hinnon is shorened to GeHenna, simple as that.

Answer 5

It's originally Hebrew.
In one of prophetic books (I can't remember which one, but it may be Isaiah or Ezekiel), there's a reference to bodies being left to rot in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, or in Hebrew, Gei-Ben-Hinnom. The word eventually became "gehinnom", and was used to mean "hell".
The early Christians were Jews, so presumably they'd have used 'gehinnom' for hell, too. I don't know why in Greek they dropped the final M.

Answer 6

The word might have a Greek origin but itself means nothing in Greek.

Answer 7

it means nothing in Greek because it's not a Greek word
it's Hebrew and the original word is " Gehennom"

it was a place outside Jerusalem , they used it to burn garbage

Jesus did not mean , when he used the word , a place for people to burn in , but he meant eternal pain

Mr. Muhammad , the false prophet of the false God Allah , borrowed the word from Christianity without even thinking about the original meaning of it

and Gehenna became " jahannam" in Arabic
or "hell" in English

Answer 8

It is the description Jesus used. It was a constantly burning trash heap outside the City, covered in carcases, vermin, flies, and maggots. He said it was unquenchable, and undying.

There is a good article in Wikipedia about Gehenna.

Answer 9

It was a place where they used to burn garbage.

What Jesus actually said and what it is translated as nowadays is likely very mucked up; especially when you filter it through the various councils along the way.

Answer 10

It's the place outside of the walls of Jerusalem where garbage used to be burned.

I'm assuming it means "Place of burning"

Jesus likened hell to there and said it would be a place "Of weeping & gnashing of teeth"