Abaddon

The term:

Abaddon is a Hebrew term, thus is constrained to the Old Testament, except for one occasion when the Hebrew term is referenced in the New Testament.  It appears seven times in the bible.  Since it is used so sparingly, this section will be able to examine each use of the term.

Abaddon is translated “destruction” throughout the NIV and KJV, except for the Revelation passage, where Abaddon is rendered in its native Hebrew, for obvious reasons we’ll examine in this section.

The texts:

o    Job 26:6 (NIV) ⁶ Death (Heb Sheol) is naked before God;
     Destruction (Heb Abaddon) lies uncovered.

o    Job 28:22 (NIV) ²² Destruction (Abaddon) and Death (Sheol) say,
     ‘Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.’

o    Job 31:12 (NIV) ¹² It is a fire that burns to Destruction (Abaddon);
     it would have uprooted my harvest.

o    Psalms 88:11 (NIV) ¹¹ Is your love declared in the grave (qibrah – a non-proper name), your faithfulness in Destruction (Abaddon)?

o    Prov 15:11 (NIV)¹¹ Death (sheol) and Destruction (Abaddon) lie open before the LORD– how much more the hearts of men!

o    Prov 27:20 (NIV) ²⁰ Death (Sheol) and Destruction (Abbadon) are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.

o   Rev 9:11 (NIV) ¹¹ They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. 

Conclusions:

Abaddon is closely related to Sheol

·         This conclusion is based on the parallel use of Abaddon along with Sheol in poetic texts.

o   Hebrew poetic verse is based on parallelism rather than rhythm or rhyme.

§  There are five poetic books in the Old Testament:  Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

§  Abbadon is referenced, interestingly, in three of the five, and in only one non-poetic book where it is rendered as a proper name of a demon.

o   To be paralleled in Hebrew poetry, an item is noted to be related and closely knit in nature to that which it is paralleled.

§  Abaddon, being paralleled with Sheol, indicates that the two are closely related in nature or use.

·         The texts using parallelism between the two:

o   Psalms 88:11 (NIV) ¹¹ Is your love declared in the grave (qibrah – a non-proper name), your faithfulness in Destruction (Abaddon)?

§  Here, an indirect parallel, it is with “the grave” although Sheol is not given its proper name. 

o   Prov 15:11 (NIV)¹¹ Death (sheol) and Destruction (Abaddon) lie open before the LORD– how much more the hearts of men!

§  Here, Abaddon is very properly paralleled with Sheol

o   Prov 27:20 (NIV) ²⁰ Death (Sheol) and Destruction (bbadon) are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.

§  Again a direct parallel

o   Job 26:6 (NIV) ⁶ Death (Heb Sheol) is naked before God;
     Destruction (Heb Abaddon) lies uncovered.

o   Job 28:22 (NIV) ²² Destruction (Abaddon) and Death (Sheol) say,
     ‘Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.’

·         Of a total of six poetic texts using the term Abaddon, four of them parallel it with Sheol.

o   Thus, Abaddon is closely related to Sheol

Abaddon denotes negativity

·         Each text reflects Abaddon in a negative light.

o   It is never used in a good or positive light

o   Being associated with Sheol, which is compartmentalized into good and negative sections, it thus appears that Abaddon is only affiliated with the negative element of Sheol.

Abaddon is the name of the unrighteous side of Sheol

·         Being a proper name, paralleled with Sheol, and having a negative connotation leave the final deduction that Abaddon is the Hebrew name for the unrighteous compartment of Sheol/Hades.

Abaddon is the same as Appolyon

Rev 9:11 (NIV) ¹¹ They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. 

o   This text refers to the demonic “locust” invasion of Revelation 9. 

§  “They” in the text, are the demon hordes.

§  Thus, the name of the demon who led them was “Abaddon” in Hebrew and “Appolyon” in Greek.

·         While Abaddon and Appolyon are noted as proper names of a demon, it should not be misunderstood that this was merely a name.  The name had meaning in that this demon was named after the unrighteous side of Sheol.  And, his Greek name being Appolyon indicates that the Greek term for Abaddon would also be the same translated term: Appolyon.

o   “Appolyon” occurs nowhere else in scripture, however.