Abaddon
“Destruction or place of destruction, from 'abad' meaning to perish”
Summary
A Hebrew term meaning 'destruction' used in the Old Testament as a poetic name for the realm of the dead, and in Revelation personified as the angel of the bottomless pit whose Greek name is Apollyon, 'the destroyer.'
☩Old Testament Usage
The Hebrew word 'abaddon' occurs six times in the Old Testament, always in wisdom literature, and is typically translated 'destruction.' The term is used in parallelism with Sheol in Job 26:6, Proverbs 15:11, and Proverbs 27:20, showing that it had developed beyond its general meaning into a specialized term for the abode of the dead. In Psalm 88:11, it parallels 'the grave,' and in Job 28:22 it is personified alongside Death. Only God understands Abaddon; it represents the realm of the dead in its utterly dismal, destructive, and dreadful aspect.
☩Later Jewish Development
In later Hebrew and Rabbinic literature, when Sheol came to be understood as a sphere of moral distinctions and retribution, Abaddon was identified as the nethermost of two regions in the underworld. The rabbis used the name particularly from Psalm 88:11 and eventually it became identified as the lowest part of Gehenna, 'the house of perdition' and 'the deepest deep of hell.' This represents a significant development from its earlier meaning as simply the general dwelling place of all the dead.
☩The Angel of the Abyss
In Revelation 9:11, the personification becomes explicit: Abaddon is named as a fallen angel, 'the king of the locusts' and 'the angel of the abyss,' whose name in Greek is Apollyon meaning 'Destroyer.' This angel commands the demonic locusts that emerge at the sounding of the fifth trumpet, tormenting those without the seal of God on their foreheads. The giving of both the Hebrew and Greek names may imply that this destroyer brings ruin to both Jew and Gentile alike.
☩Identity and Interpretation
Whether Abaddon represents Satan himself or a distinct demonic being remains debated. Some identify him with Satan based on Revelation 9:1, where 'a star fallen from heaven' receives the key to the bottomless pit, connecting this with Isaiah 14:12 and Luke 10:18. Others view Abaddon as Satan's character personified rather than one of his personal names. The name has become familiar in English literature primarily through Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, though Bunyan's conception of Apollyon is entirely his own imaginative creation.
Related Verses1 mention
Revelation· 1 verse
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Abaddon," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.James Hastings (ed.), "Abaddon," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).
- 3.John McClintock and James Strong, "Abaddon," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 4.George Morrish, "Abaddon," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 5.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Abaddon," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).