Hell

OUR FATHER, HELL AND HEAVEN : M. M. NINAN
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30; quis rer. div. her. § 58; de congressu quaer, erud. § 19; de secular sec 38; de somn. ii. § 43; de
Josepho § 24; quod omn. prob. book § 4, § 18; de ebrietate § 32; de Abrah. § 10; ζωή αἰώνιος: de
secular § 15; Θεός (ὁ) αἰώνιος: de plantat. § 2, § 18 (twice), § 20 (twice);de mundo § 2. from
Josephus: Antiquities 7, 14, 5; 12, 7, 3; 15, 10, 5; b. j. 1, 33, 2; 6, 2, I; κλέος αἰών Antiquities 4, 6, 5;
b. j. 3, 8, 5, μνήμη αἱ.: Antiquities 1, 13, 4; 6, 14, 4; 10, 11, 7; 15, 11, 1; οἶκον μέν αἰώνιον ἔχεις (of
God), Antiquities 8, 4, 2; ἐφυλάχθη ὁ Ἰωάννης δεσμοῖς αἰωνίοις, b. j. 6, 9, 4.
SYNONYMS:
ἀΐδιος, αἰώνιος: ἀΐδιος covers the complete philosophic idea — without beginning and
without end; also either without beginning or without end; as respects the past, it is applied to
what has existed time out of mind.
αἰώνιος (from Plato on) gives prominence to the immeasurableness of eternity (while such words
as συνεχής continuous, unintermitted, διατελής perpetual, lasting to the end, are not so applicable
to an abstract term, like αἰών);
αἰώνιος accordingly is especially adapted to supersensuous things, see the N. T. Cf. Tim. Locr. 96
c. Θεόν δέ τόν μέν αἰώνιον νόος ὄρη μόνος etc.; Plato, Tim. 37 d. (and Stallbaum at the passage);
38 b. c.; legg. x., p. 904 a. ἀνώλεθρον δέ ὄν γενόμενον, ἀλλ' οὐκ αἰώνιον. Cf. also Plato's
διαιώνιος (Tim. 38 b.; 39 e.). Schmidt, chapter 45.
PLATO'S USAGE.
1. He employs the noun as his predecessors did. I give an illustration*- "Leading a life
(aióna) involved in troubles."
2. The Adjective.(30) Referring to certain souls in Hades, he describes them as in
aiónion intoxication. But that he does not use the word in the sense of endless is
evident from the Phædon, where he says, "It is a very ancient opinion that souls quitting this world,
repair to the infernal regions, and return after that, to live in this world." After the aiónion intoxication
is over, they return to earth, which demonstrates that the world was not used by him as meaning
endless. Again,(31) he speaks of that which is indestructible, (anolethron) and not aiónion. He places
the two words in contrast, whereas, had he intended to use aiónion as meaning endless, he would
have said indestructible and aiónion.
EXAMPLES.
Gen. vi:4, "There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the
daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, (aiónos), men of
renown."
Gen. ix:12; God's covenant with Noah was "for perpetual (aiónious) generations."
Gen. ix:16; The rainbow is the token of "the everlasting (aiónion) covenant" between God and "all flesh that is upon
the earth."
Gen. xiii:15; God gave the land to Abram and his seed "forever," (aiónos).
In Jer. xviii:15, 16, ancient and perpetual, (aiónious and aiónion).
"Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in
their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up; to make their land desolate, and a perpetual
hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head." Such instances may be cited to an
indefinite extent.
Ex. xv:18, "forever and ever and further," (ton aióna, kai ep aióna, kai eti.)
Ex. xii:17, "And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies
out of the land of Egypt, therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever," (aiónion).
Numb. x:8, "And the sons of Aaron the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance
forever (aiónion) throughout your generations."
οἱ αἰῶνες denotes the worlds, the universe, i. e. the aggregate of things contained in time
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