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Gehenna

[ gi-hen-uh ]
/ gɪˈhɛn ə /
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noun
the valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem, where propitiatory sacrifices were made to Moloch. 2 Kings 23:10.
any place of extreme torment or suffering.
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Origin of Gehenna

From Late Latin, from Greek Géenna, from Hebrew Gē-Hinnōm “hell,” short for gē ben Hinnōm, literally, “valley of the son of Hinnom”
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Gehenna in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Gehenna

Gehenna
/ (ɡɪˈhɛnə) /

noun
Old Testament the valley below Jerusalem, where children were sacrificed and where idolatry was practised (II Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 19:6) and where later offal and refuse were slowly burned
New Testament Judaism a place where the wicked are punished after death
a place or state of pain and torment

Word Origin for Gehenna

C16: from Late Latin, from Greek Geena, from Hebrew Gê' Hinnōm, literally: valley of Hinnom, symbolic of hell
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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