September 18, 2026

Summary: #

This episode of The Spanish Bible Podcast examines the issue of hell in the Spanish Bible, with particular attention to the Reina-Valera 1960. The King James Bible uses the word hell in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, the word is translated from the Hebrew Sheol, while several Greek words are translated as hell in the New Testament, including Hades. But what happened to the word hell in the Spanish Bible? In this episode, we look at the change made in the Reina-Valera 1960, where the translators removed infierno from the Old Testament and instead used the transliteration Seol for the Hebrew word Sheol. We also examine the New Testament, where Hades was used in places where the earlier Reina-Valera had translated the word as infierno. Luke 16:23 receives particular attention because it is one of the clearest passages describing a man suffering in hell. The episode also compares this approach with modern English Bible versions and discusses the claim that these changes affect the clarity of biblical doctrine. Finally, the episode introduces the Reina-Valera Gómez as a Spanish Bible that retains the word infierno rather than replacing these occurrences with the transliterations Seol and Hades. #SpanishBiblePodcast #SpanishBible #ReinaValera1960 #KingJamesBible #Hades #Hell #Seol #Transliteration #BibleVersions

Full Transcript Below #

Intro #

Welcome to the Spanish Bible Podcast, a podcast for English speakers who want to better understand the Spanish Bible. Whether you’re preparing for ministry, learning Spanish, or simply curious about how God’s Word has been translated into one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, you’re in the right place. In this podcast, we’ll explore the history, underlying text, translation, vocabulary, and unique features of the Spanish Bible, with the goal of helping you understand it more clearly and use it more confidently. Let’s get started.

Beginning #

I recently spent a week at the RVG conference, and we had a great time. Great preaching, great spirit among the people that were there. And if you get a chance, go back and watch any of those messages in Spanish, of course, but they were really a help to you. There was one in English, a couple of them in English, but majority was in Spanish. But we had a great opportunity to teach and reach national pastors and other missionaries as well, and give them a foundation for the Bible that they use and teach on the purity and preservation of scriptures. I believe that is quite important.

And we’re going to talk about transliteration and the diminishment of hell in the Spanish Bible, just like in all modern Bibles. Now, don’t don’t get scared of the terminology transliteration. That can be a scary term, but we’ll talk about that. I’ll define that for you and I’ll explain what that is.

But I believe that the Bible warns us of a literal fiery place called hell. where unsaved people will be condemned for all of eternity. It’s not a pleasant doctrine, but it is a Bible doctrine. And that’s important for us to understand that that is a Bible doctrine.

The word hell is used 31 times in the Old Testament in our King James Bible. That word is transliterated from the Hebrew word sheol. And the King James translators translated that word as pit, grave, or hell. It is in our Bible, the word sheol is in our Bible in the Old Testament about 65 times. So about half of the time the translators translated that word to mean hell. The Spanish Bible, when it was originally translated, also translated that word.

They didn’t always line up 100% with the King James translators, but they translated the word. However, in 1960, they decided to remove every instance of the word hell from the Old Testament in the Spanish Bible and replace it with a transliteration of the word in Hebrew seal in English, you will find it as shiel, S-H-E-O-L, and in Spanish, it will show up as seal, S-E-O-L.

And so there’s a little minor difference, but it’s the same word. It’s a transliteration. Transliteration is simply taking the Hebrew word and using the same letters Hebrew writes with, it’s not the letters like we use in our alphabet, they’re different. And it’s taking those letters and giving them the English letter equivalent. So you’ll see that word seal or shiel, and that is a transliteration.

So in Isaiah chapter 14 and verse number 15, the Bible says this, Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit. Isaiah 14 is, of course, the passage that’s talking about Lucifer being lifted up with pride and being cast out of heaven and being condemned to a place called hell, which we all know that’s not a surprise to anyone. But in the 1960 Reina Valera Spanish Bible, they transliterated that word. They said, mas tu derribado eras hasta el seal.

That’s a transliteration of the word hell, or excuse me, of the Hebrew word, and it can be translated as hell. The most common Spanish Bible has the word seal and does not have hell, but seal is a Hebrew transliteration into the Spanish language. This is exactly what the ESV, the English Standard Version, the ASV, the American Standard Version, the New American Standard Bible, the New King James Bible, all do in English. They take out that word hell and they place a transliteration, the Hebrew word.

This had never been done before in the reign of the later line of Bibles before the 1960 Spanish Bible, and so it is a problem. In Psalms 9 and verse number 17, the wicked shall be turned into hell. The 1960 says, Los malos serán trasladados al seal. Seal, again, is that transliteration of and the Spanish word for hell is infierno.

There is a word. It’s not like there was not a word, but they transliterated the Hebrew word and put that in the text instead in 1960. In Psalm 86, 13, the Bible says, For great is thy mercy toward me, and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. But in the 1960, they changed that.

In modern Bibles, the wicked are turned into Sheol, and we are delivered from Sheol. What does that even mean? The 1960 Reina Valera Spanish Bible followed that exact trend, and you can see there, it says Seol instead of Inferno. Not one time in the Old Testament Will you read the word hell in the Spanish Bible? They removed it completely from the Old Testament in the 1960s.

Not one time will you find that word. This is likely the Spanish Bible that your missionaries are using or is being used in the Spanish ministry of your church and it is a Bible that the majority of good independent Baptist ministries are using, and yet it is corrupted the exact same way that the majority of the modern Bibles are. They did this in 1960. It gets worse.

It’s not just in the Old Testament. In the reign of Latter 1960 New Testament, the word hell is only used 13 times. Remember, I said it was 54 times that the word hell shows up in our King James Bible. It only shows up 13 times in the Reina Valera 1960 Spanish Bible.

That’s terrible. One of the Greek words, we don’t have time to cover them all, but one of the Greek words in the New Testament that’s translated as hell is Hades. We say Hades in English. In Spanish, you would say Hades. It’s spelled, I believe, the exact same. It’s H-A-D-E-S.

And the passage that is the most clear about actually suffering in hell is Luke chapter 16 and verse number 23. The Bible says, “…and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment.” He is literally burning in a fiery hell, and he’s in torment. The Bible tells us that several times in that passage.

However, In the 1960s Spanish Bible, they don’t have the word hell. They took it out and they transliterated and put the word Hades or Hades is how we would say that in Spanish. Look at right there for yourself. You don’t see the word infierno. I’ve highlighted it. You see the word Hades.

They put the Greek word Hades into their text 10 times. Every instance of it was translated as hell in the King James Bible. It gets worse because every instance of ades in the 1960s used to say hell before they revised it in 1960. The 1909 had the word hell, but they pulled it out, they plugged in the word ades, as most modern Bibles do.

You want to know all those passages? We don’t have time to look at them. But Matthew 11, verse 23, Matthew 16, verse 18, Luke 10, verse 15, Luke 16, verse 23, Acts 2, verse 31, Revelation 1, 18. Revelation 6, 8. Revelation 20, verse 13 and 14. Every one of those verses, they transliterated the word hell and changed it to read hades or Hades.

That’s what most modern Bibles do, and that’s just terrible. This is a serious problem in which doctrine is clearly affected, and yet they’ll say, oh, no doctrines are affected. That’s not true, my friend. Doctrine is being affected, and hell has been diminished in the modern Bibles, not just the Spanish 1960 Reina Valera. I’m talking the ESV, the NIV, the New American Standard Bible, you wouldn’t let anybody preach from those Bibles in your church.

And sadly, the most common Bible used amongst people that you and I would, that we would support, is this Bible that’s corrupt. It’s a problem, and I’m just pointing it out. This is a trend for most modern Bibles, and it’s a problem. they have accepted it.

Use the Bible that is following the modern Bible trends. You cannot be King James only and defend the reign of the late 1960 Bible because it follows the trend of the modern Bibles, and it is more closely aligned with the American Standard Version. And, you know, our time is up.

I got flashers going off, and I could spend a lot more time on this. But I’m just telling you, there’s a problem. There is. I’m sounding the alarm. There is a problem. Doctrine is affected. Hell is diminished. And you’ve got 13 verses in that modern Bible that the majority of people are using. It’s sad.

I’m telling you, there’s a better Bible. And I personally endorse the Reign of Leda Gomez Bible. and it reads hell in all 54 passages. Not one time will you read the transliteration siol or ades in the reign of Valeria Gomez. We did not transliterate, and so I just want you to know all of that, and hope you have a great day.

Keep studying the Word of God, and God bless you.

Ending #

Thank you for listening to the Spanish Bible Podcast. If this episode has been helpful, consider sharing it with a friend, a missionary, a pastor, or anyone interested in the Spanish Bible. Until next time, keep studying God’s Word and keep reaching the Spanish-speaking world with the gospel. We’ll see you next time.