What is…
the deep in the Bible

This term is used for the following places and things in Scripture.

  1. the sea or any deep water (“thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep” 2 Corinthians 11:25 KJV / Psalm 69:15 KJV / “the deeps” Nehemiah 9:11 KJV / “the depths” Neh. 9:11 NASB / “the face of the deep is frozen” Job 38:30 KJV / “out of the deep waters” Psalm 69:14 KJV / “I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee” Ezekiel 26:19 KJV)

  2. the watery chaos mentioned in Genesis 1:2, as God begins to create Earth and the universe

    “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. …” —Gen. 1:2 KJV excerpt

  3. depths of the Earth

    “The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;” —Genesis 8:2 KJV

    “Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under…” —Genesis 49:25 KJV

    (here “the blessings of the deep” likely has in mind underground water that emerges in springs and wells)

  4. the grave (physical death)

    “Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)” —Romans 10:7 KJV

  5. eternal death (Romans 10:7 KJV; Luke 8:31 KJV), also referred to as “the abyss” (Romans 10:7 NASB; Luke 8:31 NASB)

  6. Hell (Rev. 9:1-2 KJV; Rev. 11:7 KJV; Rev. 20:13 KJV), also called the The Bottomless Pit (Rev. 9:1-2 NASB; Rev. 11:7 NASB; Rev. 20:13 NASB)

Article Version: February 11, 2020