--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's no Hell mentioned in the Old…" description: "\"There's no Hell mentioned in the Old Testament. The punishment of the dead is not specified there. It's only with gentle Jesus, meek and mild, that the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/christopher-hitchens-117_bible_there-s-no-hell-mentioned-in-the-old-tes_2474247.jpg" --- # There's no Hell mentioned in the Old Testament. The… ![“There's no Hell mentioned in the Old Testament. The punishment of the dead is not specified there. It's only with gentle Jesus, meek and mild, that the idea of eternal torture for minor transgressions is introduced.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/christopher-hitchens-117_bible_there-s-no-hell-mentioned-in-the-old-tes_2474247.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/christopher-hitchens-117_bible_there-s-no-hell-mentioned-in-the-old-tes_2474247.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/christopher-hitchens-117_bible_there-s-no-hell-mentioned-in-the-old-tes_2474247.jpg) > “There's no Hell mentioned in the Old Testament. The punishment of the dead is not specified there. It's only with gentle Jesus, meek and mild, that the idea of eternal torture for minor transgressions is introduced.” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Old Testament lacks explicit hell; later Christian doctrine added eternal punishment for minor sins **In simple terms:** Early scriptures don’t describe hell; later teachings introduced it for small sins Key Takeaway Question how religious ideas evolve over time Themes theology interpretation history Mood critical analytical Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - religious education - interfaith dialogue - personal belief formation Key Concepts scriptural analysis doctrinal development Questions to Reflect On - How do later religious teachings reshape original texts? - What purposes do concepts like hell serve in societies? A Different Perspective Some argue that hell concepts serve moral control, not historical fact ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) [Eternal Torture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-torture-794207/) [Gentle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gentle/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Hell Mentioned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell-mentioned-794206/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Meek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meek/) [Minors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minors/) [Old testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-testament/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/testament/) [Testament Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/testament-punishment-794208/) [Torture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torture/) [Transgression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transgression/) ## Related quotes > [“With what contempt and suspicion, then, must one regard those who are no willing to wait, and who beguile themselves and terrify others -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/with-what-contempt-and-suspicion-then-must-one-regard-those-who-are/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“There is a particular circle of hell not mentioned in Dante's famous book. It is called comportment, and it exists in schools for young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/there-is-a-particular-circle-of-hell-not-mentioned-in-dante-s-famous/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [Christians often threaten atheists with eternal torture. But if we say that they're delusional, they will tell us that we're being rude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-thomas/christians-often-threaten-atheists-with-eternal-torture-but-if-we-say/) [Mark Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-thomas/) > [“Here I am Pet, standing before you with nothing to offer except things you cannot see. My heart and soul are yours, as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-rose/here-i-am-pet-standing-before-you-with-nothing-to-offer-except-things/) [Amanda Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-rose/) > [I exist, I am, I am here, I am becoming, I make my own life and no one else makes it for me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-exist-i-am-i-am-here-i-am-becoming-i-make-my-own-life-and-no-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ The American experiment, the United States in the past eight years \[2008-2016\] was not considered worthy of leading, because we had committed too many… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-american-experiment-the-united-states-in-the-past-eight-years/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Let us look upon a crucified Christ, the remedy of all our miseries. His cross hath procured a crown, his passion hath expiated our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-charnock/let-us-look-upon-a-crucified-christ-the-remedy-of-all-our-miseries/) [Stephen Charnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-charnock/) > [We are not to look upon our sins as insignificant trifles. On the other hand, we are not to regard them as so terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/we-are-not-to-look-upon-our-sins-as-insignificant-trifles-on-the/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“If no one has boundaries…how can there be any transgression?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/if-no-one-has-boundaries-how-can-there-be-any-transgression/) [David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/) > [Was it not most meet that a woman should first see the risen Saviour? She was first in the transgression; let her be first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/was-it-not-most-meet-that-a-woman-should-first-see-the-risen-saviour/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [ The heart becomes sick, as the body becomes sick, and its remedy is al-Tawbah (repentance) and protection \[from transgression\]. It becomes rusty as a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/the-heart-becomes-sick-as-the-body-becomes-sick-and-its-remedy-is-al/) [Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/) > [When people begin to praise us, let us hurry to remember the multitude of ours transgressions, and we will see that we are truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-climacus/when-people-begin-to-praise-us-let-us-hurry-to-remember-the-multitude/) [John Climacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-climacus/) > [Persons who have cleansed themselves of any transgression and who have shown their ability to deal with homosexual inclinations and put them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/persons-who-have-cleansed-themselves-of-any-transgression-and-who/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [All lovers unconsciously establish their own rules of the game, which from the outset admit of no transgression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/all-lovers-unconsciously-establish-their-own-rules-of-the-game-which/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [It's one thing for a person to live his life as a vacuous shell without fully comprehending the extent of his transgressions, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarek-saab/it-s-one-thing-for-a-person-to-live-his-life-as-a-vacuous-shell/) [Tarek Saab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarek-saab/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In the very recent past, we have seen the Church of Rome befouled by its complicity with the unpardonable sin of child rape, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-the-very-recent-past-we-have-seen-the-church-of-rome-befouled-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-surprising-to-me-how-many-of-my-friends-send-christmas-cards-or/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-there-were-groups-of-secularists-at-hospitals-who-went-round/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It isn’t so long since a test of Anglican orthodoxy was applied to anyone seeking to study or teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-isn-t-so-long-since-a-test-of-anglican-orthodoxy-was-applied-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Gullibility and credulity are considered undesireable qualities in every department of human life - except religion ... Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) [Michael Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arnold/) > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) [Robert A. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-peterson/) > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) [Stephen Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-taylor/) > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) [Walsham How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walsham-how/) > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's no Hell mentioned in the Old Testament. The punishment of the dead is not specified there. It's only with gentle Jesus, meek and mild, that the idea of eternal torture for minor transgressions is introduced.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Hitchens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-s-no-hell-mentioned-in-the-old-testament-the-punishment-of-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-s-no-hell-mentioned-in-the-old-testament-the-punishment-of-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/christopher-hitchens-117_bible_there-s-no-hell-mentioned-in-the-old-tes_2474247.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/christopher-hitchens-117_bible_there-s-no-hell-mentioned-in-the-old-tes_2474247.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/christopher-hitchens-117_bible_there-s-no-hell-mentioned-in-the-old-tes_2474247.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's no Hell mentioned in the Old Testament. The punishment of the dead is not specified there. It's only…” — Christopher Hitchens", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Christopher Hitchens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's no Hell mentioned in the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-s-no-hell-mentioned-in-the-old-testament-the-punishment-of-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-s-no-hell-mentioned-in-the-old-testament-the-punishment-of-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```