Sunday, November 9, 2008

Re: `Tartarus' is a Greek name for a type of prison that the demons were relegated to #2

Pam

Continuing from Re: `Tartarus' is a Greek name for a type of prison that the demons were relegated to #1 with my response to your

[Above (click to enlarge): The Last Judgement by Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel.]

comment under my post "Main reasons why Jehovah's Witnessism is false."

Here is what leading New Testament Greek lexicons and other reference works say about Tartarus (my emphasis is red below):

1. Tartarus is a place. Remember that the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society's claim is that:

"As we have seen, the Tartarus of the Bible is not a place but a condition and, therefore, is not the same as this Tartarus of Greek mythology." (WB&TS, 1988, "Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2," p.1069).

But note the below language of place in New Testament Greek lexicons in respect of Tartarus: "abode of the damned"; "place lower than Hades," "place of punishment," "subterranean region," and "where they suffer punishment":

"... Tartaros, a Greek name for the under-world, esp. the abode of the damned ..." (Abbott-Smith, 1937, "A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament," p.440).

"Tartaroo ... Tartarus, thought of by the Greeks as a subterranean place lower than Hades where divine punishment was meted out, was so regarded in Jewish apocalyptic as well ..." (Arndt & Gingrich, 1957, "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian literature," p.813).

"tartarosas. ... the place of punishment of the fallen angels ...." (Robertson, 1933, "Word Pictures in the New Testament: Volume VI, p.162).

"tartarosas ... the name of a subterranean region, doleful and dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds; it answers to the Gehenna of the Jews..." (Thayer, 1901, "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament," p.615).

2. Tartarus contains human souls. The Watchtower Society claims that:

"... the mythological Tartarus was presented not as a place for humans but as a place for superhuman creatures. ... the Scriptural Tartarus is clearly not for the detention of human souls ... but is only for wicked superhuman spirits who are rebels against God." (WB&TS, 1988, Ibid., p.1069).

But New Testament Greek lexicons say that Tartarus of the Greeks was: "the abode of the damned"; the "abode of the wicked dead," i.e. not only of wicked gods but also of wicked humans, "where they suffer punishment":

"... Tartaros, a Greek name for the under-world, esp. the abode of the damned ..." (Abbott-Smith, 1937, Ibid, p.440).

"... tartarosas ... the dark and doleful abode of the wicked dead like the Gehenna of the Jews ... " (Robertson, 1933, Ibid, p.162).

"tartarosas ... the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds ..." (Thayer, 1901, Ibid, p.615).

The whole point of Peter's parallel between the "false teachers" and the "angels when they sinned" is that just as "God ... sent them [the angels] to Tartarus, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment," so also "the Lord" would "hold the unrighteous [false teachers] for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment":

2 Peter 2:1-4,9 (NIV) 1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell [Tartarus], putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; ... 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.

Clearly the "gloomy dungeons" called "Tartarus," where the evil angels are "held for judgment," is the parallel equivalent of where "the Lord ... hold[s] unrighteous" humans "for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment."

Peter's (and Jude's) is an a fortiori argument (from the greater to the less), as these quotes by Christian commentators point out:

"... the angels that had revolted. Neither their former rank, their dignity, nor their holiness, saved them from being thrust down to hell; and if God punished them so severely, then false teachers could not hope to escape. ... The argument in this verse is, that if God punished the angels who revolted from him, it is a fair inference that he will punish wicked men, though they were once professors of religion." (Barnes, 1962, "Barnes' Notes on the New Testament," p.1449-1450).

"[2Pet 2:]4. For if. ... As far as angels are concerned, the argument is from the greater to the less. Although they were far more exalted, yet their dignity did not save them from the hand of God. Much less, therefore, will mortal men who have followed their impiety escape." (Calvin, 1963, "The Epistle to the Hebrews and the First and Second Epistles of St. Peter," pp.347-348).

3. Tartarus is a place of conscious torment. The Watchtower Society claims that:

"The sinful angels and the dead human souls are not associated together in tar'taoros as a place of eternal conscious torment of creatures." (WB&TS, 1984, "New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures: With References," [1961], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, p.1575).

I have agreed in part #1 that Tartarus is not "eternal" but an Intermediate State. So our disagreement is that Tartarus is a place and state of "conscious torment".

But the following New Testament Greek lexicons state that Tartarus was "where divine punishment was meted out,"and where "the wicked dead ... suffer punishment ":

"Tartaroo ... Tartarus, thought of by the Greeks as a subterranean place lower than Hades where divine punishment was meted out..." (Arndt & Gingrich, 1957, Ibid., p.813).

"tartarosas ... regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds; it answers to the Gehenna of the Jews..." (Thayer, 1901, Ibid., p.615).

And clearly "punishment" entails that whoever is being punished is "conscious" of that punishment. Indeed the Watchtower admits that in its claim that being "not conscious" entails "not suffering":

"Our dead loved ones are not conscious of anything. They are not suffering ...." (WB&TS, 1995, "Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life," pp.82-83).

4. The Tartarus of the Bible is based on the Tartarus of Greek mythology. That is, Peter and Jude (2Pet 2:4 & Jude 6) are quoting from the apocryphal "Book of Enoch," which in turn used the Greek mythological concept of Tartarus, being the place of confinement and punishment of the rebellious Greek gods, as an illustration of the place where the rebellious angels were confined and punished:

"[2Pet 2:4] ... Cast them down to hell (tartarosas). .... Tartaros occurs in Enoch 20:2 as the place of punishment of the fallen angels" (Robertson, 1933, "Word Pictures in the New Testament: Volume VI, p.162).

"tartaroo ... the subterranean abyss of Greek mythology where demigods were punished. It is mentioned in the pseudepigraphical book of Enoch as the place where fallen angels are confined. It is found only in its verbal form in 2 Pet. 2:4 .... Peter has adapted a word and not adopted a theology." (Zodhiates, 1992, "The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament," p.1367).

Here is what New Testament Greek lexicons say about the Tartarus of the Bible being based on the Tartarus of Greek mythology:

"Tartaroo ... Tartarus, thought of by the Greeks as a subterranean place lower than Hades where divine punishment was meted out, was so regarded in Jewish apocalyptic as well ..." (Arndt & Gingrich, 1957, Ibid, p.813).

"tartarosas ... the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds; it answers to the Gehenna of the Jews ..." (Thayer, 1901, Ibid, p.615).

"tartarosas ... It is strange to find Peter using this Pagan term, which represents the Greek hell ..." (Vincent, 1887, "Word Studies in the New Testament: Volume I," p.691).

Note that both "the Greeks" and "Jewish apocalyptic" had come to think of Tartarus as a "place lower than Hades where divine punishment was meted out," "the abode of the wicked dead," i.e. humans, "where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds," it representing "the Greek hell."

5. Tartarus does bear a relationship to Hades. The Watchtower claims that "Tartarus bears no relationship to Hades" and yet it also claims that "Tartarus is ... far below Hades. "

"In the Iliad, by the ancient poet Homer, the word tar'taoros denotes an underground prison ... below Hades ... In the inspired Scriptures, Tartarus bears no relationship to Hades ... " (WB&TS, 1984, Ibid, p.1575).

"Tartarus is, therefore, not the same as the Hebrew Sheol or the Greek Hades ... Tartarus is represented as an underground prison ... far below Hades. " (WB&TS, 1988, Ibid, pp.1068-1069).

But as I pointed out in part #1, this is self-refuting in that if Tartarus is "below Hades" then it bears a "relationship to Hades," namely below it!

And as previously quoted, both "the Greeks" and "Jewish apocalyptic" thought of Tartarus as bearing the same relationship to Hades as a "place lower than Hades where divine punishment was meted out"; and also that "Tartarus. .. is part of the realm of death designated in Scripture as She'ol ... in the OT and Hades ... in the NT":

"Tartaroo ... Tartarus, thought of by the Greeks as a subterranean place lower than Hades where divine punishment was meted out, was so regarded in Jewish apocalyptic as well ..." (Arndt & Gingrich, 1957, Ibid., p.813).

" tartaroo ... is found only in its verbal form in 2 Pet. 2:4 meaning to cast into or consign to Tartarus. It is part of the realm of death designated in Scripture as She'ol ... in the OT and Hades ... in the NT." (Zodhiates, 1992, Ibid., p.1367).

Indeed, "Tartarus ... in Greek mythology was the lower part ... of hades" and "answered to the Jewish word ... Gehenna":

"... Tartarus ... which in Greek mythology was the lower part, or abyss of hades, where the shades of the wicked were supposed to be imprisoned and tormented, and answered to the Jewish word ... Gehenna." (Barnes, 1962, Ibid.," p.1449-1450).

Besides, "the Iliad, by the ancient poet Homer" is "dated to the late 9th or 8th century BC," but in later Greek mythology, e.g. ~500 years later, by the time of "Plato (c. 400 BC)", Tartarus was held to be within Hades" and moreover human "souls... who received punishment were sent to Tartarus":

"Originally only great sinners like Ixion, Sisyphus, and Tityus, who had offended the gods personally, were punished in Tartarus. But ... Plato [c. 428-347 BC]. According to the latter, the dead were judged ... and were consigned either to Tartarus or to the Isles of the Blest." (Pollard, 1974, "Greek Religion," Encyclopaedia Britannica, p.8:408).

"In classic Greek mythology ... Tartarus... resides within Hades ... with Tartarus being the hellish component. ... Plato (c. 400 BC) wrote that souls were judged after death and those who received punishment were sent to Tartarus." ("Tartarus," Wikipedia, 15 September 2008).

"Originally, Tartarus was used only to confine dangers to the gods of Olympus. In later mythologies ... the judges of the dead ... chose who went to Tartarus .... to be punished in accordance with their sins." ("Tartarus in Greek Mythology," Wikipedia, 15 September 2008).

And the Watchtower conveniently ignores that there was also a Tartarus in Roman mythology, which meant " the underworld," "the infernal regions", i.e. "Of or relating to a lower world of the dead." ("infernal," The American Heritage Dictionary, 2000):

"Tartareus ... Of or belonging to the underworld ... The infernal regions, the underworld." (Glare, 1982, p.1908).

"1. Tartarus ... plur. - Tartara, the infernal regions ... Hence, A. Tartareus ... of or belonging' to the infernal regions, Tartarean, infernal ... Tartarean, infernal ..." (Lewis & Short, 1890, p.843).

To the Romans, Tartarus was the place where sinners are sent ... At the bottom of this pit lie the Titans ... and many other sinners" and "Still more sinners are contained inside Tartarus":

"In Roman mythology, Tartarus is the place where sinners are sent. Virgil describes it in the Aeneid [written ... between 29 and 19 BC ...] as a gigantic place .... There is a pit inside which is said to extend down into the earth twice as far as the distance from the lands of the living to Olympus. At the bottom of this pit lie the Titans, the twin sons of Aloeus and many other sinners. Still more sinners are contained inside Tartarus, with punishments similar to those of Greek myth." ("Roman Mythology's Tartarus," Wikipedia, 15 September 2008).

The Watchtower Society, with its vast Bethel library must know all this, so it can only be deliberately withholding this additional information about Tartarus from its members, in order to keep them in the dark. In which case, Jehovah's Witnesses should heed the Watchtower's own warning:

"Knowing these things, what will you do? ... `the God of truth' and who hates lies, will not look with favor on persons who cling to organizations that teach falsehood. ... And, really, would you want to be even associated with a religion that had not been honest with you? " (WB&TS, 1974, "Is This Life All There Is?,"p.46).

To be continued in, "There is no literal place of fiery torture for lost souls." Quotes referenced above are hyperlinked to the full quote in the `tagline' below (emphasis original italics, emphasis bold mine).

Stephen E. Jones.
My other blogs: CreationEvolutionDesign & TheShroudofTurin


"tartaroo, -o (< Tartaros, a Greek name for the under-world, esp. the abode of the damned), to cast into hell : II Pe 2:4 (v. Mayor, in l.)." (Abbott-Smith, G., 1937, "A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament," [1921], T. & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Third edition, Reprinted, 1956, p.440. My transliteration).

"Tartaroo 1 aor. etartarosa (Acusilaus Hist. [V BC] 8 ed. AJC. I p. 50; Philodemus, p. euseb. 32, 19 Gomp.; Jo. Lydus, Men. 4, 158 p. 174, 26 W.; cf. Sext. Empir., Pyrrh. Hypot. 3, 24, 210 o Zeus ton Kronon katetartarosen. Tartarus, thought of by the Greeks as a subterranean place lower than Hades where divine punishment was meted out, was so regarded in Jewish apocalyptic as well: Job 41:24; En. 20, 2; Philo, Exs. 152; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 240; Sib. Or. 2, 302; 4, 186) hold captive in Tartarus 2 Pt 2:4." (Arndt, W.F. & Gingrich, F.W., 1957, "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian literature," University of Chicago Press: Chicago IL, Fourth edition, 1952, Revised, p.813. Emphasis original. My transliteration).

"[2Pet 2:]4. For if God spared not the angels that sinned. The apostle now proceeds to the proof of the proposition that these persons would be punished. It is to be remembered that they had been, or were even then, professing Christians, though they had really, if not in form, apostatized from the faith, (vers. 20-22;) and a part of the proofs, therefore, are derived from the cases of those who had apostatized from the service of God. He appeals, therefore, to the case of the angels that had revolted. Neither their former rank, their dignity, nor their holiness, saved them from being thrust down to hell; and if God punished them so severely, then false teachers could not hope to escape. ... But cast them down to hell. Gr., tartarosas - `thrusting them down to Tartarus.' The word here used occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, though it is common in the classic writers. It is a verb formed from Tartaros (Tartarus,) which in Greek mythology was the lower part, or abyss of hades, where the shades of the wicked were supposed to be imprisoned and tormented, and answered to the Jewish word Geena -Gehenna. It was regarded, commonly, as beneath the earth; as entered through the grave; as dark, dismal, gloomy; and as a place of punishment. ... And delivered them into chains of darkness. `... The meaning seems to be, that they are confined in that dark prison-house as if by chains. We are not to suppose that spirits are literally bound; but it was common to bind or fetter prisoners who were in dungeons, and the representation here is taken from that fact. ... To be reserved unto judgment. Jude 6, ` to the judgment of the great day,' They will then, with the revolted inhabitants of this world, be brought to trial for their crimes. That the fallen angels will be punished after the judgment is apparent from Rev. xx. 10. The argument in this verse is, that if God punished the angels who revolted from him, it is a fair inference that he will punish wicked men, though they were once professors of religion." (Barnes, A., 1962, "Barnes' Notes on the New Testament," [1832], Cobbin, I., ed., Kregel: Grand Rapids MI, Fifth printing, 1970, p.1449-1450. Emphasis original).

"2Pet 2:]4. For if. We have said how much it helps us to know that the ungodly who corrupt the Church by their wicked teachings cannot escape the vengeance of God. He gives evidence of this by three notable examples of divine judgment-that He did not even spare the angels, that He once obliterated the whole world at the Flood, and that He reduced Sodom and other neighbouring cities to ashes. ... As far as angels are concerned, the argument is from the greater to the less. Although they were far more exalted, yet their dignity did not save them from the hand of God. Much less, therefore, will mortal men who have followed their impiety escape. ... To chains of darkness. This metaphor means that they are held bound in darkness to the last day. This comparison is drawn from criminals, who, after they are condemned, suffer half their punishment in the harshness of imprisonment until they are dragged out for the final penalty. Hence we may conclude not only what punishment the wicked endure after death, but also what is the condition of the children of God. They rest peacefully in the sure hope of blessedness, even though they do not yet enjoy it, just as the others endure terrible torture at the thought of the vengeance in store for them." (Calvin, J., 1963, "The Epistle to the Hebrews and the First and Second Epistles of St. Peter," [1549], Johnston, W.B., transl., Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, Sixth reprinting, 1980, pp.347-348).

"Tartareus ~a ~um, a. Of or belonging to the underworld, Tartarean. e ~a..plaga CIC. Tusc.2.22 (transl. Sophocles); ~i.. Acherontis ad undas VERG. A.6.296; ~um..custodem (i.e. Cerberus) 6.395; sorores ~ae (i.e. Furies) 7.328; ~as.. domos Ov.Fast.3.620; ~um..deum Tr.1.9.32; ~us canis SEN.Her.F.649; per ~os lacus Phaed.1179; ~i..patris (i.e. Pluto) V.FL.1.828; ~o ululatu 4.393: MART.5.34.4; ~i regina barathri STAT.Theb.1.85; ~o..Ioui (i.e. Pluto) SIL..2.674; (humorously) quos..capacis alui mersit ~o specu PHAED.4.7.10. ... Tartarus (~os) ~i, m. The infernal regions, the underworld. b (personified). ~us horriferos eructans faucibus aestus LUCR.3.1012; tum ~us ipse bis patet in praeceps tantum VERG. A.6.577; datum Pelea ~o HOR.Carm.3.7.17; Max.2.46; noscis ~on et procul nocentum audis uerbera STAT.Silv.2.7.117; (wrongly stated by Varro to have been regarded by Plato as a river in the underworld) VAR.L.7.37. b pater. ~us V.FL. 4.258; ex Aethere et Terra.~us HYG.Fab.3(18+12); 152.1." (Glare, P.G.W., ed., 1982, "Oxford Latin Dictionary," [1968], Clarendon Press: Oxford UK, p.1908).

"1. Tartarus or,. -os i, m., in plur. (on prosodial grounds): Tartara, orum, n., = Tartaros, plur. - Tartara, the infernal regions, Tartarus (poet.; in prose, inferi); sing., Lucr. 3, 1012.; Verg. A. 6, 577; Hor. C. 3, 7,17; Stat. S. 2, 7,116; plur., Lucr. 3, 42; 3, 966; 5;1126; Verg. A. 4, 243; 6, 135; Hor. C. 1, 28, 10, Ov. M. 1, 113; 5, 371; 5, 423; 10, 21 et saep. a1.-Personified : Tartarus pater, i.e. Pluto, Val. Fl. 4, 258.- Hence, A. Tartareus a, um, adj., of or belonging' to the infernal regions, Tartarean, infernal: tenebrica plaga, Cic. pout, Tusc. 2, 9, 22: antrum, i.e., the infernal regions, Luc. 6, 712; umbrae, Ov. M. 6, 676; 12, 257: custos, i.e. Cerberus; Verg. A. G, 395: Acheron, id. ib. 6, 295: 'Phlegethon, id. ib. 6, 551: sorores, i.e. the Furies, id. ib. 7, 328; Stat. Th. 5, 66;. hence, vox Alectus, Verg. A. 7, 514. - B. Tartarinus, a, um, adj., Tartarean, infernal; poet. for horrid, terrible: Tartarino cum dixit Ennius, horrendo et terribili Verrius vult accipi, a Tartaro, qui locus apud inferos, Fest. p, 359. Mull.: corpore Tartarino prognata Paluda virago, Enn. ap. Varr. L, L.7, 37 ib. - Trop.: delator, Amm. 15, 6, 1." (Lewis, C.T. & Short, C.S. , 1890, "A Latin Dictionary," Clarendon Press: Oxford UK, p.843).

"Eschatology. In Homer [c. 850 BC] only the gods were immortal, but Elysium was reserved for their favoured sons-in-law, who were also exempt from death. Heracles alone gained a place on Olympus by his own efforts. The ordinary hero hated death, for the dead were regarded as strengthless doubles who had to be revived with drafts of blood, mead, wine, and water in order to enable them to speak. They were conducted, it was believed, to the realm of Hades by Hermes; but the way was barred, according to popular accounts, by the marshy river Styx. Across this, Charon ferried all who had received at least token burial, and coins were placed in the mouths of corpses to pay the fare. Originally only great sinners like Ixion, Sisyphus, and Tityus, who had offended the gods personally, were punished in Tartarus. But the doctrines of the Orphics influenced Pindar, Empedocles, and, above all, Plato [c. 428-347 BC]. According to the latter, the dead were judged in a meadow by Aeacus, Minos, and Rhadamanthus and were consigned either to Tartarus or to the Isles of the Blest. Long periods of purgation were required before the wicked could regain their celestial state, while some were condemned forever. The dead were permitted to choose lots for their next incarnation, but usually their choice was unwise. Subsequently they drank from the stream of Lethe, the river of oblivion, and forgot all." (Pollard, J.R.T., 1974, "Greek Religion," in Encyclopaedia Britannica, Benton: Chicago IL, 15th Edition, Reprinted, 1984, Vol. 8, p.408).

"[2Pet 2:4] ... Cast them down to hell (tartarosas). First aorist active participle of tartaroo, late word (from tartaros, old word in Homer, Pindar, LXX Job 40:15; 41:23, Philo, inscriptions, the dark and doleful abode of the wicked dead like the Gehenna of the Jews), found here alone save in a scholion on Homer. Tartaros occurs in Enoch 20:2 as the place of punishment of the fallen angels, while Gehenna is for apostate Jews. Committed (paredoken). First aorist active indicative of paradidomi, the very form solemnly used by Paul in Rom. 1:21, 26, 28. To pits of darkness (seirois zophou). Zophos (kin to gnophos, nephos) is an old word, blackness, gloom of the nether world in Homer, in N.T. only here, verse 17; Jude 13; Heb. 12:18. The MSS. vary between seirais (seira, chain or rope) and seirois (seiros, old word for pit, underground granary). Seirois is right (Aleph A B C), dative case of destination. To be reserved unto judgment (eis krisin teroumenous). Present (linear action) passive participle of tereo. `Kept for judgment.' Cf. 1 Pet. 1:4. Aleph A have kolazomenous terein as in verse 9. Note krisis (act of judgment)." (Robertson, A.T., 1933, "Word Pictures in the New Testament: Volume VI: General Epistles, Revelation and John," Broadman Press: Nashville TN, p.162).

"tartaroo, -o: aor. ptcp. tartarosas; (tartaros, the name of a subterranean region, doleful and dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds; it answers to the Gehenna of the Jews, see geenna); to thrust down. to Tartarus (sometimes in the Scholiasts) [cf. W. 25. (24) n.] ; to hold captive in Tartarus: tina seirais [q. v.] zophou, 2 Pet. ii. 4 [A. V. cast down to hell (making the dat. depend on paredoken)]." (Thayer, J.H., 1901, "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament," T & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Fourth edition, Reprinted, 1961, p.615. My transliteration).

"[2Pet 2:4]. The angels. No article. Angels. So Rev. Compare Jude 6. Cast them down to hell (tartarosas). Only here in New Testament. From Tartaros, Tartarus. It is strange to find Peter using this Pagan term, which represents the Greek hell, though treated here not as equivalent to Gehenna, but as the place of detention until the judgment. Chains of darkness (serais zuphou). Zeira is a cord or band, sometimes of metal. Compare Septuagint, Prov. v. 22 Wisd. of Sol. xvii. 2, 18. The best texts, however, substitute sirois or seirois, pits or caverns. Ziros originally is a place for storing corn. Rev., pits of darkness. Of darkness (zuphou). Peculiar to Peter and Jude. Originally of the gloom of the nether world, So Homer: ...Odyssey, xx., 355 ... , xi., 155. Compare Jude 13." (Vincent, M.R., 1887, "Word Studies in the New Testament: Volume I: Synoptic Gospels; Acts of the Apostles; Epistles of Peter, James, and Jude," Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, Reprinted, 1969, p.691. Emphasis original. My transliteration).

"Knowing these things, what will you do? It is obvious that the true God, who is himself `the God of truth' and who hates lies, will not look with favor on persons who cling to organizations that teach falsehood. (Psalm 31:5; Proverbs 6:16-19; Revelation 21:8) And, really, would you want to be even associated with a religion that had not been honest with you? " (WB&TS, 1974, "Is This Life All There Is?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, p.46).

"In the inspired Scriptures, Tartarus bears no relationship to Hades, which is the common grave of the human dead. The sinful angels and the dead human souls are not associated together in tar'taoros as a place of eternal conscious torment of creatures. Tartarus will pass away when the Supreme Judge destroys the rebellious angels presently in that condition of abasement..." (WB&TS, 1984, "New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures: With References," [1961], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, p.1575).

"In Homer's Iliad this mythological Tartarus is represented as an underground prison `as far below Hades as earth is below heaven.' In it were imprisoned the lesser gods, Cronus and the other Titan spirits. As we have seen, the Tartarus of the Bible is not a place but a condition and, therefore, is not the same as this Tartarus of Greek mythology. However, it is worth noting that the mythological Tartarus was presented not as a place for humans but as a place for superhuman creatures. So, in that regard there is a similarity, since the Scriptural Tartarus is clearly not for the detention of human souls (compare Mt 11:23) but is only for wicked superhuman spirits who are rebels against God." (WB&TS, 1988, "Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2: Jehovah - ZuZim," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, p.1069).

"Solomon further explained what death means, saying: `The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.' Yes, the dead know absolutely nothing. In view of this, Solomon urged: `All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol, the place to which you are going.' (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10) Where do the dead go? To Sheol (Hebrew, she'ohl'), the common grave of mankind. Our dead loved ones are not conscious of anything. They are not suffering, and they cannot affect us in any way." (WB&TS, 1995, "Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life," [1984], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, pp.82-83).

"In Roman mythology, Tartarus is the place where sinners are sent. Virgil describes it in the Aeneid as a gigantic place, surrounded by the flaming river Phlegethon and triple walls to prevent sinners from escaping from it. It is guarded by a hydra with fifty black gaping jaws, which sits at a screeching gate protected by columns of solid adamantine, a substance akin to diamond - so hard that nothing will cut through it. Inside, there is a castle with wide walls, and a tall iron turret. Tisiphone, one of the Erinyes who represents revenge, stands guard sleepless at the top of this turret lashing a whip. There is a pit inside which is said to extend down into the earth twice as far as the distance from the lands of the living to Olympus. At the bottom of this pit lie the Titans, the twin sons of Aloeus and many other sinners. Still more sinners are contained inside Tartarus, with punishments similar to those of Greek myth." ("Roman Mythology's Tartarus," Wikipedia, 15 September 2008).

"In classic Greek mythology, below Heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros (Greek Tartaros, deep place). It is either a deep, gloomy place, a pit, or an abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering that resides within Hades (the entire underworld) with Tartarus being the hellish component. In the Gorgias, Plato (c. 400 BC) wrote that souls were judged after death and those who received punishment were sent to Tartarus. As a place of punishment, it can be considered a hell. The classic Hades, on the other hand, is more similar to Old Testament Sheol." ("Tartarus," Wikipedia, 15 September 2008).

"In Greek mythology, Tartarus is both a deity and a place in the underworld even lower than Hades. ... It is a dank and wretched pit engulfed in murky gloom. ... While, according to Greek mythology, Hades is the place of the dead, Tartarus also has a number of inhabitants. ... Originally, Tartarus was used only to confine dangers to the gods of Olympus. In later mythologies, Tartarus became the place where the punishment fits the crime. ... According to Plato (c. 400), Rhadamanthus, Aeacus and Minos were the judges of the dead and chose who went to Tartarus. Rhadamanthus judged Asian souls; Aeacus judged European souls and Minos was the deciding vote and judge of the Greek. Plato also proposes the concept that sinners were cast under the ground to be punished in accordance with their sins." ("Tartarus in Greek Mythology," Wikipedia, 15 September 2008).

"tartaroo; contracted tartaro, fut. tartaroso, from Tartaros (n.f.), the subterranean abyss of Greek mythology where demigods were punished. It is mentioned in the pseudepigraphical book of Enoch as the place where fallen angels are confined. It is found only in its verbal form in 2 Pet. 2:4 meaning to cast into or consign to Tartarus. It is part of the realm of death designated in Scripture as She'ol (7585, OT) in the OT and Hades (86) in the NT. These angels are being held in this netherworld dungeon until the day of final judgment. Peter's usage of this term is not evidence either that Christianity was a syncretistic religion or that Peter himself believed in the pagan myths about Tartarus. Peter has adapted a word and not adopted a theology." (Zodhiates, S., 1992, "The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament," AMG Publishers: Chattanooga TN, Third printing, 1994, p.1367. My transliteration).

Friday, November 7, 2008

Re: `Tartarus' is a Greek name for a type of prison that the demons were relegated to #1

Pam

Continuing from Re: `Gehenna' is a symbol for complete destruction #2, of my response to your comment under my

[Above (click to enlarge): The Greek god Sisyphus, who was sentenced by Zeus to Tartarus, where he must endlessly roll a large rock up a mountainside, which when he reached the top, the rock rolled back down again, and again, and again ...!: Wikipedia]

post "Main reasons why Jehovah's Witnessism is false."

Yours and the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society's words are bold to distinguish them from my response. My emphasis is red below

>and "Tartarus" is a Greek name for a type of prison that the demons were relegated to when they disobeyed God in the days of Noah....it is a situation of spiritual darkness for the demons.

As a Christian, I have no problem with the above. But I do have a problem what it does not say, but implies, that Tartarus: 1) is only for "demons," not for the souls of the wicked human dead; and 2) it is only a condition of "spiritual darkness," not a place of conscious punishment.

The Greek word tartarosas is only found in the Bible in 2Pet 2:4, where it is translated Tartarus in the NIV margin:

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell [Tartarus], putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;"

Here are quotes of what the Watchtower Society has claimed about Tartarus, since at least 1943 (click on the hyperlink for the full quote):

1. "Tartarus of the Bible is not a place but a condition":

"The angels that so sinned... Jehovah God. ... debased them to the state or condition symbolically called `Tartarus'. ... in their state of Tartarean degradation they await the execution of that sentence with Satan the Devil at the judgment day. The inspired revelation concerning this says: `... For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.' (2 Peter 2: 3, 4 ...) `And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.'- Jude 6." (WB&TS, 1943, "The Truth Shall Make You Free," pp.131-132).

"... `God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.' (2 Peter 2:4) ... Jude 6 ... adds: `The angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place ... There is no Scriptural basis for concluding that these disobedient angels are in a place like the mythological Tartarus .... `throwing into Tartarus' need not be viewed as suggesting the existence of an actual place, but as suggesting a condition." (WB&TS, 1974, "Is This Life All There Is?," pp.84-85).

"The apostle Peter continues ...if God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment ... Jehovah knows how ... to reserve unrighteous people for the day of judgment to be cut off ....'-2 Peter 2:3-10. ... angels ...who later became unfaithful were ...`thrown into Tartarus,' that is, debased to the lowest degree. ... the disobedient angels find themselves in a condition comparable to `pits of dense darkness,' awaiting executional judgment ..." (WB&TS, 1979, "Choosing the Best Way of Life," pp.152-153).

"TARTARUS ... A prisonlike, abased condition into which God cast disobedient angels in Noah's day. ... Tartarus is a condition rather than a particular location ... Tartarus of the Bible is not a place but a condition ..." (WB&TS, 1988, "Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2, pp.1068-1069).

"Instead, the Bible says that `God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.'-2 Peter 2:4. These wicked angels were not thrown into a literal place called Tartarus. Rather, Tartarus, which is mistranslated `hell' in some Bibles, refers to the abased or fallen condition of these angels. They were cut off from the spiritual light of God's organization, and they have only everlasting destruction awaiting them. (James 2:19; Jude 6)" (WB&TS, 1989, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," pp.94-95).

The Society's fallacy here is that of false alternative: there is no reason why Tartarus could not be both a place and a condition. And note what the very Bible verses quoted by the Watchtower say: "cast them down," "left their own habitation," "committed them to pits of darkness," "forsook their own proper dwelling place," "throwing them into Tartarus," "delivered them to pits." This is clearly the language of place. In fact the Watchtower's own New World Translation of Jude 6 says: "forsook their own proper dwelling place" meaning they are now in an another "dwelling place," which the parallel passage 2Pet 2:4 says is "Tar´ta•rus"!

Moreover, since angels are not omnipresent, they must be in a place somewhere, and in the case of the wicked angels, that place, the Bible tells us, is Tartarus.

2. The "Scriptural Tartarus is ... not for the detention of human souls" :

"2 Peter 2:4 - `Tar'ta•rus' ... derived from the Greek verb tar•ta•ro'o) ... denotes an underground prison ... below Ha'des ... confined in it were not human souls, but the lesser gods... The inspired Scriptures do not consign any human souls to tar'ta•ros ..." (WB&TS, 1950, "New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures," pp.785-786).

"... the word tar'ta•ros denotes an underground prison ... below Hades ... in it were not human souls, but the lesser gods ... tar'ta•ros was reputed to be a place for confining, not human souls, but Titan spirits ... The inspired Scriptures do not consign any human souls to tar'ta•ros but consign there only spirit creatures." (WB&TS, 1984, New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures: With References, p.1575).

"Tartarus ....in pre-Christian heathen mythologies. ... In it were imprisoned the lesser gods ... the mythological Tartarus was presented not as a place for humans ... the Scriptural Tartarus is clearly not for the detention of human souls ...." (WB&TS, 1988, Ibid, pp.1068-1069).

But this is another example of the Watchtower's fallacious argument that a word can only ever mean one thing. That is, if originally "Tartarus ....in pre-Christian heathen mythologies" meant a place in which "were imprisoned the lesser gods," that does not mean that Tartarus could not later come to mean a place in which were also imprisoned wicked human souls. Which in fact it did (see part #2).

Indeed, what would be the point of Peter's parallel between "God ... punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tar´ta•rus ... to be reserved for judgment" and "Jehovah knows how to ... reserve unrighteous people for the day of judgment" (2Pet 2:1, 4, 9), if the "angels that sinned" and "unrighteous people" were not both thrown "into Tar´ta•rus ... to be reserved for judgment"?

3. Tartarus is not "a place of eternal conscious torment":

"The sinner angels and the dead human souls are not associated together in tar'ta•ros as a place of eternal conscious torment of creatures." (WB&TS, 1950, Ibid., pp.785-786).

"The sinful angels and the dead human souls are not associated together in tar'ta•ros as a place of eternal conscious torment of creatures." (WB&TS, 1984, Ibid., p.1575).

These are the only two places (which are effectively one) that I can find where the Watchtower denies that Tartarus is a place of conscious torment. Agreed that Tartarus is not "eternal," since it is a place (and a state) of being "reserved for judgment." That is, it is an Intermediate State of the unrighteous dead while they awaiting final judgment after which they will be consigned to the Final State, Hell, which is "eternal."

Whether the wicked angels are "associated" together with the wicked human dead, the Bible does not say. But the clear impression is that the wicked angels are, as in an earthly prison, "conscious" but restrained by "bonds" (Jude 6), which would be unnecessary if the prisoners were unconscious. However, to be conscious but restrained in "bonds" for thousands, if not millions of years, would be a form of "torment," especially if they know they are "reserved for judgment."

4. The "Tartarus of the Bible ... is not the same as this Tartarus of Greek mythology":

"There is no Scriptural basis for concluding that these disobedient angels are in a place like the mythological Tartarus" (WB&TS, 1974, Ibid, pp.84-85).

"Tartarus is, therefore, not the same as the Hebrew Sheol or the Greek Hades ...in pre-Christian heathen mythologies. ... the Tartarus of the Bible ... is not the same as this Tartarus of Greek mythology." (WB&TS, 1988, Ibid, pp.1068-1069).

This is a fallacious half-truth. Obviously, to the extent it is "mythology," the "Tartarus of Greek mythology," by definition, has no real existence. But that does not mean that the basic concept of the pagan Greek (and Roman) Tartarus, of a place and/or state in the afterlife where the wicked gods (and wicked humans - see part #2), are punished, has much truth in common with the Biblical teaching of the afterlife.

Indeed, the very fact that the Biblical writers Peter and Jude used the same name, "Tartarus" of "Greek mythology," as an illustration of the Biblical teaching of the afterlife, is sufficient evidence that the "Tartarus of Greek mythology" and "the Tartarus of the Bible," on the points mentioned, are effectively the same. Clearly Peter and Jude's ex-pagan Greek Christian readers would have understood by "Tartarus" the same "Tartarus of Greek mythology"that they knew.

5. "In the inspired Scriptures, Tartarus bears no relationship to Hades" :

"In the Iliad, by the ancient poet Homer, the word tar'ta•ros denotes an underground prison ... below Hades ... In the inspired Scriptures, Tartarus bears no relationship to Hades ... " (WB&TS, 1984, Ibid, p.1575).

"Tartarus is, therefore, not the same as the Hebrew Sheol or the Greek Hades ... Tartarus is represented as an underground prison ... far below Hades. " (WB&TS, 1988, Ibid, pp.1068-1069).

This is self-refuting. If "tar'ta•ros denotes an underground prison ... below Hades" then by definition Tartarus bears a "relationship to Hades," namely below it! In fact, as we shall see in part #2, Tartarus was the lower part of Hades.

Continued in part #2. My emphasis is bold below.

Stephen E. Jones.
My other blogs: CreationEvolutionDesign & TheShroudofTurin


"The angels that so sinned came under sentence from Jehovah God. He degraded them from their blessed position in his lofty organization of light and truth, and debased them to the state or condition symbolically called `Tartarus'. Not having the light of the truth of God's purposes, they are not free, but are under God's continual surveillance as his opponents. Thus they are as in chains. They can never break free from His sentence of destruction upon them, but in their state of Tartarean degradation they await the execution of that sentence with Satan the Devil at the judgment day. The inspired revelation concerning this says: `Whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not. For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.' (2 Peter 2: 3, 4, A.R.V., margin) `And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.'- Jude 6." (WB&TS, 1943, "The Truth Shall Make You Free," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, pp.131-132).

"2 Peter 2:4 - `Tar'ta•rus' (here derived from the Greek verb tar•ta•ro'o) `Tar'ta•rus' is included in the Greek verb (tar•ta•ro'o), and so in rendering the verb we have used the phrase, `by throwing them into Tar'ta•rus.' In the ancient poet Homer's Iliad the word tar'ta•ros denotes an underground prison as far below Ha'des as the earth was below heaven. Those confined in it were not human souls, but the lesser gods, spirits, namely, the Titans and Cronus, who had rebelled against Zeus (Jupiter). It was the prison established by the mythical gods for the spirits whom they had driven from the celestial regions, and so it was below the Ha'des where human souls were supposed to be confined at death. Thus tar'ta•ros was the lowest of the lower regions, and was a place of darkness. It enveloped all the underworld the same as the heavens enveloped all that was above the earth. We note, therefore, that tar'ta•ros was reputed to be a place for confining, not human souls, but Titan spirits, and that it was a place of darkness and of abasement. The word ... was used to signify a low place, yes, the `lowest part' of the abyss. Therefore it denotes a place or position of abasement. The inspired Scriptures do not consign any human souls to tar'ta•ros, but consign there only the `angels that sinned', namely, spirit creatures. Their being cast into tar'ta•ros denotes for them the deepest abasement while they are still alive, this in punishment for their sin of rebellion against the Most High God. The apostle Peter associates darkness with their low condition, saying further: God `delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment'. (2 Peter 2:4) Doubtless, the pagans in their mythological traditions concerning Cronus and the rebellious Titan gods copied the inspired Scriptures. Peter's use of the verb tar•ta•ro'o meaning to `cast into tartarus' does not signify the `angels that sinned' were cast into the pagan mythological tartarus; but that they were debased by Almighty God from their heavenly place and privileges and were delivered over to dense mental darkness concerning God's bright purposes. Also they had only a dark outlook as to their own eternal destiny, which the Scriptures show is everlasting destruction with their ruler, Satan the Devil. In the inspired Scriptures, therefore, tar'ta•ros bears no relationship to Ha'des, which corresponds with the common grave of the human dead. The sinner angels and the dead human souls are not associated together in tar'ta•ros as a place of eternal conscious torment of creatures. Technically, therefore, tartarus will pass away when the Supreme Judge destroys the rebellious angels at present occupying that low, dark place or position." (WB&TS, 1950, "New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, pp.785-786).

"... Genesis 6:1-4. During the Flood these sons of God lost their wives and their hybrid offspring. They themselves had to dematerialize. Respecting what happened to them thereafter, the Bible reports: `God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.' (2 Peter 2:4) And at Jude 6 it adds: `The angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.' As these descriptions relate to spirit creatures, it is evident that the `pits of dense darkness' and `eternal bonds' are not literal. These expressions simply convey to us a picture of restraint, a condition of debasement separated from all divine enlightenment. There is no Scriptural basis for concluding that these disobedient angels are in a place like the mythological Tartarus of Homer's Iliad, that is, in the lowest prison where Cronus and the other Titan spirits were said to be confined. The apostle Peter did not believe in any such mythological gods. So there is no reason to conclude that his use of the Greek expression `throwing into Tartarus' even hinted at the existence of the mythological place referred to by Homer some nine centuries earlier. In fact, in Greek the expression `throwing into Tartarus' is only one word, a verb, tar•ta•ro'o. It is also used to mean debasing to the lowest degree. ... the Greek verb rendered `throwing into Tartarus' need not be viewed as suggesting the existence of an actual place, but as suggesting a condition." (WB&TS, 1974, "Is This Life All There Is?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, pp.84-85).

"The apostle Peter continues: `As for them, the judgment from of old is not moving slowly, and the destruction of them is not slumbering. Certainly if God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment; and he did not hold back from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a deluge upon a world of ungodly people; and by reducing the cities Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them, setting a pattern for ungodly persons of things to come; and he delivered righteous Lot, who was greatly distressed by the indulgence of the law-defying people in loose conduct-for that righteous man by what he saw and heard while dwelling among them from day to day was tormenting his righteous soul by reason of their lawless deeds-Jehovah knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people for the day of judgment to be cut off, especially, however, those who go on after flesh with the desire to defile it and who look down on lordship.'-2 Peter 2:3-10. The executional judgment that God has decreed `from of old' against all who come to belong to the `serpent's seed' will without fail be carried out. (Genesis 3:15; John 8:44; Jude 14, 15) Though originally stated about 6,000 years ago and repeated since then, this judgment is `not moving slowly' as if it will never arrive. The destruction is sure to come, for it is not dormant. It is still very much alive in God's purpose. As Peter noted, even angels who had enjoyed being in the very presence of God but who later became unfaithful were not spared being `thrown into Tartarus,' that is, debased to the lowest degree. Cut off from all divine enlightenment, debarred from their original position in the heavens and limited in their activities, the disobedient angels find themselves in a condition comparable to `pits of dense darkness,' awaiting executional judgment at the hands of Jesus Christ. (Compare Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10.)" (WB&TS, 1979, "Choosing the Best Way of Life," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, pp.152-153).

"'Tartarus' is found only in 2Pe 2:4. It is included in the Greek verb tar•ta•ro'o, and so in rendering the verb, the phrase `by throwing them into Tartarus' has been used. In the Iliad, by the ancient poet Homer, the word tar'ta•ros denotes an underground prison as far below Hades as the earth is below heaven. Those confined in it were not human souls, but the lesser gods, spirits, namely, Cronus and the other Titans who had rebelled against Zeus (Jupiter). It was the prison established by the mythical gods for the spirits whom they had driven from the celestial regions, and it was below the Hades where human souls were thought to be confined at death. In mythology tar'ta•ros was the lowest of the lower regions and a place of darkness. It enveloped all the underworld just as the heavens enveloped all that was above the earth. Therefore, in pagan Greek mythology tar'ta•ros was reputed to be a place for confining, not human souls, but Titan spirits, and a place of darkness and abasement. ... The inspired Scriptures do not consign any human souls to tar'ta•ros but consign there only spirit creatures, namely, `the angels that sinned.' Their being cast into tar'ta•ros denotes the deepest abasement for them while they are still living. This serves as punishment for their sin of rebellion against the Most High God. The apostle Peter associates darkness with their low condition, saying that God `delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.'-2Pe 2:4. The pagans in their mythological traditions concerning Cronus and the rebellious Titan gods presented a distorted view regarding the abasement of rebellious spirits. In contrast, Peter's use of the verb tar•ta•ro'o, `cast into Tartarus,' does not signify that `the angels that sinned' were cast into the pagan mythological Tartarus, but that they were abased by the Almighty God from their heavenly place and privileges and were delivered over to a condition of deepest mental darkness respecting God's bright purposes. Also they had only a dark outlook as to their own eventuality, which the Scriptures show is everlasting destruction along with their ruler, Satan the Devil. Therefore, Tartarus denotes the lowest condition of abasement for those rebellious angels. In the inspired Scriptures, Tartarus bears no relationship to Hades, which is the common grave of the human dead. The sinful angels and the dead human souls are not associated together in tar'ta•ros as a place of eternal conscious torment of creatures. Tartarus will pass away when the Supreme Judge destroys the rebellious angels presently in that condition of abasement." (WB&TS, 1984, "New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures: With References," [1961], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, p.1575).

"TARTARUS (Tar'ta•rus). A prisonlike, abased condition into which God cast disobedient angels in Noah's day. This word is found but once in the inspired Scriptures, at 2 Peter 2:4. The apostle writes: `God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.' The expression `throwing them into Tartarus' is from the Greek verb tar•ta•ro'o and so includes within itself the word `Tartarus.' A parallel text is found at Jude 6: `And the angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.' Showing when it was that these angels `forsook their own proper dwelling place,' Peter speaks of `the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient when the patience of God was waiting in Noah's days, while the ark was being constructed.' (1Pe 3:19, 20) This directly links the matter to the account at Genesis 6:1-4 concerning `the sons of the true God' who abandoned their heavenly abode to cohabit with women in pre-Flood times and produced children by them, such offspring being designated as Nephilim. ... From these texts it is evident that Tartarus is a condition rather than a particular location, inasmuch as Peter, on the one hand, speaks of these disobedient spirits as being in `pits of dense darkness,' while Paul speaks of them as being in `heavenly places' from which they exercise a rule of darkness as wicked spirit forces. (2Pe 2:4; Eph 6:10-12) The dense darkness similarly is not literally a lack of light but results from their being cut off from illumination by God as renegades and outcasts from his family, with only a dark outlook as to their eternal destiny. Tartarus is, therefore, not the same as the Hebrew Sheol or the Greek Hades, both of which refer to the common earthly grave of mankind. This is evident from the fact that, while the apostle Peter shows that Jesus Christ preached to these `spirits in prison,' he also shows that Jesus did so, not during the three days while buried in Hades (Sheol), but after his resurrection out of Hades.-1Pe 3:18-20. ... The word `Tartarus' is also used in pre-Christian heathen mythologies. In Homer's Iliad this mythological Tartarus is represented as an underground prison `as far below Hades as earth is below heaven.' In it were imprisoned the lesser gods, Cronus and the other Titan spirits. As we have seen, the Tartarus of the Bible is not a place but a condition and, therefore, is not the same as this Tartarus of Greek mythology. However, it is worth noting that the mythological Tartarus was presented not as a place for humans but as a place for superhuman creatures. So, in that regard there is a similarity, since the Scriptural Tartarus is clearly not for the detention of human souls (compare Mt 11:23) but is only for wicked superhuman spirits who are rebels against God." (WB&TS, 1988, "Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2: Jehovah - ZuZim," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, pp.1068-1069).

"Instead, the Bible says that `God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.'-2 Peter 2:4. These wicked angels were not thrown into a literal place called Tartarus. Rather, Tartarus, which is mistranslated `hell' in some Bibles, refers to the abased or fallen condition of these angels. They were cut off from the spiritual light of God's organization, and they have only everlasting destruction awaiting them. (James 2:19; Jude 6)" (WB&TS, 1989, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," [1982], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, pp.94-95).