What the H***? Get the H*** out of here! Go to H***! That last one makes us cringe, doesn’t it? People use all three of those short, offensive exclamations often, and sometimes Christians do, too. Is hell a curse word in the examples above? Is hell a curse word according to the Bible?
The word "hell" is often used in casual conversation, sometimes as an expletive, other times as a way to emphasize frustration or anger. But when we stop to think about it, are we treating the word lightly compared to its serious biblical meaning? For Christians, hell is more than just a word—it's a theological reality that carries weight and significance. So, is it wrong to use "hell" in everyday speech?
What does the Bible actually say about the word "hell," and should Christians be more mindful of how we use it in conversation?
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Just as in Bible study, context is “king” in our thoughts and conversations. Depending upon how a person uses the word “hell,” it can be a non-offensive term or it can be a profanity. Let’s look at the differences.
The term “hell” is used in the Bible and almost exclusively in the New Testament by our Lord Jesus. Jesus spoke of hell eleven of the twelve times it’s written as “hell” in Scripture. Other terms scholars say parallel the word “hell” are Hades, Gehenna, and the Old Testament usage of the word Sheol.
Hell is a literal location, and to speak about it with descriptions is not cursing. Jesus describes it as:
To use the word hell when talking about what the Bible says it is does not constitute cursing. To use the word hell in a worldly way usually means a disparaging remark meant to offend or condemn, or it is used to make an off-color, humorous statement about someone or something.
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James 3:6 states, “And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our existence, and is set on fire by hell.”
The issue James addresses has the same inference in our discussion of the use of the word hell. As James says, a person uses his tongue to set others on fire and is himself consumed by the fire. The issue is about the principle of cursing. When hell is used as a word of condemnation, it’s a curse word, and is therefore offensive and inappropriate. When we curse someone or something, we are expressing personal contempt against them (or it). Add the word, hell, and it’s like saying, “I condemn you to hell.” Ouch!
We are not in the place of God to condemn anyone or anything. Scripture tells us God has a purpose for everything that happens. In Psalm 139:16, for example, we are told God saw our unshaped substances (for He shaped us). God formed all of our days before we were born, and our days are foreordained by Him and for Him.
Nothing that happens to us is an accident because God has meticulously orchestrated every single detail of our lives (Psalm 139:2). When something happens and we respond in a cursing manner, we are judging what God has ordained. We are putting ourselves in His place as Judge.
We are not to condemn people, either, and consigning them to hell is like sentencing them to that fiery place of eternal torment. When Jesus equates anger with murder, it is because it is sinful anger and not righteous (Matthew 5:21-22). We are basically saying, “This person is a problem, and my life would be better without them in it.” Invoking a curse toward a person has a condemning nature to it. God alone can say, “Vengeance is Mine” (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30).
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The early church was not uniform in its belief about the doctrine of hell or eternal torment, yet the word hell has always been understood as a fiery place. Since Augustine, most theologians have agreed that hell is the place of destiny for the wicked.
Outside the Christian faith, hell has had various meanings and symbolism.
In the literary world, Dante’s 14th century “Inferno” imagines his idea of hell. His was a very popular idea that hell had nine circles which represented different sins and their punishments.
Eighteenth-century French philosopher Voltaire and the Enlightenment promoted the belief that hell was a nonexistent place. He said regarding hell, that it is “ridiculous that a man should burn forever for stealing a goat.”
Today, most Americans (and probably most of the world, too) believe in heaven and hell, but in what way? A Pew research poll found, “Of those who believe in hell, 53% say that people “definitely” or “probably” will experience psychological suffering, will become aware of the suffering they created in the world (53%), will experience physical suffering (51%), cannot have a relationship with God (49%), and can meet Satan (44%).” Of those who don’t believe in hell, most believe people are annihilated at their death, meaning we cease to exist and end up as nothingness.
The word hell, for the most part, is used flippantly by people who don’t take it seriously. The Free Dictionary has scores of commonplace idioms that use the word hell in an offhand way. Some of the idioms refer to hell as what it is, but most use hell in an off-color manner for offense or for humorous effect.
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A young mother was kneeling in a restaurant, cleaning up the food mess her infant had created. She looked up and said, “My life is hell.” She shrugged her shoulders and laughed, as did her friends. Her comment deflected her angst at one of the issues all mothers face (a messy infant) and gave her friends a chuckle, but was it wrong for her to use the word hell in such a casual way?
In a word, yes, and it’s not a legalism problem. As we have seen, hell is a fearsome, fiery place of eternal torment for the wicked. To know that hell is the place our unsaved loved ones will spend eternity should cause us great fear for them. The reality of hell should also give us an urgency to share the gospel with them. That puts the idea of hell smack dab where it should be: as a warning.
If a Christian indifferently uses the word hell they aren’t taking the meaning of the word seriously. It doesn’t mean we should never say it, but we must say it in the manner Jesus expects us to, as He used it.
To use fear-invoking words with such nonchalance promotes desensitization, and as Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), we have to remain sensitized to sinful actions and their consequences.
If we are truly saved, using the word hell as a curse word will not keep us from heaven because we are still sinners who sin. But as we are sanctified (conformed more into the image of Christ--2 Timothy 2:21), such language should decrease to a trickle as we yield more and more to the Holy Spirit.
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Christians know that words matter. After all, God gave us His Word, and every jot and tittle has meaning for our lives. The language we use speaks of who we are—Christ-followers. We realize that swearing (using curse words) is an affront to our holy God, and pleasing Him is our highest goal.
Ephesians 5:1-21 gives us clear directions about the reasons for and manner of our speech.
In our speech, as well in all of our lives, we are to be imitators of God. As His, we are to walk in love, which definitely includes speaking in love.
These words are strong in their clarity, “But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; nor filthiness and foolish talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks” (Ephesians 5:3-4).
Paul continues by telling us to walk as children of the light, and our language should reflect that through “goodness, righteousness, and truth.”
As we learn what is pleasing to the Lord, we understand that works of darkness revealed to us are not even to be spoken about. Instead, we are to speak with godly wisdom. Paul goes so far as to tell us we should be “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;” (vv. 19-20).
Language like that is not only edifying and encouraging to others, but it also honors and glorifies God.
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