What Does Revelation 20:14 Mean in the King James?
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse does not only show people facing death; it shows death itself being thrown into the second death.
THE MEANING
Death and the realm of the dead are cast into the lake of fire; even they do not remain beyond this judgment. The phrase “the second death” names death’s own end. The KJV word “hell” here translates ᾅδης (hadēs), the realm of the dead.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that death is the final power from which nothing can be released: here, death itself is cast away.
THE ROOT
θάνατος
thanatos
GROWS FROM
θαν-/θνῃσκ- (than-/thnēsk-)
The Greek word-family for death and dying.
The verse names death twice: first as something cast into the lake of fire, then as “the second death.” Death is not only what happens to others here; it is itself subject to an end.
ALSO GROWS
thnēskō: to die
θνῄσκω
The verb for dying belongs to the same word-family as the death that this verse says does not have the last word.
thnētos: mortal
θνητός
The word-family includes mortality, while this verse depicts death’s reach as bounded.
thanatoō: to put to death
θανατόω
The family includes the act of putting to death; here, death itself is on the receiving end of the action.
ἐβλήθησαν
eblēthēsan
GROWS FROM
βαλλ-
ball-
To throw or hurl.
“cast” in this verse is eblēthēsan. The verb is passive: death and Hades receive the action. What appears to hold others is itself thrown into the lake of fire.
ALSO GROWS
ekballō: to cast out
ἐκβάλλω
This compound makes the throwing outward explicit, echoing the image of powers being expelled from their former place.
kataballō: to throw down, lay low
καταβάλλω
The same throwing-root can describe being brought down; here death and Hades are no longer in command of the scene.
THE PATTERN
Death’s reach has an end: scripture depicts death itself as overcome and absent.
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.THE THREAD
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.Both verses use θάνατος (thanatos, death). Revelation pictures death being cast into the second death; Corinthians names death as the last enemy to be destroyed.
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