FIRST IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT THE WORD HELL WAS NEVER USED BY THE HEBREWS OR THE GREEKS.
IT WAS AN ENGLISH WORD ADDED IN THE FIRST KING JAMES ENGLISH TRANSLATION.  SO READ THE
DEFINITIONS TO SEE WHAT THE PLACE OF THE DEAD WAS CALLED BY BOTH THE HEBREWS AND THE GREEKS.

ALL SOULS OF THE DEAD WERE SOMEPLACE, CALLED BY SOMETHING.
AND UNTIL JESUS LED THEM OUT OF CAPTIVITY, THEY WERE BOUND IN THIS PLACE..
 

OLD TESTAMENT: HELL IS 31 TIMES IN THE O.T.  ALL WITH THE SAME MEANING IN HEBREW!

Here in Deuteronomy is the first instance of the word 'HELL' which was written in the old Hebrew language:

The below definition of HELL is in the old Hebrew language from the STRONGS concordance of words and definitions.
It is number 7585 for the meaning of HELL. O.T.

The meaning of hell, remains the same throughout the O.T.

Not so in the N.T.
 

Deuteronomy 32:22  For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest (7585) hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
 
 

STRONGS HEBREW DEFINITION OF HELL # 7585  "HELL" NUMBER 1 MEANING
deep in earth-

7585 she'owl
hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat),
includ. its accessories and inmates
 
 
 
 
 

There are 54 instances of the word HELL in the entire bible
There are 3 instances of the word PARADISE in the entire bible  (ALL IN N.T.)
There are no instances of the word HADES in the entire bible.
There are no instances of the word GEHENNA in the entire bible.

The Jews used several words to describe where souls went after death. Hades, Gehenna, and in the N.T. paradise with a slightly different meaning.
 

The Hebrews used the word hades and gehenna, interchangeably, but when the bible was translated into English, there was no word for the three or four different references, so they were chunked into HELL.  You can know this by the strongs definitions, which always mention the word HADES and GEHENNA, in the definitions of hell.

The word PARADISE was used by Jesus and later Paul, to designate a higher level of goodness for the souls, still confined into hell, before Jesus released the captives and threw away the keys that kept them in HELL, HADES GEHENNA or PARADISE, before His resurrection.
 
 
 
 

NEW TESTAMENT--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 

THIS IS THE FIRST INSTANCE OF THE WORD 'HELL' IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IN THE GREEK LANGUAGE

Gehenna
# 1 MEANING OF HELL

Matthew 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of [1067] hell fire.
 

MAT 5:22   But I [3004] say unto you, That [3956] whosoever is [3710] angry with his [0080] brother [1500] without a [1500] cause shall be in [1777] danger of the [2920] judgment: and [0302] whosoever shall [2036] say to his [0080] brother, [4469] Raca, shall be in [1777] danger of the [4892] council: but [0302] whosoever shall [2036] say, Thou [3474] fool, shall be in [1777] danger of [1067] hell [4442] fire.

Strongs definition of hell in this particular verse. FIRST N.T. HELL DEFINITION

1067 geenna {gheh'-en-nah}
of Hebrew origin 01516 and 02011
(1) Hell is the place of the future punishment call "Gehenna" or "Gehenna of fire". This was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their future destruction.
KJV: hell 9, hell fire+3588+4442 3
 

Here is the O.T. reference to the valley of Hinnom:

Joshua 18:16  And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley of the giants on the north, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of Jebusi on the south, and descended to Enrogel,
17  And was drawn from the north, and went forth to Enshemesh, and went forth toward Geliloth, which is over against the going up of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,

Hades
# 2 MEANING OF HELL

Matthew 11:23  And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to (0086) hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24  But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

AND

Matthew 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
 

NOTE THAT HERE THE STRONGS GREEK NUMBER CHANGES, MEANING A DIFFERENT MEANING OF HELL,
 
 

THE NEW NUMBER IS 0086 FOR THE SECOND MEANING OF HELL

0086 hades {hah'-dace}
from 1 (as negative particle) and 1492
(1) name Hades or Pluto, the god of the lower regions
(2) Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead
(3) later use of this word, the grave, death, hell  In Biblical Greek it is associated with Orcus, the infernal regions, a dark and dismal place in the very depths of the earth, the common receptacle of disembodied spirits. Usually Hades is just the abode of the wicked, (Luk 16:23, Rev 20:13,14); a very uncomfortable place.
KJV: hell 10, grave 1
 

HERE IS ONE VERSE TO PROVE JESUS WENT TO HELL, IT IS IN BOTH THE O.T. AND N.T.
 

Acts 2:13  Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
14  ¶But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Acts 2:25  For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Acts 2:34  For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35  Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

 THIS WAS SPOKEN BY PETER

refer to O.T.

Psalms 16:10  For thou wilt not leave my soul in (7585)hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. THIS WAS SPOKEN BY DAVID   and both verses refer to Jesus being in hell for a time, untill he resurrected on the third day.

DAVID KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN, AS A PROPHET.

THESE ARE BOTH REFERENCES TO THE PLACE IN THE EARTH CALLED HELL!
 

AND ALSO THIS ONE TO PROVE WHERE JESUS WAS IN THOSE THREE DAYS
 
 

Luke 16:23  And in (0086) hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

These all have the same Greek meaning of hell. .

I WOULD SPECULATE THAT ABRAHAM HOLDING LAZARUS IN HIS BOSOM WAS IN THE 'PARADISE'
SECTION OF HELL or HADES !

These verses alone prove where Jesus went.  But there's more !
 

Deep in earth-deepest abyss
# 3 MEANING OF HELL

HERE IS YET ANOTHER AND NEW STRONGS DEFINITION OF HELL, IN THE GREEK LANGUAGE: #5020
 

2 Peter 2:3  ¶And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
4  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to (5020) hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly

ANOTHER DEFINITION OF HELL A THIRD MEANING OF HELL

5020 tartaroo {tar-tar-o'-o}
from Tartaros (the deepest abyss of Hell)
(1) the name of the 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 Gehenna of the Jews
(2) to thrust down to Tartarus, to hold captive in Tartarus
KJV: cast down to he
 
 
 
 

NOW FOR THEPARADISE WORD   FOURTH MEANING OF A PART OF HELL OF HADES
 
 
 

Luke 23:43  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in (3857) paradise.

2 Corinthians 12:4  How that he was caught up into (3857) paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Revelation 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the (3857) paradise of God.
 

FROM STRONGS CONCORDANCE- DEFINITIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT GREEK

3857 paradeisos {par-ad'-i-sos} "PARADISE"
of Oriental origin cf 06508
(1) among the Persians a grand enclosure or preserve, hunting ground, park, shady and well watered, in which wild animals, were kept for the hunt; it was enclosed by walls and furnished with towers for the hunters
(2) a garden, pleasure ground
(2.a) grove, park
(3) the part of Hades which was thought by the later Jews to be the abode of the souls of pious until the resurrection, but some understand this to be a heavenly paradise
(4) the upper regions of the heavens. According to the early church Fathers, the paradise in which our first parents dwelt before the fall still exists, neither on the earth or in the heavens, but above and beyond the world
(5) heaven
KJV: paradise 3
 

THERE IS MORE PROOF THROUGH SCRIPTURE
 
 

Jesus said in Matthew:
 

Matthew 12:39  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

reference O.T.

Jonah 2:1  ¶Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
2  And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of (7585) hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

Jonah clearly refers to the belly of hell, where Jesus also refers to the heart of the earth.  Hell.
 

HEART OF THE EARTH COVERS ALL MEANINGS OF HELL IN BOTH O.T. AND N.T.
 
 

And here are a few more scriptures :

Isaiah 14:9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
 

Ezekiel 3:18  To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
 

Ephesians 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Ephesians 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also (2597) descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
 
 

DESCSNDED from STRONGS GREEK LANGUAGE
2597 katabaino {kat-ab-ah'-ee-no}
from 2596 and the base of 939
(1) to go down, come down, descend
(1.a) the place from which one has come down from
(1.b) to come down
(1.b.1) as from the temple at Jerusalem, from the city of Jerusalem
(1.b.2) of celestial beings coming down to earth
(1.c) to be cast down
(2) of things
(2.a) to come (i.e. be sent) down
(2.b) to come (i.e. fall) down
(2.b.1) from the upper regions of the air
(3) metaph. to (go i.e.) be cast down to the lowest state of wretchedness and shame
 
 
 

AND ALL OF REVELATIONS USES THE # 0086 DEFINITION OF HELL

SO IN CONCLUSION THERE ARE I BELIEVE  5 DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS LISTED HERE FOR THE ENTIRE BIBLE OF THE WORD HELL.

THE HEBREW IS CONSISTANT THROUGHOUT THE O.T. BUT IN GREEK THE N.T. THERE ARE 4 MORE MEANINGS.
 
 

AS AN ADDED INTEREST- -

THESE ARE ALL 'THIRD DAY' SCRIPTURES, MOST FROM THE MOUTH OF JESUS

Matthew 16:21  ¶From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Matthew 17:23  And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

Matthew 20:19  And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

Mark 9:31  For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

Mark 10:34  And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

Luke 9:22  Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

Luke 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

Luke 18:33  And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

Luke 24:7  Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

Luke 24:21  But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
 
 

SO
 

Matthew 27:50  ¶Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

NONE OF THE DEAD AROSE FROM THEIR GRAVES UNTIL AFTER THE THIRD DAY, THE DAY OF RESURRECTION, SINCE
JESUS HIMSELF HAS SAID ON THE THIRD DAY I WILL RAISE AGAIN.
 

AND FINALLY
 

Psalms 68:18  Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
 

Ephesians 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
 

Revelation 1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

1 Peter 3:18  ¶For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20  Which sometime were disobedient,
 

ONE HAS TO ASK ONESELF, WHO WERE THE CAPTIVES?

HOW DID JESUS LEAD CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE?

OR HOW DID JESUS FREE THE CAPTIVES?

AND WHEN JESUS ASCENDED, WHAT GIFTS DID HE GIVE TO MEN?

JESUS LIVES, BUT WAS DEAD, SO WHERE DID HE GET THE KEYS OF HELL AND OF DEATH?
 
 
 

THERE WAS NO OTHER PLACE THAT JESUS WENT, except where the souls were captive, in hell, hades, gehenna, or a paradise area of the already mentioned places of the captives.

AS HE WENT TO MINISTER THE GOOD NEWS OF GRACE AND REDEMPTION TO ALL THE SOULS OF MANKIND,

UNDER THE LAW,  BEFORE HIS COMING,  AND HOW THE GRACE OF GOD  CHANGED THE WORLD THROUGH JESUS' WORK ON THE CROSS.