There is a very real reason for this. It shows that what we have just said is true that the Translators, both British and American, of their respective Revised Versions, saw the difficulty of translating a word which has no equivalent in the English language, and have therefore given us the Greek word itself in the text. If there had been an equivalent word, in the fuller light of scholarship, they would have given it to us. But there is none. It can only be translated by using a phrase or sentence.
There is one more passage we ought to consider before leaving this subject. Dr. Bullinger writes, Acts 2:2727Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Acts 2:27). "Thou wilt not leave my soul (i.e., Me) in HADES." Acts 2:3131He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. (Acts 2:31). "His soul (i.e., He) was not left in HADES." "These two passages, being respectively the quotation and interpretation of Psa. 16:1010For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Psalm 16:10), must have the meaning that Sheol there has; and show that they speak 'of the resurrection of Christ' (ver. 31) from the grave. This is clear if we read the whole context, Acts 2:24-2524Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25For 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: (Acts 2:24‑25); and 13: 30-37. Hades is, here, the place where 'corruption' is seen; and 'resurrection' is the only way of exit from it" (Sheol & Hades, p. 22).
Dr. Bullinger tells us that at death spirit, soul and body cease to exist. To be consistent he must apply this to our blessed Lord, for He died. But in the above quotation he places the Lord's soul in the grave, for he says "grave" is the only correct translation for the word, "Hades." What right has he to do this? It is not consistent with his former teaching.
Let us quote Psa. 16:1010For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Psalm 16:10), a most wonderful passage: "For Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell [Hades]; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption."
How satisfactory is the real teaching of that verse, that the soul of our blessed Lord-a soul conscious and in bliss-did not remain in the condition of being apart from the body; nor was His holy body left in the grave in the condition of death. Moreover, it was not suffered to see corruption. To end these two conditions meant the reuniting of the soul with the body, and this came about in His glorious resurrection, the proof that God was glorified in the work of the cross, that redemption's work was completed to God's eternal glory and the assurance of blessing of every believing sinner. We prefer to give the true interpretation of the text than commenting on the irreverent suggestions, if not worse, of Dr. Bullinger. The subject is too sacred.
If the reader cares to pursue this matter further, he will find in the Author's pamphlet, "Hades and Eternal Punishment" (2nd Edition), ample Scriptural proof of the definition he has given of Sheol or Hades, that is, it is the condition of the soul apart from the body, a condition and a condition ONLY, and of the truth as to Eternal Punishment. (To be had of our Publishers.)