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Thus the list grows, the evidence advances, and the conviction deepens that the final
doom of the impenitent is destruction or perishing. This is emphasized in those passages
which speak of "the end":--
"The end of these things is death" (Rom. 6: 21).
"Whose end is destruction" (Phil. 3: 19).
"Whose end is to be burned" (Heb. 6: 8).
Whatever sorrows may fill the pathway of transgressors, there is an end, and that end
is death and destruction:--
"Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" (James. 1: 15).
"But, these as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed shall utterly perish
in their own corruption" (II Pet. 2: 12).
The words and usage of the word rendered "torment" must now be given a careful
consideration. Chiefest among them is the word basanizo, but we will just look at the
occurrences of but one or two others first, and then devote our undivided attention to this
most important word.
Kolasis.--"Fear hath torment" (I John 4: 18). The word is the same as that used in
Matt. 25: 46 which is rendered "punishment." As we have seen in a previous issue the
meaning is that of cutting off, as we would cut off a useless branch of a tree.
Kakouchoumenos.--"Being destitute, afflicted, tormented" (Heb. 11: 37). The word
means to suffer or bear ill usage, and is translated in Heb. 13: 3, "them which suffer
adversity." It would have been well if the translators had used the second rendering in
both passages.
Odunomai.--"I am tormented," "thou art tormented" (Luke 16: 24, 25). The word
has occurred already in Luke 2: 48 in the words of the mother of the Lord Jesus, "Thy
father and I have sought thee sorrowing." Luke again uses the words in Acts 20: 38 to
express the sorrow of the Ephesian elders at the prospect of never seeing the face of Paul
again. The cognate odune in Rom. 9: 2 and I Tim. 6: 10 is rendered by the word
"sorrow." It will be seen that the translation "torment" is confined to the passage
concerning the rich man and Lazarus. As we hope to deal with this passage under the
separate heading of ""The Parables" we will not spend further time over it here, the
reference to the usage of the words translated "torment" being our primary object.
The only words to be now considered are those which are the translations of basanizo
and its derivatives.
Basanizo occurs twelve times in the N.T. Eight times it is rendered "torment," and
once "pain, " "toss," "vex," "toil," Basanistes occurs once, and is rendered "tormentor."
Basanos occurs thrice, and is rendered "torment." Basanismos occurs five times, and is
rendered "torment." Considering the exceptional renderings first, we notice the
following:--