As Above, so Below in the Sheol

A List of Biblical References for 'As Above, so Below' and the Sheol


The LORD kills and makes alive. He brings Down to Sheol and raises Up.
   
- 1 Samuel 2:6
   
When a cloud vanishes it is gone, so he who goes Down to Sheol does not come Up.
  
- Job 7:9

They are High as the Heavens, what can you do? Deeper than the Sheol, what can you know?
   
- Job 11:8

O LORD, You have brought Up my soul from Sheol. You have kept me alive, so that I would not go Down to the Pit.
  
- Psalm 30:3

If I ascend to Heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
   
- Psalm 139:8

The path of life leads Upward for the wise so that he may keep away from the Sheol Below.
   
- Proverbs 15:24

Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God, make it Deep as Sheol or High as Heaven.
   
- Isaiah 7:11

Though they dig Deep into Sheol, from there will My hand take them. And though they Ascend into Heaven, from there will I bring them Down.
   
- Amos 9:2

Part IV. Metaphorical Use of Both the Eye Below and Above

You are to take a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.

- Exodus 21:23-25

Part IV. Metaphorical Use of Both the Eye Below and Above

Heaven + Earth = God's Creation








'I have created somethings in pairs,' says God, 'such as Heaven and Earth, the sun and the moon, Adam and Eve, male and female in all animals, this life and the future life; but I am One.' He that proclaims the absolute unity of God proclaims the kingdom of Heaven.

- Deuteronomy Rabba 2

Simple Views from Above and Below

Fangs of the Shark


A tooth for...




...a tooth. (Deuteronomy 19:21)



Love and Lust


An eye for...




...an eye.(Deuteronomy 19:21)



Don't Fall Down into the Sun or the Moon which Shines Above


And he laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him down into...



...the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more. (Revelation 20:1-3)


The Rock of Ages


You are Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church and...




...the Gates of Hell will not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)



The Building and its Foundation


According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation and...




...another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it for...




...no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely Rabbi Jesus.(I Corinthians 3:10-11)


Look up, Good Earthling!


If all your life is given up to the pursuit of earthly things, it is quite consistent for you to look downwards...



...But if you pursue the higher life, look upwards. - The Talmud, Midrash Psalms 32



May the LORD God bless you in the name of the Judeo-Christian Tradition.

An Eye for an Eye, Part I. Judeo-Christian Symbolism from Above and Below

You are to take a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.

- Exodus 21:23-25

Part I. Judeo-Christian Symbolism from Above and Below

Here is a simple, yet elegant ikonographic understanding of taking an Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth:

Go thence down BELOW, and make yourself firm, and be a FOUNDATION for the lower things, and it happened and he went down and fixed himself, and became the FOUNDATION for the lower things, and below the darkness there is nothing else. (Enoch 26:4)


The Bible is God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbor is, and how to reach it without running on rocks or bars. (Henry Ward Beecher, 1813-1887, American politician.)

Everyone who falls on that STONE will be dashed to pieces, and IT will crush anyone on whom it falls. (Luke 20:18)


You [Lucifer] said in your heart: “I will scale the heavens, above the stars of God I will set up my throne; I will take my seat on the Mount of Assembly, in the recesses of the North. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will be like the Most High!” Yet down to the nether world you go, to the recesses of the pit! (Isaiah 14:13-15)

All this is of significance because it is concerned with the fact that there is an age-old Western tradition, much battered and destroyed in recent generations, that has sent up new, living shoots of vigorous growth since 1945. (Tragedy & Hope, by Carroll Quigley, p.1232)


Upon a high and lofty mountain you made your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifice. Behind the door and the doorpost you placed your indecent symbol. Deserting me, you spread out your high, wide bed, and of those whose embraces you love you carved the symbol and gazed upon it…While you sent your ambassadors far away, down even to the nether world (Isaiah 57:7-9)


When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back. (Nietzsche)

Beware! I am against you, destroying mountain, destroyer of the entire earth, says the LORD; I will stretch forth my hand against you, roll you down over the cliffs, and make you a burnt mountain. They will not take from you a cornerstone, or a foundation stone; ruins forever shall you be, says the LORD. (Jeremiah 51:25-26)

An angel of the LORD appeared to him in fire flaming out of a bush. As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. So Moses decided, ‘I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.’ - Exodus 3:2-3


May the LORD God bless you in the name of King David.

The Eye for an Eye, Part II. The Jewish Talmud from Top to Bottom

You are to take a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.

- Exodus 21:23-25

Part II. The Jewish Talmud from Top to Bottom






Down, Up and Together as One








The Talmud and the Star of David

The Talmud, Tanchum. Voeschanan


Death is designed for man from time immemorial. When the hour of man's departure hence arrives, nothing will save him from it. If he had the wings of an eagle and could soar high up above the earth...





...he would, of his own accord, come down to meet his fate.--Death is a new gate for the righteous to enter in. (The Talmud, Tanchum. Voeschanan)






The Talmud, Tanchum. Shoftim



God will eventually reveal his glory to all mankind as unmistakably as though He had placed his throne in the centre of the heavens...





...and then moved it from one extreme end ...






...to the other, so that everybody should see and know it. (Tanchum. Shoftim)







The Babylonian Talmud, Baba Mezi’a 117a


Two dwelt in a house, one above and one below. Now, the plaster on the ceiling...broke, so that when the one above washed with water, it dripped down, causing damage to the one below...





...Now, who must repair? R. Hiyya b. Abba said: 'The upper dweller'...






R. Elai said: "The lower one, the sign thereof is, 'And Joseph was brought down to Egypt.'" (Baba Mezi’a 117a)






The Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 103b



Once a man becomes poor in friends below on earth...






...he becomes poor above in Heaven. (Sanhedrin 103b)







The Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 10b



The Jew signed first below...





...thinking that another Jew would sign above, but the lender got the signature of a Samaritan instead. (Gittin 10b)







The Babylonian Talmud, Berakoth 17a


A favourite saying of Abaye was: 'One should always strive to be on the best terms with his brethren and his relatives and with all men and even with the heathen in the street, in order that he may be beloved above...





...and well-liked below and be acceptable to his fellow creatures.' (Berakoth 17a)







The Babylonian Talmud, Berakoth 29b



R. Eliezer says: 'Do Thy will in heaven above...






...and grant relief to them that fear Thee below and do that which is good in Thine eyes. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who hearest prayer.' (Berakoth 29b)






The Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 44b



Resh Lakish said: 'He who devotes his strength to prayer below...





...has no enemies to overcome above.' R. Johanan said: 'One should ever implore mercy that all Heavenly beings may support his effort in prayer so that he may have no enemies on high.' (Sanhedrin 44b)






The Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 37a



R. Eliezer b. Jacob says: 'It is impossible to declare that Levi was stationed below since it is stated that he was above...




...and it is impossible to declare that he was above since it is stated that he was below; so how was it? The elders of the priests and Levites were below...





...and the rest above.' R. Joshiyah said: 'All the Levites who were qualified to serve as bearers of the ark were below and the rest above'...





...Rabbi says: 'Both the priests and Levites and also the Israelites were standing below. They turned their faces towards mount Gerizim and opened with the blessing, and then towards mount Ebal and opened with the curse. (Sotah 37a)






The Babylonian Talmud, Yebamoth 105b



'Who is this man,' cried Abdan out to him, 'who strides over the heads of the holy people!' (Yebamoth 105b)






The Babylonian Talmud, Baba Kamma 79b


A thief...acts as if the eye of Below would not be seeing and the ear of Below would not be hearing, as it says: "Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, 'Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?'" - Baba Kamma 79b





The Babylonian Talmud, Niddah 40b



Those sacrifices whose blood is to be sprinkled above...was sprinkled below,






...those whose blood is to be sprinkled below and was sprinkled above. - Niddah 40b







The Babylonian Talmud, Berakoth 24b



If one sneezes in his prayer it is a good sign for him, that as they give him relief below on earth...





...so they give him relief above in Heaven. (Berakoth 24b)







The Babylonian Talmud, Yebamoth 105b




A man who offers up his prayers must direct his eyes to the Temple below





...and his heart towards the Heavens above. (Yebamoth 105b)







The Babylonian Talmud, Horayoth 12b



MISHNAH. A HIGH PRIEST RENDS HIS GARMENTS FROM BELOW





AND AN ORDINARY PRIEST FROM ABOVE...R. Judah. R. Ishmael said: 'He does not rend his clothes in the manner of other people, but he rends from below while an ordinary priest rends from above!' (Horayoth 12b)






The Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 36a



Behold it is written: 'And I will send the hornet before thee!' R. Simeon b. Lakish said: 'It stood by the bank of the Jordan and injected a virus [into the Canaanites] which blinded their eyes above...




and castrated them below.' (Sotah 36a)







The Babylonian Talmud, Shabbath 110a



So that the snake cannot attack him either from below






or above. (Shabbath 110a)







The Babylonian Talmud, Niddah 47b



So also did R. Simeon state: 'The Sages have indicated in the physical development of a woman three marks below




and corresponding ones above. If, namely, she is like an unripe fig above, it may be taken for granted that she has not yet grown two (pubic) hairs. If she is above like a fig in its early ripening, it may be taken for granted that she has already grown two (pubic) hairs.' (Niddah 47b)





The Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 14a



'Show us where Moses is buried'. When they stood above, it appeared to them to be below...






when they were below, it appeared to them to be above.





They divided themselves into two parties; to them who were standing above it appeared below, and to those who were below it appeared above...R. Hama son of R. Hanina said: 'Even Moses our teacher does not know where he is buried.' (Sotah 14a)






The Babylonian Talmud, Baba Bathra 11a


It is related of King Monobaz that he spent all his own savings and the savings of his fathers in years of scarcity. His brothers and his father's household...said to him, 'Your father saved money and added to the treasures of his fathers, and you are squandering them.' He replied: "My fathers stored up below...



...and I am storing above , as it says, 'Truth springeth out of the earth and righteousness looketh down from Heaven.' My fathers stored in a place which can be tampered with, but I have stored in a place which cannot be tampered with, as it says, 'Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of his throne.'" (Baba Bathra 11a)





The Babylonian Talmud, Yebamoth 105b



A man who offers up his prayers must direct his eyes towards the Temple below, for it is said, 'And Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually'...




...And the other said: 'The eyes of him who offers up prayers shall be directed towards the Heavens above, for it is said 'Let us lift up our heart with our hand.' (Yebamoth 105b)







The Babylonian Talmud, Baba Mezi’a 86b



One should never break away from custom. For behold, Moses ascended on High






...and ate no bread, whereas the Ministering Angels descended below and ate bread. (Baba Mezi’a 86b)



May the LORD God bless you in the name of the Judeo-Christian Tradition.