The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:55 Explained

1 Corinthians 15:55

KJV: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

YLT: where, O Death, thy sting? where, O Hades, thy victory?'

Darby: Where, O death, is thy sting? where, O death, thy victory?

ASV: O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O death,  where  [is] thy  sting?  O grave,  where  [is] thy  victory? 

What does 1 Corinthians 15:55 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Paul modified for his own purposes Hosea"s defiant challenge for death (personified) to do its worst ( Hosea 13:14) and used the passage to taunt death himself. Death is man"s last enemy (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:25). God will defeat it when He raises His people to life.

Context Summary

1 Corinthians 15:42-58 - Victory Over Sin And Death
Life on the other side will be as real and as earnest as here. We shall not dissolve into thin mist or flit as bodiless ghosts. We shall each be provided with a body like that which our Lord had after, He arose from the dead. It will be a spiritual body, able to go and come at a wish or a thought; a body that will be perfectly adapted to its spiritual world environment. The last Adam, our Lord, will effect this for us. But we must in the meanwhile be content to make the best use of the discipline of mortality, keeping our body pure and sweet as the temple and vehicle of the Holy Spirit until we are born into the next stage of existence. Always the physical before the psychical and the psychical before the spiritual.
What triumph rings through those last four verses! As generations of Christians have stood around the mortal remains of their beloved, they have uttered these words of immortal hope. The trumpet's notes will call those who have died and the saints that are still alive on the earth, into one mighty host of transfigured and redeemed humanity. Oh, happy day! Then we shall be manifested, rewarded, and glorified with Christ. All mysteries solved, all questions answered! Till then let us abound always in the work of the Lord. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Corinthians 15

1  By Christ's resurrection,
12  he proves the necessity of our resurrection,
16  against all such as deny the resurrection of the body
21  The fruit,
35  and the manner thereof;
51  and of the resurrection of those who shall be found alive at the last day

Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 15:55

Victory [νικος]
Late form of νικη — nikē [source]
O death [τανατε]
Second instance. Here Paul changes Hades of the lxx for Hebrew Sheol (Hosea 13:14) to death. Paul never uses Hades. Thy sting (σου το κεντρον — sou to kentron). Old word from κεντρεω — kentreō to prick, as in Acts 26:14. In Revelation 9:10 of the sting of locusts, scorpions. The serpent death has lost his poison fangs. [source]
Thy sting [σου το κεντρον]
Old word from κεντρεω — kentreō to prick, as in Acts 26:14. In Revelation 9:10 of the sting of locusts, scorpions. The serpent death has lost his poison fangs. [source]
O death, where, etc. []
From Hosea 13:14, a free version of the Sept.: “Where is thy penalty, O Death? Where thy sting, O Hades? Heb.: Where are thy plagues, O Death? Where thy pestilence, O Sheol? [source]
O grave [ἅδη]
Which is the reading of the Septuagint. The correct reading is θάνατε Odeath. So Rev. Hades does not occur in Paul's writings. In Romans 10:7he uses abyss. Edwards thinks that this is intentional, and suggests that Paul, writing to Greeks, may have shunned the ill-omened name which people dreaded to utter. So Plato: “People in general use the word (Pluto ) as a euphemism for Hades, which their fears lead them to derive erroneously from ἀειδής theinvisible ” (“Cratylus,” 403). [source]
Sting [κέντρον]
In the Septuagint for the Hebrew pestilence. See on Revelation 9:9. The image is that of a beast with a sting; not death with a goad, driving men. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 15:55

Matthew 16:18 On this rock [επι ταυτηι τηι πετραι]
What did Jesus mean by this word-play?I will build my church (οικοδομησω μου την εκκλησιαν — oikodomēsō mou tēn ekklēsian). It is the figure of a building and he uses the word εκκλησιαν — ekklēsian which occurs in the New Testament usually of a local organization, but sometimes in a more general sense. What is the sense here in which Jesus uses it? The word originally meant “assembly” (Acts 19:39), but it came to be applied to an “unassembled assembly” as in Acts 8:3 for the Christians persecuted by Saul from house to house. “And the name for the new Israel, εκκλησια — ekklēsia in His mouth is not an anachronism. It is an old familiar name for the congregation of Israel found in Deut. (Deuteronomy 18:16; Deuteronomy 23:2) and Psalms (Psalm 22:25), both books well known to Jesus” (Bruce). It is interesting to observe that in Psalms 89 most of the important words employed by Jesus on this occasion occur in the lxx text. So οικοδομησω — oikodomēsō in Psalm 89:5; εκκλησια — ekklēsia in Psalm 89:6; κατισχυω — katischuō in Psalm 89:22; Χριστος — Christos in Psalm 89:39, Psalm 89:52; αιδης — hāidēs in Psalm 89:49 (εκ χειρος αιδου — ek cheiros hāidou). If one is puzzled over the use of “building” with the word εκκλησια — ekklēsia it will be helpful to turn to 1 Peter 2:5. Peter, the very one to whom Jesus is here speaking, writing to the Christians in the five Roman provinces in Asia (1 Peter 1:1), says: “You are built a spiritual house” (οικοδομειστε οικος πνευματικος — oikodomeisthe oikos pneumatikos). It is difficult to resist the impression that Peter recalls the words of Jesus to him on this memorable occasion. Further on (1 Peter 2:9) he speaks of them as an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, showing beyond controversy that Peter‘s use of building a spiritual house is general, not local. This is undoubtedly the picture in the mind of Christ here in Matthew 16:18. It is a great spiritual house, Christ‘s Israel, not the Jewish nation, which he describes. What is the rock on which Christ will build his vast temple? Not on Peter alone or mainly or primarily. Peter by his confession was furnished with the illustration for the rock on which His church will rest. It is the same kind of faith that Peter has just confessed. The perpetuity of this church general is guaranteed.The gates of Hades Each word here creates difficulty. Hades is technically the unseen world, the Hebrew Sheol, the land of the departed, that is death. Paul uses τανατε — thanate in 1 Corinthians 15:55 in quoting Hosea 13:14 for αιδη — hāidē It is not common in the papyri, but it is common on tombstones in Asia Minor, “doubtless a survival of its use in the old Greek religion” (Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary). The ancient pagans divided Hades Christ was in Hades (Acts 2:27, Acts 2:31), not in Gehenna. We have here the figure of two buildings, the Church of Christ on the Rock, the House of Death (Hades). “In the Old Testament the ‹gates of Hades‘ (Sheol) never bears any other meaning (Isaiah 38:10; Wisd. 16:3; 3 Maccabees 5:51) than death,” McNeile claims. See also Psalm 9:13; Psalm 107:18; Job 38:17 It is not the picture of Hades attacking Christ‘s church, but of death‘s possible victory over the church. “The εκκλησια — ekklēsia is built upon the Messiahship of her master, and death, the gates of Hades, will not prevail against her by keeping Him imprisoned. It was a mysterious truth, which He will soon tell them in plain words (Matthew 16:21); it is echoed in Acts 2:24, Acts 2:31 ” (McNeile). Christ‘s church will prevail and survive because He will burst the gates of Hades and come forth conqueror. He will ever live and be the guarantor of the perpetuity of His people or church. The verb κατισχυω — katischuō (literally have strength against, ισχυω — ischuō from ισχυς — ischus and κατ — kaṫ) occurs also in Luke 21:36; Luke 23:23. It appears in the ancient Greek, the lxx, and in the papyri with the accusative and is used in the modern Greek with the sense of gaining the mastery over. The wealth of imagery in Matthew 16:18 makes it difficult to decide each detail, but the main point is clear. The εκκλησια — ekklēsia which consists of those confessing Christ as Peter has just done will not cease. The gates of Hades or bars of Sheol will not close down on it. Christ will rise and will keep his church alive. Sublime Porte used to be the title of Turkish power in Constantinople. [source]
Matthew 16:18 The gates of Hades [πυλαι αιδου]
Each word here creates difficulty. Hades is technically the unseen world, the Hebrew Sheol, the land of the departed, that is death. Paul uses τανατε — thanate in 1 Corinthians 15:55 in quoting Hosea 13:14 for αιδη — hāidē It is not common in the papyri, but it is common on tombstones in Asia Minor, “doubtless a survival of its use in the old Greek religion” (Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary). The ancient pagans divided Hades Christ was in Hades (Acts 2:27, Acts 2:31), not in Gehenna. We have here the figure of two buildings, the Church of Christ on the Rock, the House of Death (Hades). “In the Old Testament the ‹gates of Hades‘ (Sheol) never bears any other meaning (Isaiah 38:10; Wisd. 16:3; 3 Maccabees 5:51) than death,” McNeile claims. See also Psalm 9:13; Psalm 107:18; Job 38:17 It is not the picture of Hades attacking Christ‘s church, but of death‘s possible victory over the church. “The εκκλησια — ekklēsia is built upon the Messiahship of her master, and death, the gates of Hades, will not prevail against her by keeping Him imprisoned. It was a mysterious truth, which He will soon tell them in plain words (Matthew 16:21); it is echoed in Acts 2:24, Acts 2:31 ” (McNeile). Christ‘s church will prevail and survive because He will burst the gates of Hades and come forth conqueror. He will ever live and be the guarantor of the perpetuity of His people or church. The verb κατισχυω — katischuō (literally have strength against, ισχυω — ischuō from ισχυς — ischus and κατ — kaṫ) occurs also in Luke 21:36; Luke 23:23. It appears in the ancient Greek, the lxx, and in the papyri with the accusative and is used in the modern Greek with the sense of gaining the mastery over. The wealth of imagery in Matthew 16:18 makes it difficult to decide each detail, but the main point is clear. The εκκλησια — ekklēsia which consists of those confessing Christ as Peter has just done will not cease. The gates of Hades or bars of Sheol will not close down on it. Christ will rise and will keep his church alive. Sublime Porte used to be the title of Turkish power in Constantinople. [source]
Matthew 16:18 shall not prevail against it [ου κατισχυσουσιν αυτης]
Each word here creates difficulty. Hades is technically the unseen world, the Hebrew Sheol, the land of the departed, that is death. Paul uses τανατε — thanate in 1 Corinthians 15:55 in quoting Hosea 13:14 for αιδη — hāidē It is not common in the papyri, but it is common on tombstones in Asia Minor, “doubtless a survival of its use in the old Greek religion” (Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary). The ancient pagans divided Hades Christ was in Hades (Acts 2:27, Acts 2:31), not in Gehenna. We have here the figure of two buildings, the Church of Christ on the Rock, the House of Death (Hades). “In the Old Testament the ‹gates of Hades‘ (Sheol) never bears any other meaning (Isaiah 38:10; Wisd. 16:3; 3 Maccabees 5:51) than death,” McNeile claims. See also Psalm 9:13; Psalm 107:18; Job 38:17 It is not the picture of Hades attacking Christ‘s church, but of death‘s possible victory over the church. “The εκκλησια — ekklēsia is built upon the Messiahship of her master, and death, the gates of Hades, will not prevail against her by keeping Him imprisoned. It was a mysterious truth, which He will soon tell them in plain words (Matthew 16:21); it is echoed in Acts 2:24, Acts 2:31 ” (McNeile). Christ‘s church will prevail and survive because He will burst the gates of Hades and come forth conqueror. He will ever live and be the guarantor of the perpetuity of His people or church. The verb κατισχυω — katischuō (literally have strength against, ισχυω — ischuō from ισχυς — ischus and κατ — kaṫ) occurs also in Luke 21:36; Luke 23:23. It appears in the ancient Greek, the lxx, and in the papyri with the accusative and is used in the modern Greek with the sense of gaining the mastery over. The wealth of imagery in Matthew 16:18 makes it difficult to decide each detail, but the main point is clear. The εκκλησια — ekklēsia which consists of those confessing Christ as Peter has just done will not cease. The gates of Hades or bars of Sheol will not close down on it. Christ will rise and will keep his church alive. Sublime Porte used to be the title of Turkish power in Constantinople. [source]
Acts 26:14 It is hard for thee to kick against the goad [σκληρον σοι προς κεντρα λακτιζειν]
Genuine here, but not in chapters 9, 22. A common proverb as Aeschylus Ag. 1624: Προς κεντρα μη λακτιζε — Pros kentra mē laktize “It is taken from an ox that being pricked with a goad kicks and receives a severer wound” (Page). Cf. the parables of Jesus (Matthew 13:35). Blass observes that Paul‘s mention of this Greek and Latin proverb is an indication of his culture. Besides he mentions (not invents) it here rather than in chapter 22 because of the culture of this audience. Κεντρον — Kentron means either sting as of bees (II Macc. Acts 14:19) and so of death (1 Corinthians 15:55) or an iron goad in the ploughman‘s hand as here (the only two N.T. examples). Note plural here (goads) and λακτιζειν — laktizein is present active infinitive so that the idea is “to keep on kicking against goads.” This old verb means to kick with the heel (adverb λαχ — lax with the heel), but only here in the N.T. There is a papyrus example of kicking (λακτιζω — laktizō) with the feet against the door. [source]
Galatians 4:30 What saith the Scripture? []
Giving emphasis to the following statement. Comp. Romans 4:3; Romans 10:8; Romans 11:2, Romans 11:4. Quotation from lxx of Genesis 21:10. For the words of this bondwoman - with my son Isaac, Paul substitutes of the bondwoman - with the son of the freewoman, in order to adapt it to his context. This is according to his habit of adapting quotations to his immediate use. See 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 15:55; Ephesians 5:14, etc. [source]
Revelation 9:10 Stings [κεντρα]
Old word from κεντρεω — kentreō (to prick, to sting), in N.T. only here, Acts 26:14 (about Paul); 1 Corinthians 15:55 (about death). It is used “of the spur of a cock, the quill of the porcupine, and the stings of insects” (Vincent). It was the goad used for oxen (Proverbs 26:3; Acts 26:14). [source]
Revelation 9:10 Like unto scorpions [ομοιας σκορπιοις]
Aleph A wrongly have ομοιοις — homoiois (agreeing with σκορπιοις — skorpiois instead of with ουρας — ouras). It is a condensed idiom for “like unto the tails of the scorpions” as we have it in Revelation 13:11 (cf. Matthew 5:20; 1 John 2:2).Stings (κεντρα — kentra). Old word from κεντρεω — kentreō (to prick, to sting), in N.T. only here, Acts 26:14 (about Paul); 1 Corinthians 15:55 (about death). It is used “of the spur of a cock, the quill of the porcupine, and the stings of insects” (Vincent). It was the goad used for oxen (Proverbs 26:3; Acts 26:14).In their tails This locates “their power to hurt” (η εχουσια αυτων αδικησαι — hē exousia autōn adikēsai infinitive here, ινα αδικησουσιν — hina adikēsousin in Revelation 9:4) in their tails. It might have been in other organs. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Corinthians 15:55 mean?

Where of you O death the victory sting
Ποῦ σου θάνατε τὸ νῖκος κέντρον

Ποῦ  Where 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ποῦ  
Sense: somewhere.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
θάνατε  O  death 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: θάνατος 
Sense: the death of the body.
νῖκος  victory 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: νῖκος  
Sense: victory.
κέντρον  sting 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: κέντρον  
Sense: a sting, as that of bees, scorpions, locusts.