1 Corinthians 15:55 kjv
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1 Corinthians 15:55 nkjv
"O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"
1 Corinthians 15:55 niv
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
1 Corinthians 15:55 esv
"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
1 Corinthians 15:55 nlt
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting? "
1 Corinthians 15 55 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hos 13:14 | "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction:" | Original prophetic source of Paul's cry. |
| 1 Cor 15:3-4 | "...Christ died for our sins...and was buried, and that He rose again the third day..." | Foundation of death's defeat: Christ's resurrection. |
| 1 Cor 15:20-22 | "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." | Christ as firstfruits, guaranteeing future resurrection. |
| 1 Cor 15:25-26 | "For he must reign...till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." | Death's final destruction in Christ's reign. |
| 1 Cor 15:56 | "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." | Identifies sin as death's weapon. |
| Isa 25:8 | "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces..." | Prophetic declaration of death's ultimate end. |
| Rom 6:9 | "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him." | Christ's permanent victory over death. |
| Rom 8:2 | "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." | Deliverance from the power of sin and death. |
| Rom 8:38-39 | "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Death's inability to separate from God's love. |
| Heb 2:14-15 | "That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." | Christ conquered the one who wields death. |
| Rev 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." | Christ's sovereign authority over death and Hades. |
| Rev 20:14 | "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." | Death and Hades finally abolished. |
| 2 Tim 1:10 | "...our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:" | Christ made death powerless and revealed eternal life. |
| Phil 3:20-21 | "...our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour...Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body..." | Anticipation of transformed resurrection body. |
| John 11:25-26 | "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." | Jesus' self-declaration as the source of life over death. |
| 1 Thes 4:14 | "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." | God's promise to raise believers with Christ. |
| Job 19:25-27 | "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:" | Ancient faith in resurrection and seeing God. |
| Psalm 49:15 | "But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah." | Divine redemption from the grave. |
| 1 Cor 15:54 | "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." | Immediate context of death's absorption by life. |
| Acts 2:24 | "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." | God released Jesus from death's grip. |
1 Corinthians 15 verses
1 Corinthians 15 55 Meaning
This verse is a triumphal exclamation and rhetorical challenge directed at personified death and the grave (Hades), proclaiming their complete and ultimate defeat through the resurrection of Christ. It asks where their power to inflict pain (sting) or hold captive (victory) has gone, implying they have none left. It signifies the Christian's absolute hope and certainty of future resurrection and immortal life in Christ, nullifying death's power and its finality.
1 Corinthians 15 55 Context
1 Corinthians chapter 15 is often called the "Resurrection Chapter" because it comprehensively defends and explains the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. Paul addresses certain believers in Corinth who denied or doubted the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15:12). He begins by reaffirming the historical fact of Christ's resurrection as foundational to the Gospel (1 Cor 15:1-11). If Christ did not rise, then Christian faith is futile (1 Cor 15:13-19). He then establishes Christ as the "firstfruits" of the dead, guaranteeing the resurrection of all believers (1 Cor 15:20-28). He transitions to describing the nature of the resurrected body (1 Cor 15:35-49) and the "mystery" of instantaneous transformation for those alive at Christ's return (1 Cor 15:50-52). Verse 55, therefore, is the triumphant culmination of this entire theological argument, a victorious shout declaring that because of Christ's triumph, death and the grave no longer hold ultimate power. The verse quotes from Hosea 13:14, but Paul uses it with a definitive, fulfilled sense, emphasizing the "where is?" rather than God's promise of inflicting destruction, indicating the destruction is already achieved through Christ. Historically, many Greeks found the concept of bodily resurrection problematic, preferring a separation of soul from body; Paul's teaching was a direct challenge to such views.
1 Corinthians 15 55 Word analysis
- O: (Greek: ὦ, ō) An interjection expressing strong emotion, typically exclamation, surprise, or in this context, triumphant defiance. It introduces a direct address to personified entities.
- death: (Greek: θάνατος, thanatos) Refers to physical cessation of life, but also to its spiritual and ultimate consequences. Here, it is personified as a powerful enemy, defeated by Christ. This entity held power over humanity due to sin.
- where: (Greek: ποῦ, pou) A rhetorical question, not seeking information but implying that the referenced power or presence no longer exists. It signifies annihilation of power.
- is: (Greek: ἔστιν, estin) The present tense emphasizes the immediate, ongoing state of absence or impotence for death and the grave.
- thy: (Greek: σου, sou) Second person singular possessive pronoun. It attributes the "sting" and "victory" directly to the personified death and grave, before declaring them lost.
- sting: (Greek: κέντρον, kentron) Literally means a goad for oxen, a prick, or a sharp point. Metaphorically, it refers to that which causes intense pain, agony, or death. In 1 Cor 15:56, Paul clarifies that "the sting of death is sin." It's the weapon death uses.
- grave: (Greek: ᾅδης, hadēs) Refers to Hades, the realm of the dead, the unseen world. Often translated as "hell," "grave," or "pit" in various versions. It is personified as holding dominion over departed souls. It represents the captivity of death.
- victory: (Greek: νῖκος, nikos) Refers to conquest, triumph, success, or superiority. It implies a successful overcoming in conflict. Paul declares that death's winning streak has ended; it no longer has the power to ultimately conquer and hold people captive.
- O death, where is thy sting?: This phrase powerfully challenges death itself, accusing it of losing its capacity to inflict final, fatal injury. The rhetorical nature indicates that the sting (sin) has been disarmed by Christ's atonement. It directly references the instrument by which death gains its power over humanity.
- O grave, where is thy victory?: This equally strong challenge addresses the realm of the dead (Hades). The question asserts that Hades has lost its power to hold people captive, emphasizing that the triumph of death's dominion is now over. This speaks to the resurrection, as Hades can no longer contain its inhabitants.
- Sting and Victory: These two concepts represent death's primary means of operation: the "sting" is the immediate lethal wound and spiritual poison (sin), and "victory" is its power to eternally hold its victims in its domain (the grave/Hades). Both are declared vanquished.
1 Corinthians 15 55 Bonus section
This verse embodies the ultimate transformation promised by the Gospel concerning humanity's greatest fear: death. The "O" is a cry of derision and mocking toward a formerly fearsome foe. The questions are a challenge that cannot be answered, as the power once held by death and the grave has indeed vanished. The ultimate victory belongs to God through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:57). This victory transforms mourning into joy, fear into assurance, and despair into certain hope. The implications extend to how Christians are called to live, free from the fear of death, enabling boldness in life and testimony. The public, universal scope of this victory over the last enemy (1 Cor 15:26) underscores God's perfect plan of redemption, not just for individual souls, but for all creation that groans for liberation (Rom 8:21-23).
1 Corinthians 15 55 Commentary
1 Corinthians 15:55 stands as a profound declaration of Christ's definitive victory over death and its accompanying realm. Following an extensive defense of the bodily resurrection, Paul climaxes with a triumphant shout, echoing and reinterpreting the prophecy of Hosea 13:14 in light of Christ's resurrection. By posing rhetorical questions to personified "death" and "Hades" (grave), Paul declares that their power, their "sting" and their "victory," have been utterly stripped away. The "sting of death" is explicitly identified in the subsequent verse (1 Cor 15:56) as sin, which derived its "strength" from the Law. Thus, Christ, by overcoming sin through His sacrificial death and fulfilling the Law, effectively extracted death's venomous sting. Furthermore, His resurrection shattered the "victory" of the grave, proving its inability to permanently hold Him or any believer. This verse transforms human despair in the face of mortality into unyielding hope, assuring believers that physical death is no longer a final, undefeated enemy but a temporary state, prelude to immortal life in Christ. It's an eschatological victory song, heralding the ultimate future where death is finally and completely abolished, a certainty founded on Christ's historical triumph.