1 Corinthians 15:32

“If from a human point of view I fought wild beasts in Ephesus, what is the benefit to me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
1 Corinthians 15:32 · direct translation from the Greek

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With the Greek beneath

Ifεἰfrom a humanκατὰ ἄνθρωπονpoint of viewI fought wild beastsἐθηριομάχησαinἐνEphesus,Ἐφέσῳwhatτίisthe benefitτὸ ὄφελοςto me?μοιIfεἰthe deadνεκροὶare notοὐκraised,ἐγείρονταιlet us eatΦάγωμενandκαὶdrink,πίωμενforγὰρtomorrowαὔριονwe die.ἀποθνῄσκομεν

Quotation · Isaiah 22:13

Go to Isaiah 22:13

Paul uses without a formula the words of Isaiah 22:13: “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: εἰ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ἐθηριομάχησα ἐν Ἐφέσῳ τί μοι τὸ ὄφελος εἰ νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκομεν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וְהִנֵּה שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה הָרֹג בָּקָר וְשָׁחֹט צֹאן אָכֹל בָּשָׂר וְשָׁתוֹת יָיִן אָכוֹל וְשָׁתוֹ כִּי מָחָר נָמוּת

Septuagint (Isaiah 22:13 in the Septuagint numbering): αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐποιήσαντο εὐφροσύνην καὶ ἀγαλλίαμα, σφάζοντες μόσχους καὶ θύοντες πρόβατα, ὥστε φαγεῖν κρέα καὶ πιεῖν οἶνον, λέγοντες Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνήσκομεν.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 6 consecutive words: “Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκομεν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

1 Corinthians 15:32, word by word

from a humanἄνθρωπονanthrōpon

mortal

Humans, weak before God.

Where else “anthrōpon” appears

I fought wild beastsἐθηριομάχησαethēriomachēsa

fight wild beasts

Fight with wild beasts, struggle against wild animals, perhaps in a figurative sense.

Where else “ethēriomachēsa” appears

EphesusἘφέσῳEphesōi

Ephesus

See it on the map Where else “Ephesōi” appears

the benefitὄφελοςophelos

benefit, use

Benefit, use, profit.

Where else “ophelos” appears

the deadνεκροὶnekroi

dead

Someone who no longer has life, whose body has no breath left.

Where else “nekroi” appears

raisedἐγείρονταιegeirontai

raise

To come back to life after death.

Where else “egeirontai” appears

let us eatΦάγωμενPhagōmen

eat

Eat.

Where else “Phagōmen” appears

drinkπίωμενpiōmen

drink

To take water, wine or another liquid by mouth.

Where else “piōmen” appears

tomorrowαὔριονaurion

tomorrow

Tomorrow, the next day.

Where else “aurion” appears

we dieἀποθνῄσκομενapothnēiskomen

die

To stop living: the end of life in the body.

Where else “apothnēiskomen” appears

Translation note

“I fought wild beasts”: it can be understood in a figurative sense, against fierce enemies (“from a human [point of view],” κατὰ ἄνθρωπον). The last sentence is from Isaiah 22:13.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Isaiah 22:13

Paul uses without a formula the words of Isaiah 22:13: “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

See them side by side

1 Corinthians 15:32

³²If from a human point of view I fought wild beasts in Ephesus, what is the benefit to me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

Isaiah 22:13

¹³But look, rejoicing and joy, killing cattle and slaughtering sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: “Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Ephesus
Today: Ephesus ruins, near Selçuk, Turkey
A great port city on the west coast of present-day Turkey.
Paul lived there about three years, teaching (Acts 19:1, 10; 20:31). The letter to the Ephesians and the first message in Revelation are addressed to its assembly (Eph 1:1; Rev 2:1).
Acts 19:1 Acts 18:19 Ephesians 1:1 Revelation 2:1

The context

31I die every day, I swear by the boasting about you that I have in the Messiah Jesus our Lord.

32 · This verse (above)

33Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals.

Read all of 1 Corinthians 15

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