1 Corinthians 15:54–57
Paul exults: “Where, O death, is your victory?”
Study it word by word54And when this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the word that is written will come about: Death has been swallowed up in victory.
55Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
56Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;
57but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus the Messiah.
In its context
52in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
…
58So then, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Its words in the original
- ὅτανhotan· when, whenever
When, whenever.
- φθαρτὸνphtharton· perishable
Perishable, corruptible: what decays and dies.
- ἐνδύσηταιendysētai· put on, clothe
Dress, put on clothing; be clothed.
- ἀφθαρσίανaphtharsian· incorruption, immortality
Incorruption: what neither decays nor dies, immortality.
- θνητὸνthnēton· mortal
Mortal: subject to death.
- ἀθανασίανathanasian· immortality
Immortality: not being subject to death.
- τότεtote· then
Then, at that time.
- γενήσεταιgenēsetai· become, happen
Become, happen, come about; be born.
- λόγοςlogos· word
Word, saying, message; also reason, cause, account.
- γεγραμμένοςgegrammenos· write
Write. "It is written": that is what the Scriptures say.
- ΚατεπόθηKatepothē· swallow, devour
Swallow, gulp down, devour; swallow up.
- θάνατοςthanatos· death
Death.
- νῖκοςnikos· victory
Victory.
- ποῦpou· where?
Where?
- κέντρονkentron· goad, sting
Goad: a pointed stick for driving oxen; also the sting of an insect.
- ἁμαρτίαhamartia· sin
Sin: missing the mark, failing God and what he commands.
- δύναμιςdynamis· power, mighty work
Power, strength, ability. In the plural, works of power: miracles.
- νόμοςnomos· law
Law. In the Gospels, above all the law of Moses, the Torah.
- θεῷtheōi· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- χάριςcharis· grace
Grace, favor.
- διδόντιdidonti· give
Give.
- κυρίουkyriou· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- ἸησοῦIēsou· Jesus
Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).
- ΧριστοῦChristou· Messiah
Messiah: literally "anointed", the king or envoy God consecrates with oil. It is a title, not a surname; in Hebrew, mashiach.