1 Corinthians 15:56

American Standard Version (1901)

The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law:

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Τὸ δὲ κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου ἡ ἁμαρτία· ἡ δὲ δύναμις τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ νόμος.

Transliteration

The de kentron of the thanatou the hamartia; the de dynamis of the hamartias the nomos.

Grammar Details

• *de*: postpositive particle - and/but/now
• *kentron*: neuter nominative singular noun - sting/goad
• *thanatou*: masculine genitive singular noun - of death
• *hamartia*: feminine nominative singular noun - sin
• *dynamis*: feminine nominative singular noun - power/strength
• *hamartias*: feminine genitive singular noun - of sin
• *nomos*: masculine nominative singular noun - law

Word Meanings

• *kentron*: sting/goad/point
• *thanatou*: of death/mortality
• *hamartia*: sin/error/missing the mark
• *dynamis*: power/strength/might/ability
• *hamartias*: of sin/error/missing the mark
• *nomos*: law/principle/rule

Referenced Verses

• Rom 4:15 : 15 for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
• Rom 7:5-9 : 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter. 7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet: 8 but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin [is] dead. 9 And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died; 10 and the commandment, which [was] unto life, this I found [to be] unto death: 11 for sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me. 12 So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. 13 Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good;--that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.
• Gal 3:10-13 : 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them. 11 Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith; 12 and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
• Rom 6:23 : 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Rom 5:12-13 : 12 Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned:-- 13 for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
• Rom 5:15 : 15 But not as the trespass, so also [is] the free gift. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto the many.
• Rom 5:17 : 17 For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, [even] Jesus Christ.
• Rom 5:20 : 20 And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly:
• Gen 3:17-19 : 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
• Ps 90:3-9 : 3 Thou turnest man to destruction, And sayest, Return, ye children of men. 4 For a thousand years in thy sight Are but as yesterday when it is past, And as a watch in the night. 5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: In the morning they are like grass which groweth up. 6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; In the evening it is cut down, and withereth. 7 For we are consumed in thine anger, And in thy wrath are we troubled. 8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, Our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. 9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: We bring our years to an end as a sigh. 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten, Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but labor and sorrow; For it is soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger, And thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee?
• Prov 14:32 : 32 The wicked is thrust down in his evil-doing; But the righteous hath a refuge in his death.
• John 8:21 : 21 He said therefore again unto them, I go away, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sin: whither I go, ye cannot come.
• John 8:24 : 24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for except ye believe that I am [he], ye shall die in your sins.
• Rom 3:19-20 : 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God: 20 because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law [cometh] the knowledge of sin.
• Heb 9:27 : 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this [cometh] judgment;