κέντρον (kentron)
kentron
sting
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun kentron literally means "sting," referring to the sharp organ used by insects like bees or scorpions to deliver poison. In the New Testament, this concrete image appears in Revelation 9:10, where it describes the painful tails of locust-like creatures. The word derives from kenteō, meaning "to prick," emphasizing the physical sensation of being pierced.
Paul uses this term metaphorically in 1 Corinthians 15:55-56 to describe death. He calls death's "sting" sin and the law, suggesting that death is not just an end but a painful consequence of moral failure. By calling it a sting, he implies that while death causes pain, its power can be neutralized, turning a fatal wound into a defeated threat.
Acts 26:14 offers a different angle, quoting Jesus as saying, "It is hard for you to kick against the goad." Here, kentron translates an agricultural tool used to guide stubborn oxen. The metaphor suggests that resisting divine direction causes unnecessary pain to the resistant, much like an animal injuring itself by fighting its own harness.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word kentron carries two distinct images that speak to our experience of resistance and hope. In Acts, it describes a goad used by farmers to guide stubborn oxen. When Saul resisted, he found himself in pain, not because God was cruel, but because fighting divine direction causes unnecessary suffering. This image invites us to consider where we might be kicking against the guidance that could actually bring us peace.
In Corinthians, Paul transforms this concrete image into a profound declaration of victory. He asks death where its sting is, identifying sin as the source of that pain. For believers, this means the sharp end has been pulled out. The fear that often accompanies loss or mortality loses its power when we understand that Christ has absorbed the consequence.
This word reminds us that resistance brings pain, while surrender brings freedom. It also assures us that the final hurt is not the end of the story. We can face difficult seasons with confidence, knowing that the things that once harmed us have been defeated by grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- stingers2×
- the sting1×
- sting1×
- [the] goads1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κέντρα3×
- κέντρον;1×
- κέντρον1×
Key Verses
-
I Corinthians 15:55
“Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?”
Paul uses this word to personify death’s final attack, turning a moment of fear into a rhetorical question that highlights Christ's victory.
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Acts 26:14
When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
This verse shows the word in its agricultural sense, illustrating how resisting God’s call causes self-inflicted pain rather than protecting us.
-
I Corinthians 15:56
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
Here Paul identifies sin as the specific mechanism that gives death its painful power, showing that removing sin removes the sting.