1COR 15:36 Parallel View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. This view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on the version abbreviation to see the verse in more of its context.

The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

OET (OET-RV) Silly question! Plants don’t come to life unless the seed dies first.

Key: yellow:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, magenta:vocative, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

UST If you do not know the answers to those questions, you are not thinking clearly! Just think about this: a seed that you put in the ground must die before it can grow.

BSB You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

BLB You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

AICNT Foolish one, what you sow does not come to life unless it dies;

OEB You foolish person! The seed you yourself sow does not come to life, unless it dies!

WEB You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.

NET Fool! What you sow will not come to life unless it dies.

LSV Unwise! You—what you sow is not quickened except it may die;

FBV What a foolish question! What you sow doesn't sprout into life unless it dies.

TCNT Fool! What yoʋ sow does not come to life unless it dies.

T4T Anyone who asks such questions is foolish. You know that a seed that is planted in the ground must completely change its form [MET] before it sprouts.

LEB Foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

BBE Foolish man, it is necessary for the seed which you put into the earth to undergo death in order that it may come to life again:

MOF No MOF 1COR book available

ASV Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die:

DRA Senseless man, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die first.

YLT unwise! thou — what thou dost sow is not quickened except it may die;

DBY Fool; what thou sowest is not quickened unless it die.

RV Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened, except it die:

WBS Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not vivified except it die:

KJB Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
(Thou fool, that which thou/you sowest is not quickened, except it die: )

BB Thou foole, that which thou sowest, is not quickened except it dye.
(Thou foole, that which thou/you sowest, is not quickened except it dye.)

GNV O foole, that which thou sowest, is not quickened, except it die.
(O foole, that which thou/you sowest, is not quickened, except it die. )

CB Thou foole, yt which thou sowest is not quyckened, excepte it dye.
(Thou foole, it which thou/you sowest is not quyckened, except it dye.)

TNT Thou fole that which thou sowest is not quickened except it dye.
(Thou fole that which thou/you sowest is not quickened except it dye. )

WYC Vnwise man, that thing that thou sowist, is not quykened, but it die first;
(Vnwise man, that thing that thou/you sowist, is not quykened, but it die first;)

LUT Du Narr, was du säest, wird nicht lebendig, es sterbe denn.
(You Narr, was you säest, becomes not lifedig, it die denn.)

CLV Insipiens, tu quod seminas non vivificatur, nisi prius moriatur:[fn]
(Insipiens, tu that seminas not/no vivificatur, nisi first/before moriatur:)

15.36 Insipiens tu: quod seminas. Ita mortuus poterit vivere, et meliori corpore: ut quod seminas, melius surgit.

15.36 Insipiens tu: that seminas. Ita mortuus poterit vivere, and meliori corpore: as that seminas, melius surgit.

UGNT ἄφρων! σὺ ὃ σπείρεις, οὐ ζῳοποιεῖται, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποθάνῃ.
(afrōn! su ho speireis, ou zōiopoieitai, ean maʸ apothanaʸ.)

SBL-GNT ⸀ἄφρων, σὺ ὃ σπείρεις, οὐ ζῳοποιεῖται ἐὰν μὴ ἀποθάνῃ·
(⸀afrōn, su ho speireis, ou zōiopoieitai ean maʸ apothanaʸ; )

TC-GNT [fn]Ἄφρον, σὺ ὃ σπείρεις, οὐ ζῳοποιεῖται ἐὰν μὴ ἀποθάνῃ·
(Afron, su ho speireis, ou zōiopoieitai ean maʸ apothanaʸ;)

15:36 αφρον ¦ αφρων CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

The Resurrection of the Dead

Jesus spoke of a future resurrection of all people—either to eternal life or to judgment (Mark 12:26-27; John 5:28-29; 6:39-40, 44, 54; 11:25-26; cp. Luke 20:34-36). When Christ returns, all his people will be resurrected to be with him forever (1 Thes 4:13-18; cp. 2 Cor 5:1-10).

This strong hope characterized the outlook of the early Christians. They were able to endure their suffering because their eyes were fixed on what lay beyond this life (2 Cor 4:16-18; cp. Heb 12:2). They expected Jesus to return and resurrect their bodies, and they looked forward to living with him forever (1 Pet 1:3-6, 23). Their faith was based on the foundation of Jesus’ own bodily resurrection (1 Cor 15:12-20; Acts 4:33; see also 2 Cor 4:14).

Resurrection bodies will be fundamentally different from the bodies we experience in this life, with all of their limitations and failings. These renewed bodies will be glorious, strong, immortal, and spiritual, like Christ’s own resurrection body (1 Cor 15:35-58).

Because they are already joined to Christ, believers actually begin to experience resurrection existence here and now. They have already been “raised” with Christ; they have already been given “resurrection life” (Rom 6:4-11; 8:10-11; Col 2:12). As a result, their lives are now centered in the spiritual realities of heaven rather than in worldly things (Col 3:1-4). Believers can experience the transforming power of that new life here and now, the new life of the Spirit that frees them from the power of sin and death (Rom 8:1-4). In all the difficulties they face, their trust is not in themselves but in the resurrection power of God (2 Cor 1:9).

Passages for Further Study

Job 19:25-27; Pss 16:10; 49:15; Dan 12:2-3; Matt 16:21; 28:1-10; Mark 12:18-27; John 3:13-16; 5:25-30; 6:39-40; 11:21-27; Acts 2:23-24; 3:14-15; 4:33; 10:39-41; 17:2-3; 24:15; 26:22-23; Rom 1:4; 4:25; 6:4-11; 8:10-11; 1 Cor 15:12-58; 2 Cor 1:8-9; 4:13-18; 5:1-10; Eph 1:19-20; Col 2:12; 3:1-4; 1 Thes 4:13-18; 1 Pet 1:3-6, 23; Rev 20:11-15; 21:1-7; 22:1-6

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

ἄφρων! σὺ ὃ σπείρεις

foolish you what ˱you˲_/are/_sowing

Here Paul addresses the person who asked the question in the previous verse (15:35). That person is a hypothetical “someone,” but Paul still addresses the answer to you in the singular.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations

ἄφρων! σὺ

foolish you

Here Paul calls the hypothetical “someone” who asked the questions (15:35) a foolish one. He does not mean that the questions are wrong, for he spends many of the next verses answering these questions. Rather, he means that someone who does not know the answers to these questions is foolish. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express foolish one with a word or phrase that identifies someone who should know something but does not. Alternate translation: “You silly person” or “You know nothing”

ὃ σπείρεις, οὐ ζῳοποιεῖται, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποθάνῃ

what ˱you˲_/are/_sowing not /is_being/_given_life if not ˱it˲_/may/_die_off

In 15:36–38, Paul speaks about how farmers sow seeds as an analogy for understanding how the dead resurrect. In this verse, the point is that seeds have a new kind of “life” after they are buried in the ground and thus “die.” Just like this, humans also have a new kind of “life” after they “die.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this to make it clear that Paul is using an analogy. Alternate translation: “Here is an example: what you sow is not caused to live unless it dies”

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

ὃ σπείρεις, οὐ ζῳοποιεῖται, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποθάνῃ

what ˱you˲_/are/_sowing not /is_being/_given_life if not ˱it˲_/may/_die_off

Here Paul speaks about farming practices that were common in his culture. A farmer would sow seeds on the dirt in a field, and the seed would sink into the field and seemingly “die.” Only after a period where it lies “dead” in the ground does the seed live in new form as a plant. You could use words or phrases that describe these kinds of farming practices in your culture. Paul specifically uses live and die to connect the farming practices to human life and death, so if possible use terms that can apply to both humans and seeds. Alternate translation: “The seeds that you plant do not live as plants unless they are first buried in the ground”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

οὐ ζῳοποιεῖται

not /is_being/_given_life

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on how What you sow ends up “living” rather than focusing on what or who causes it to live. If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” or the plant itself does it. Alternate translation: “God does not cause to live” or “does not begin to live”

Note 5 topic: grammar-connect-exceptions

οὐ ζῳοποιεῖται, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποθάνῃ

not /is_being/_given_life if not ˱it˲_/may/_die_off

If it would appear in your language that Paul was making a statement here and then contradicting it, you could reword this sentence to avoid using an exception clause. Alternate translation: “only is caused to live once it dies”

Parallel 1COR 15:36