1 Corinthians 15:40
What does 1 Corinthians 15:40 mean?
A plain-English look at 1 Corinthians 15:40 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What 1 Corinthians 15:40 means
There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, and each has its own kind of glory. Paul moves from living creatures to cosmic objects to show that God clothes things with splendors suited to their sphere. The term “glory” signals radiance, honor, and fitness. Earthly bodies have one excellence; celestial bodies another. This prepares us to think of the resurrection body as belonging to a higher order of glory than our present, perishable frame. The Creator who arrays the heavens can surely array His people with a body adequate to the heavenly realm to which Christ brings them.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
KJV
King James Version · 1611There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And there are bodies of heaven and bodies of earth, but the glory of the one is different from that of the other.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and <FI>there are<Fi> heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but one <FI>is<Fi> the glory of the heavenly, and another that of the earthly;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And there are bodies celestial and bodies terrestrial: but, one is the glory of the celestial, and another of the terrestrial.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And [there are] heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies: but different is the glory of the heavenly, different that of the earthly:
Context
Continuing the theme of varied glories (v. 39), Paul turns to celestial and terrestrial bodies (v. 40), then distinguishes the brightness of sun, moon, and stars (v. 41). These examples lead directly into the declaration, “So also is the resurrection of the dead” (v. 42). The context uses familiar gradations of splendor to ready readers for the superior glory of the resurrected body.
v.39All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fishes.
v.40This passage
v.41There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory.
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