You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.
Parallel translations
- KJV Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
- BSB You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
- NKJV Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
- NASB You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;
- NLT What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul answers that a seed must die before it comes to life. It matters because death is the doorway to resurrection life, not its end.
Overview
Calling the questioner foolish, Paul uses the familiar image of a seed that must be buried and 'die' before sprouting. The analogy shows that the body's death is not the final word but a sowing for new life. This natural pattern illustrates God's design for resurrection through Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- John 12:24Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
- Luke 11:40You foolish ones, didn’t he who made the outside make the inside also?
- Eph 5:15Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise;
- Luke 12:20“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared — whose will they be?’
- Luke 24:25He said to them, “Foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
- Rom 1:22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 15:36 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.