Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (v. t.) Any sharp organ of offense and defense, especially when connected with a poison gland, and adapted to inflict a wound by piercing; as the caudal sting of a scorpion. The sting of a bee or wasp is a modified ovipositor. The caudal sting, or spine, of a sting ray is a modified dorsal fin ray. The term is sometimes applied to the fang of a serpent. 2. (n.) A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secrets an acrid fluid, as in nettles. The points of these hairs usually break off in the wound, and the acrid fluid is pressed into it. 3. (v. t.) Anything that gives acute pain, bodily or mental; as, the stings of remorse; the stings of reproach. 4. (n.) The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging. 5. (n.) A goad; incitement. 6. (n.) The point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying. 7. (v. t.) To pierce or wound with a sting; as, bees will sting an animal that irritates them; the nettles stung his hands. 8. (v. t.) To pain acutely; as, the conscience is stung with remorse; to bite. 9. (v. t.) To goad; to incite, as by taunts or reproaches. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia STING sting (parash, "to cut into"; kentron, "a goad," "spur"): A sharp, pointed organ or instrument for inflicting wounds by puncture; sting of an adder, Proverbs 23:32; of scorpions, Revelation 9:10. In the free quotation of 1 Corinthians 15:55 from Hosea 13:14, death is personified as a deadly animal, like a scorpion or serpent, which inflicts destruction by means of sin as its kentron. It should also be remembered that in Acts 26:14 the same Greek word is used with reference to an instrument for exciting fear, rather than death. Both figures are pertinent; for death is powerless, except through sin, and, also, when sin is vanquished, the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15) is gone. H. E. Jacobs

Multi-Version Concordance Sting (5 Occurrences) 1 Corinthians 15:55 "Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?" (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Revelation 9:5 Their mission was not to kill, but to cause awful agony for five months; and this agony was like that which a scorpion inflicts when it stings a man. (Root in WEY NAS RSV NIV) Ezekiel 28:24 And there shall be no more a wounding sting for the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn, among all that were round about them, that despised them: and they shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah. (DBY) Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death! Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your destruction? "Compassion will be hidden from my eyes. (See NAS)