1 Corinthians 15 · Verse 52

1 Corinthians 15:52

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:52, King James Version

1 Corinthians 15:52 in other translations

BSBin an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
WEBin a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
ASVin a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
YLTin a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, in the last trumpet, for it shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we--we shall be changed:
DARBYin an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
BBEIn a second, in the shutting of an eye, at the sound of the last horn: for at that sound the dead will come again, free for ever from the power of death, and we will be changed.
WebsterIn a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

What does 1 Corinthians 15:52 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
52. the last trump--at the sounding of the trumpet on the last day [Vatablus] (Mt 24:31; 1Th 4:16). Or the Spirit by Paul hints that the other trumpets mentioned subsequently in the Apocalypse shall precede, and that this shall be the last of all (compare Is 27:13; Zec 9:14). As the law was given with the sound of a trumpet, so the final judgment according to it (He 12:19; compare Ex 19:16). As the Lord ascended "with the sound of a trumpet" (Psa 47:5), so He shall descend (Re 11:15). The trumpet was sounded to convoke the people on solemn feasts, especially on the first day of the seventh month (the type of the completion of time; seven being the number for perfection; on the tenth of the same month was the atonement, and on the fifteenth the feast of tabernacles, commemorative of completed salvation out of the spiritual Egypt, compare Zec 14:18, 19); compare Psa 50:1-7. Compare His calling forth of Lazarus from the grave "with a loud voice," Joh 11:43, with Joh 5:25, 28. and--immediately, in consequence.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 52. In a moment. ενατομω. In an atom, scil. of time; a point of time which cannot be cut or divided, (a priv. and τομη from τεμνω to cut.) A single instant; immediately. It will be done instantaneously.

In the twinkling of an eye. This is an expression also denoting the least conceivable duration of time. The suddenness of the coming of the Lord Jesus is elsewhere compared to the coming of a thief in the night, 2Pet 3:10. The word rendered "twinkling," (ριπη, from ριπτω, to throw, cast,) means a throw, cast, jerk, as of a stone; and then a jerk of the eye, i.e., a wink.--Robinson.

At the last trump. When the trumpet shall sound to raise the dead. The word "last" here does not imply that any trumpet shall have been before sounded at the resurrection, but is a word denoting that this is the consummation or close of things; it will end the economy of this world; it will be connected with the last state of things.

For the trumpet shall sound. Mt 24:31.

And the dead shall be raised. Jn 5:25.

(a) "in the twinkling" 2Pet 3:10 (*) "last trump" "trumpet" (b) "trumpet" Zech 9:14, Mt 24:31 (c) "shall be raised" Jn 5:25

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 52 In a moment - Εν ατομῳ· In an atom; that is, an indivisible point of time. In the twinkling of an eye; as soon as a man can wink; which expressions show that this mighty work is to be done by the almighty power of God, as he does all his works, He calls, and it is done. The resurrection of all the dead, from the foundation of the world to that time, and the change of all the living then upon earth, shall be the work of a single moment. At the last trump - This, as well as all the rest of the peculiar phraseology of this chapter, is merely Jewish, and we must go to the Jewish writers to know what is intended. On this subject, the rabbins use the very same expression. Thus Rabbi Akiba: "How shall the holy blessed God raise the dead? We are taught that God has a trumpet a thousand ells long, according to the ell of God: this trumpet he shall blow, so that the sound of it shall extend from one extremity of the earth to the other. At the first blast the earth shall be shaken; at the second, the dust shall be separated; at the third, the bones shall be gathered together; at the fourth, the members shall wax warm; at the fifth, the heads shall be covered with skin; at the sixth, the souls shall be rejoined to their bodies; at the seventh, all shall revive and stand clothed." See Wetstein. This tradition shows us what we are to understand by the last trump of the apostle; it is the seventh of Rab. Akiba, when the dead shall be all raised, and, being clothed upon with their eternal vehicles, they shall be ready to appear before the judgment seat of God. For the trumpet shall sound - By this the apostle confirms the substance of the tradition, there shall be the sound of a trumpet on this great day; and this other scriptures teach: see Zac 9:14; Mat 24:31; Joh 5:25; 1Thes 4:16, in which latter place, the apostle treats this subject among the Thessalonians, as he does here among the Corinthians. See the notes at 1Thes 4:16. Shall be raised incorruptible - Fully clothed with a new body, to die no more. We shall be changed - That is, those who shall then be found alive.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

All the saints should not die, but all would be changed. In the gospel, many truths, before hidden in mystery, are made known. Death never shall appear in the regions to which our Lord will bear his risen saints. Therefore let us seek the full assurance of faith and hope, that in the midst of pain, and in the prospect of death, we may think calmly on the horrors of the tomb; assured that our bodies will there sleep…

Read the full comment on 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 →

1 Corinthians 15:52 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἐνeninG1722
ἀτόμῳatomōan instantG823
ἐνeninG1722
ῥιπῇrhipēa[the] twinklingG4493
ὀφθαλμοῦophthalmouof an eyeG3788
ἐνenatG1722
τῇtēatheG3588
ἐσχάτῃeschatēlastG2078
σάλπιγγι·salpingitrumpet;G4536
σαλπίσειsalpisei[The] trumpet will soundG4537
γάρ,garfor,G1063
καὶkaiandG2532
οἱhoitheG3588
νεκροὶnekroideadG3498
ἐγερθήσονταιegerthēsontaiwill be raisedG1453
ἄφθαρτοι,aphthartoiimperishable,G862
καὶkaiandG2532
ἡμεῖςhēmeiswe ourselvesG3165
ἀλλαγησόμεθα.allagēsomethawill be changed.G236

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Corinthians 15:52

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

    For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

  • Matthew 24:31

    And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

  • John 5:28

    Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

  • John 5:25

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

  • Isaiah 27:13

    And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.

  • 2 Peter 3:10

    But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:42

    So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

  • Zechariah 9:14

    And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:50

    Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

  • Isaiah 18:3

    All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.

  • Revelation 9:13-14

    And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

  • Ezekiel 33:6

    But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a moment.
Ex 33:5; Nu 16:21,45; Ps 73:19; 2Pe 3:10
last.
Ex 19:16; 20:18; Nu 10:4; Isa 18:3; 27:13; Eze 33:3,6; Zec 9:14
Re 8:2,13; 9:13,14
for.
Mt 24:31; Joh 5:25; 1Th 4:16
the dead.
42,50

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Corinthians 15:51

    Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

  • 1 Corinthians 15:52

    In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:53

    For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Read all of 1 Corinthians 15

1 Corinthians 15:52 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		En un momento, en un abrir de ojo, á la final trompeta; porque será tocada la trompeta, y los muertos serán levantados sin corrupción, y nosotros seremos transformados.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		en un instant, en un clin d’œil, à la dernière trompette, car la trompette sonnera et les morts seront ressuscités incorruptibles, et nous, nous serons changés.
German
Elberfelder 1871		in einem Nu, in einem Augenblick, bei der letzten Posaune; denn posaunen wird es, und die Toten werden auferweckt werden unverweslich, und wir werden verwandelt werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		In momento, in ictu oculi, in novissima tuba: canet enim tuba, et mortui resurgent incorrupti: et nos immutabimur.