How do you say “the sting of corruption” in Coptic?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In Coptic (Bohairic dialect), the phrase "the sting of corruption" is:

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(Pi-timi ente pi-tako)

Breakdown of the words:

• Pi-timi: "The sting" or "the goad." This is a native Coptic word.
• ente: "Of." A Coptic preposition used to show possession or relationship.
• Pi-tako: "The corruption," "destruction," or "perishing." This is a native Coptic word derived from the verb to destroy/perish.

Theological Context

This phrase is deeply rooted in our Patristic understanding of the Fall. As St. Athanasius the Apostolic explains in On the Incarnation, human nature after the Fall was pierced by the "sting" of mortality and decay.

In the Coptic version of 1 Corinthians 15:55-56, where St. Paul asks, "O death, where is your sting?", the Coptic text uses:

(Af-thon pek-timi e-phmou)

"Where is your sting, O death?"

While "death" is the result, corruption is the state of decay that follows. By the Resurrection of our Lord, the "sting of corruption" was removed from our nature, granting us incorruption.