"a sharp point; a sting of an animal, Rev. 9:10; a prick, stimulus, goad, Acts 26:14; met. of death, destructive power, deadly venom, 1 Cor. 15:55, 56*"
Definition and meaning
a sharp point; a sting of an animal, Rev. 9:10; a prick, stimulus, goad, Acts 26:14; met. of death, destructive power, deadly venom, 1 Cor. 15:55, 56*
In the original Greek the word is written: κέντρον
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of kentron (G2759) across the King James Bible.
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
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Common questions
Strong's G2759 (kentron) is a Greek word that means: a sharp point; a sting of an animal, Rev. 9:10; a prick, stimulus, goad, Acts 26:14; met. of death, destructive power, deadly venom, 1 Cor. 15:55, 56* It appears 5 times in the King James Bible.
The word kentron (G2759) appears 5 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2759 is kentron, a Greek word defined as: a sharp point; a sting of an animal, Rev. 9:10; a prick, stimulus, goad, Acts 26:14; met. of death, destructive power, deadly venom, 1 Cor. 15:55, 56*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
kentron is a Greek word found in the New Testament.