1 Corinthians 15:55 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

O death, where is thy sting? — In the prophet Hosea, where these words originally occur, the passage reads thus — “Where is thy victory, O death? Where is thy sting, O hell?” — the word “hell” referring, not to the place of torment, but to the Hades of departed spirits. This difference between St. Paul’s words and those of the prophet has given rise to a variety of readings in the Greek text here. The weight of evidence is in favour of the reading, “Where is thy sting, O death? Where is thy victory, O death?” the word “Hades,” or “grave,” not being introduced at all. The passage is not a quotation, but the adaptation of the form of a familiar Old Testament phrase.