1 Corinthians 14:8-13 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:6-14

In this paragraph he goes on to show how vain a thing the ostentation of speaking unknown and unintelligible language must be. It was altogether unedifying and unprofitable (1 Cor. 14:6): If I come to you speaking with tongues, what will it profit you, unless I speak to you by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? It would signify nothing to utter any of these in an unknown tongue. An apostle, with all his furniture, could not edify, unless he spoke to the capacity of... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:1-19

14:1-19 Pursue this love. Covet the spiritual things, especially the gift of forthtelling the truth to others. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one can understand. By the Spirit he speaks things which only the initiated can understand. But he who forthtells the truth to men speaks something which builds them up and encourages them and comforts them. He who speaks in a tongue builds up his own spiritual life, but he who forthtells the truth builds up the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:8

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound ,.... That is not plain and manifest, so as that it cannot be known on what account it is given: who shall prepare himself to the battle ? the allusion is to the custom of many nations, Jews and others, who, when about to engage in war, made use of musical instruments, particularly the trumpet, to gather the soldiers together, prepare them for the battle, give them notice of it, and animate them to it F25 Vid Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:9

So likewise you, unless ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood ,.... This is an accommodation of the foregoing similes to the case in hand: for as unless there is a distinction of notes and tunes, it cannot be music, nor it cannot be known what is piped or harped; and unless the trumpet gives a certain sound, none can know when to prepare himself for the battle; so unless in the public ministry and service a language is spoken, and words made use of, which are understood without... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:10

There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices ,.... לשנא , "tongues", or "languages", as the Syriac version renders it; that is, as many as there are nations in the world; there may be seventy of them, as the Jews say there were at the confusion of languages at Babel; there may be more or less: and none of them is without signification : every language, and every word in a language, has a meaning in it, an idea annexed to it, which it conveys to him that understands it, and that cannot... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:11

Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice ,.... The force and power of a language, the signification of it, the ideas its words convey, but only hear the sound of it: I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me : like one of those rude and uncultivated people that inhabit deserts and wild places, who can neither understand the language of others, nor be understood by others; and indeed may be meant of any sort of people, that do... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:12

Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts ,.... Gr. "of spirits"; that is, "of the gifts of the Spirit", as the Syriac version renders it; and we rightly, "spiritual gifts"; the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, for which the apostle does not blame them; these being what he had before exhorted them to covet earnestly, and zealously affect and desire: but then he further advises, seek that ye may excel, to the edifying of the church : above all, be desirous of such... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:13

Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue ,.... The Hebrew, or any other, the gift of speaking with which is bestowed upon him: pray that he may interpret ; that he may have also the gift of interpretation of tongues; for as has been before hinted, these two gifts were distinct; and a man might have the one, and not the other; a man might speak in an unknown tongue, so as to understand himself, what he said, and be edified, and yet not be capable of translating it at once into... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:8

If the trumpet give an uncertain sound - If, when the soldier should prepare himself for the battle, the trumpet should give a different sound to that which is ordinarily used on such occasions, the soldier is not informed of what he should do, and therefore does not arm himself; consequently, that vague, unintelligible sound of the trumpet, is of no use. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:9

Likewise ye - If ye do not speak in the Church so as to be understood, your labor is useless; ye shall speak into the air - your speech will be lost and dissipated in the air, without conveying any meaning to any person: there will be a noise or sound, but nothing else. Gifts of that kind, thus used, are good for nothing. read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:6-14

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:1-19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:13

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:8

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:9

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