1 Corinthians 14:2

For he who speaks in another language speaks not to men, but to God; for no one understands; but in the Spirit he speaks mysteries.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

For he who speaks in another language speaks not to men, but to God, for no one understands, but in the Spirit he speaks mysteries.

BSB

For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

KJV

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

ASV

For he that speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God; for no man understandeth; but in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

BBE

For he who makes use of tongues is not talking to men but to God; because no one has the sense of what he is saying; but in the Spirit he is talking of secret things.

Original Greek

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ὁ ho The [one] G3588 γὰρ gar for G1063 λαλῶν lalōn speaking G2980 γλώσσῃ glōssē in a tongue G1100 οὐκ ouk not G3756 ἀνθρώποις anthrōpois to men G444 λαλεῖ lalei speaks G2980 ἀλλὰ alla but G235 τῷ tō (the) G3588 θεῷ theō to God G2316 οὐδεὶς oudeis no [one] G3762 γὰρ gar for G1063 ἀκούει akouei hears G191 πνεύματι pneumati in the Spirit G4151 δὲ de however G1161 λαλεῖ lalei he utters G2980 μυστήρια mustēria mysteries G3466

The early church

At this point he makes a comparison between the gifts, and lowers that of the tongues, showing it to be neither altogether useless, nor very profitable by itself. For in fact they were greatly puffed up on account of this, because the gift was considered to be a great one. And time of building the tower the one tongue was divided into many; so then the many tongues frequently met in one man, and the same person used to discourse both in the Persian, and the Roman, and the Indian, and many other tongues, the Spirit sounding within him: and the gift was called the gift of tongues because he could all at once speak divers languages. See accordingly how he both depresses and elevates it. Thus, by saying, "He that speaketh with tongues, speaketh not unto men, but unto God, for no man understandeth," he depressed it, implying that the profit of it was not great; but by adding, "but in the Spirit he speaketh mysteries" he again elevated it, that it might not seem to be superfluous and useless and given in vain.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on 1 Corinthians

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–5

Prophesying, that is, explaining Scripture, is compared with speaking with tongues. This drew attention, more than the plain interpretation of Scripture; it gratified pride more, but promoted the purposes of Christian charity less; it would not equally do good to the souls of men. What cannot be understood, never can edify. No advantage can be reaped from the most excellent discourses, if delivered in language such as the hearers cannot speak or understand. Every ability or possession is valuable in proportion to its usefulness. Even fervent, spiritual affection must be governed by the exercise of the understanding, else men will disgrace the truths they profess to promote.

Read Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 14 →

Cross-references

29

Topics

LanguageTongues (The Gift)

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.