EasyEnglish Bible 2018
1 Corinthians 14:16
16If you are praising God only with your spirit, not everyone will understand. Believers who have not learned these things will not know what you are saying. They cannot agree and say ‘Amen’.
1 Corinthians 14:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
- New International Version (NIV)Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer, say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?
Context of 1 Corinthians 14:16
14If I pray in a different language, only my spirit is praying. But I do not use my mind while I pray like that. 15This is what I should do: I will not only pray with my spirit. I will also pray with my mind. I will sing to praise God with my spirit. And I will also do that with my mind. If you are praising God only with your spirit, not everyone will understand. Believers who have not learned these things will not know what you are saying. They cannot agree and say ‘Amen’. 17You may really be able to thank God very well in your spirit. But your words do not help those other believers to become strong. 18I thank God that I speak in different kinds of languages more than all of you.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 141 Corinthians 14:16 word by word
ἐπεὶ ἐὰν εὐλογῇς ἐν πνεύματι, ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τὸν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου πῶς ἐρεῖ τὸ ἀμὴν ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ; ἐπειδὴ τί λέγεις οὐκ οἶδεν·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Elseἐπείepei · sinceG1893
- whenἐάνean · ifG1437
- thou shalt blessεὐλογέωeulogeō · to praise/blessG2127
- with the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
- shallἀναπληρόωanaplēroō · to fulfilG378
- the roomτόποςtopos · placeG5117
- of the unlearnedἰδιώτηςidiōtēs · unlearnedG2399
- sayἐρῶereō · to sayG2046
- Amenἀμήνamēn · amenG281
- atἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- thyσόςsos · yourG4674
- giving of thanksεὐχαριστίαeucharistia · thankfulnessG2169
- seeingἐπειδήepeidē · sinceG1894
- he understandethεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- notοὐou · noG3756
- whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- thou sayestλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 14:16
- 1 Corinthians 14:2If someone speaks in a different language, he is speaking only to God. The people who hear him do not understand his message. God's Spirit is causing him to speak about secret things. It does not help people.
- 1 Corinthians 14:23Think about what happens when the whole church meets together. Perhaps some people come in who do not believe in God. Or perhaps they have not learned much about God. If all of you are speaking in strange languages, those visitors would not understand. They would say that you are all crazy!
- Isaiah 29:11You do not understand this vision that the Lord has given to me. It is like the words in a closed book. Give the book to someone who can read. Say to him, ‘Read this, please.’ But he will answer, ‘I cannot read it, because someone has closed it.’
- John 7:15The Jewish leaders were very surprised. They asked, ‘How does this man know so much? He has not learned in our schools.’
- Acts 4:13The Jewish leaders saw that Peter and John were not afraid of them. They also knew that they were not special people. They had not been to any school. So the leaders were very surprised about how Peter and John spoke. They understood that Peter and John had been friends with Jesus.
- 1 Corinthians 11:24He thanked God for the bread and then he broke it into pieces. He said: ‘This is my body that I give to save you. Eat this bread, so that you remember me.’
- 1 Corinthians 16:24I love all of you who belong to Christ Jesus, as I do.
- Numbers 5:22That will happen when you drink the bitter water.” The woman must say, “That should happen. I agree!”
- Deuteronomy 27:15‘God will curse anyone who makes any image of a god and who worships it secretly. The Lord hates all idols that people make with metal or with wood.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Yes, we agree!’
- 1 Kings 1:36Jehoiada's son Benaiah answered the king, ‘Amen! I agree! I pray that the Lord will cause it to happen! He is the God that my master the king serves.
- 1 Chronicles 16:36Praise the Lord, Israel's God, as he deserves! Praise him now and for ever! Then all the people said, ‘Amen! We agree! Praise the Lord!’
- Psalms 41:13Let us all praise the Lord, who is Israel's great God! Yes, praise him now and for ever! Amen! Amen!
- Psalms 72:19Praise his great name for ever! May his glory fill the whole earth! Amen! May that all happen!
- Psalms 89:52Praise the Lord as he deserves! Yes! Amen! We agree!
- Psalms 106:48Praise the Lord, Israel's God, as he deserves! Praise him now and for ever! Let everybody say, ‘Amen! We agree!’ Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
- Jeremiah 28:6The prophet Jeremiah said, ‘Amen! I agree! I pray that the Lord would do that! I pray that what you have prophesied really happens. May the Lord bring back from Babylon all the valuable things that belong in his temple. May he bring back all the people that King Nebuchadnezzar took to Babylon as prisoners.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 14:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16He that occupieth the room of the unlearned - One who is not acquainted with the language in which you speak, sing, or pray. Say Amen - Give his assent and ratification to what he does not understand. It was very frequent in primitive times to express their approbation in the public assemblies by Amen. This practice, soberly and piously conducted, might still be of great use in the Church of Christ. This response was of the highest authority and merit…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Else - ( ̓́ Epei). Since; if this is not done; if what is said is not intelligible, how shall the unlearned be able appropriately to express his assent, and join in your devotions? When thou shalt bless - When thou shalt bless God, or give thanks to him. If thou shalt lead the devotions of the people in expressing thanksgiving for mercies and favors. This may refer to a part of public worship, or to the thanks which should be expressed at table, and the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-25Verses 15-25 There can be no assent to prayers that are not understood. A truly Christian minister will seek much more to do spiritual good to men's souls, than to get the greatest applause to himself. This is proving himself the servant of Christ. Children are apt to be struck with novelty; but do not act like them. Christians should be like children, void of guile and malice; yet they should not be unskilful as to the word of righteousness, but only as…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-17It is better to worship with both spirit and understandable words. Public worship should bless God and others. Speaking in tongues without interpretation glorifies God and helps the speaker (14:4), but it does not help others present. say “Amen” to your thanksgiving: Amen was the traditional response to a prayer.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Else ... thou--He changes from the first person, as he had just expressed his own resolution, "I will pray with the understanding," whatever "thou" doest. bless--the highest kind of prayer. occupieth the room of the unlearned--one who, whatever other gifts he may possess, yet, as wanting the gift of interpretation, is reduced by the speaking in an unknown tongue to the position of one unlearned, or "a private person." say Amen--Prayer is not a…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 14:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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