God’s Word Translation
1 Corinthians 14:15
15So what does this mean? It means that I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with my mind. I will sing psalms with my spirit, and I will sing psalms with my mind.
1 Corinthians 14:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
- New International Version (NIV)So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.
- English Standard Version (ESV)What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
- New King James Version (NKJV)What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Context of 1 Corinthians 14:15
13So the person who speaks in another language should pray for an interpretation of what he says. 14If I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my mind is not productive. So what does this mean? It means that I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with my mind. I will sing psalms with my spirit, and I will sing psalms with my mind. 16Otherwise, if you praise God only with your spirit, how can outsiders say “Amen!” to your prayer of thanksgiving? They don’t know what you’re saying. 17Your prayer of thanksgiving may be very good, but it doesn’t help other people grow.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 141 Corinthians 14:15 word by word
τί οὖν ἐστιν; προσεύξομαι τῷ πνεύματι, προσεύξομαι δὲ καὶ τῷ νοΐ· ψαλῶ τῷ πνεύματι, ψαλῶ δὲ καὶ τῷ νοΐ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- is itεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- I will prayπροσεύχομαιproseuchomai · to prayG4336
- with the spiritὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- with the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- andδέde · thenG1161
- with the understandingνοῦςnous · mindG3563
- alsoκαίkai · andG2532
- I will singψάλλωpsallō · to sing praiseG5567
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 14:15
- 1 Corinthians 10:19Do I mean that an offering made to a false god is anything, or that a false god itself is anything?
- Romans 3:5But if what we do wrong shows that God is fair, what should we say? Is God unfair when he vents his anger on us? (I’m arguing the way humans would.)
- Romans 8:31What can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Philippians 1:18But what does it matter? Nothing matters except that, in one way or another, people are told the message about Christ, whether with honest or dishonest motives, and I’m happy about that. Yes, I will continue to be happy
- 1 Corinthians 14:19Yet, in order to teach others in church, I would rather say five words that can be understood than ten thousand words in another language.
- John 4:23Indeed, the time is coming, and it is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. The Father is looking for people like that to worship him.
- Romans 1:9I serve God by spreading the Good News about his Son. God is my witness that I always mention you
- Ephesians 5:17So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants.
- Ephesians 6:18Pray in the Spirit in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert. Use every kind of effort and make every kind of request for all of God’s people.
- Colossians 3:16Let Christ’s word with all its wisdom and richness live in you. Use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to teach and instruct yourselves about ⌞God’s⌟ kindness. Sing to God in your hearts.
- Jude 1:20Dear friends, use your most holy faith to grow. Pray with the Holy Spirit’s help.
- Psalms 47:7God is the king of the whole earth. Make your best music for him!
- Romans 12:1Brothers and sisters, in view of all we have just shared about God’s compassion, I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 14:15
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15What is it then? - What shall I do? What is the proper course for me to pursue? What is my practice and my desire; see the same form of expression in Romans 3:9, and Romans 6:15. It indicates the “conclusion” to which the reasoning had conducted him, or the course which he would pursue in view of all the circumstances of the case. I will pray with the spirit - I will endeavor to “blend” all the advantages which can be derived from prayer; I will “unite”…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. 1515. What is it then?--What is my determination thereupon? and--rather as Greek, "but"; I will not only pray with my spirit, which (1Co 14:14) might leave the understanding unedified, BUT with the understanding also [Alford and Ellicott]. pray with the understanding also--and, by inference, I will keep silence altogether if I cannot pray with the understanding (so as to make myself understood by others). A prescient warning, mutatis mutandis, against the…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 14:15
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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