1 Corinthians 14:21

1 Corinthians 14:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)In the Law it is written: “With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)In the Law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord."
• New King James Version (NKJV)In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord.

Context of 1 Corinthians 14:21

19but in the church I want to speak five words with my mind to instruct others, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking. Instead, be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. It is written in the law: “By people with strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, yet not even in this way will they listen to me,” says the Lord. 22So then, tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23So if the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and unbelievers or uninformed people enter, will they not say that you have lost your minds?

1 Corinthians 14:21 word by word

ἐν τῷ νόμῳ γέγραπται ὅτι ἐν ἑτερογλώσσοις καὶ ἐν χείλεσιν ἑτέρων λαλήσω τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ, καὶ οὐδ᾽ οὕτως εἰσακούσονταί μου, λέγει κύριος.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• it is writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• other tonguesἑτερόγλωσσοςheteroglōssos · in another languageG2084
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• otherἕτεροςheteros · otherG2087
• lipsχεῖλοςcheilos · lipG5491
• will I speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• unto thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• yet for all thatοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• will theyεἰσακούωeisakouō · to listen toG1522
• notοὐδέoude · norG3761
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 14:21

• John 10:34Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?
• Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
• Deuteronomy 28:49The Lord will raise up a distant nation against you, one from the other side of the earth as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand,
• Isaiah 28:11For with mocking lips and a foreign tongue he will speak to these people.
• Jeremiah 5:15The Lord says, “Listen, nation of Israel! I am about to bring a nation from far away to attack you. It will be a nation that was founded long ago and has lasted for a long time. It will be a nation whose language you will not know. Its people will speak words that you will not be able to understand.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 14:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21In the law it is written - But the passage quoted is in Isaiah 28:11. Here is no contradiction, for the term תירה torah, Law, was frequently used by the Jews to express the whole Scriptures, law, prophets, and hagiographia; and they used it to distinguish these sacred writings from the words of the scribes. With men of other tongues - Bishop Pearce paraphrases this verse as follows: "With the tongues of foreigners and with the lips of foreigners will I…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21In the law it is written - This passage is found in Isaiah 38:11-12. The word “law” here seems to mean the same as revelation; or is used to denote the Old Testament in general. A similar use occurs in John 10:34, and John 15:25. With men of other tongues … - This passage, where it occurs in Isaiah, means, that God would teach the rebellious and refractory Jews submission to himself, by punishing them amidst a people of another language, by removing them…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. 21-25Paul used this quotation from Isaiah 28:11–12 to show that speaking in tongues is a sign for unbelievers, not believers. However, in 1 Corinthians 14:23–25, Paul argues that unbelievers are more likely to be convinced by prophecy than by speaking in tongues. He emphasizes that, in public worship, prophecy is more useful than speaking in tongues.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. In the law--as the whole Old Testament is called, being all of it the law of God. Compare the citation of the Psalms as the "law," Joh 10:34. Here the quotation is from Is 28:11, 12, where God virtually says of Israel, This people hear Me not, though I speak to. them in the language with which they are familiar; I will therefore speak to them in other tongues, namely, those of the foes whom I will send against them; but even then they will not hearken…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 14:21

• Language
• Quotations and Allusions
• Tongues (the Gift)

In the dictionaries

• Confusion
• Desire
• Edification
• Except
• Pipe
• Profit
• Tongues, Gift of
• Bible, the
• Canon of the Old Testament
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the

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