1 Corinthians 14:17

1 Corinthians 14:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
• New Living Translation (NLT)You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you.

Context of 1 Corinthians 14:17

15So 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. 16Otherwise 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? You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified. 18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

1 Corinthians 14:17 word by word

σὺ μὲν γὰρ καλῶς εὐχαριστεῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ ἕτερος οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖται.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• thouσύsu · youG4771
• verilyμένmen · on the other handG3303
• givest thanksεὐχαριστέωeucharisteō · to thankG2168
• wellκαλῶςkalōs · wellG2573
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• the otherἕτεροςheteros · otherG2087
• isοἰκοδομέωoikodomeō · to buildG3618
• notοὐou · noG3756

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 14:17

• 1 Corinthians 14:4Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 14:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Thou verily givest thanks well - Because he felt gratitude, and, from a sense of his obligation, gave praise to God; but because this was in an unknown tongue, those who heard him received no edification.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17For thou verily givest thanks well - That is, even if you use a foreign language. You do it with the heart; and it is accepted by God as your offering; but the other, who cannot understand it, cannot be benefited by it.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. 1717. givest thanks--The prayers of the synagogue were called "eulogies," because to each prayer was joined a thanksgiving. Hence the prayers of the Christian Church also were called blessings and giving of thanks. This illustrates Col 4:2; 1Th 5:17, 18. So the Kaddisch and Keduscha, the synagogue formulæ of "hallowing" the divine "name" and of prayer for the "coming of God's kingdom," answer to the Church's Lord's Prayer, repeated often and made the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 14:17

• Interpretation
• Language
• Preaching
• Tongues (the Gift)
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Confusion
• Desire
• Edification
• Except
• Pipe
• Profit
• Tongues, Gift of
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Holy Spirit
• Ministry

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