1 Corinthians 14:18

1 Corinthians 14:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
• New International Version (NIV)I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;

Context of 1 Corinthians 14:18

16For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? 17You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. 19But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language. 20Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.

1 Corinthians 14:18 word by word

Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ πάντων ὑμῶν μᾶλλον γλώσσαις λαλῶ·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I thankεὐχαριστέωeucharisteō · to thankG2168
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• I speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• with tonguesγλῶσσαglōssa · tongueG1100
• more thanμᾶλλονmallon · moreG3123
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 14:18

• 1 Corinthians 1:4I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.
• 1 Corinthians 4:7For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 14:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18I speak with tongues more than ye all - He understood more languages than any of them did: and this was indispensably necessary, as he was the apostle of the Gentiles in general, and had to preach to different provinces where different dialects, if not languages, were used. In the Hebrew, Syriac, Greek, and Latin, he was undoubtedly well skilled from his education; and how many he might understand by miraculous gift we cannot tell. But, even literally…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18I thank my God - Paul here shows that he did not undervalue or despise the power of speaking foreign languages. It was with him a subject of thanksgiving that he could speak so many; but he felt that there were more valuable endowments than this; see the next verse. With tongues more than ye all - I am able to speak more foreign languages than all of you. “How many” languages Paul could speak, he has no where told us. It is reasonable, however, to presume…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. 18-19Paul emphasized the personal benefit of speaking in tongues, but in a church meeting, it should benefit others, not just the speaker.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. tongues--The oldest manuscripts have the singular, "in a tongue [foreign]."Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 14:18

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

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Confusion
• Desire
• Edification
• Except
• Pipe
• Profit
• Tongues, Gift of
• 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