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 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. It is written in the Scriptures: “I will speak to my own people through strange languages and through the lips of foreigners. But even then, they will not listen to me,” says the Lord. 22So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. 23Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy.

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 replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’
• Romans 3:19Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.
• Deuteronomy 28:49“The Lord will bring a distant nation against you from the end of the earth, and it will swoop down on you like a vulture. It is a nation whose language you do not understand,
• Isaiah 28:11So now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language!
• Jeremiah 5:15O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you,” says the Lord. “It is a mighty nation, an ancient nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you cannot 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