Focused Passage

1 Corinthians 14:13-19

Pursue Love, Desire Gifts, and Let All Things Be Done for Edification and Order

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

13Therefore, the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.

14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

15What then shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.

16Otherwise, if you speak a blessing in spirit, how can someone who is uninstructed say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?

17You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other one is not edified.

18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

19But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 13

Original words

ThereforeΔιὸG1352Conjunctionthe [one who]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularspeaksλαλῶνG2980Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularin a tongueγλώσσῃG1100Noun - Dative Feminine Singularshould prayπροσευχέσθωG4336Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularthatἵναG2443Conjunctionhe may interpretδιερμηνεύῃG1329Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 14

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctionifἐὰνG1437ConjunctionI prayπροσεύχωμαιG4336Verb - Present Subjunctive Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singularin a tongueγλώσσῃG1100Noun - Dative Feminine SingularmyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-τὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularspiritπνεῦμάG4151Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularpraysπροσεύχεταιG4336Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularbutδὲG1161ConjunctionmyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularmindνοῦςG3563Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularunfruitfulἄκαρπόςG175Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 15

Original words

WhatΤίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter SingularthenοὖνG3767Conjunction[shall I do]ἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularI will prayπροσεύξομαιG4336Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singularwith [my]τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularspiritπνεύματιG4151Noun - Dative Neuter SingularbutδὲG1161ConjunctionvvvκαὶG2532ConjunctionI will also prayπροσεύξομαιG4336Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singularwith [my]τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularmindνοΐG3563Noun - Dative Masculine SingularI will singψαλῶG5567Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singularwith [my]τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularspiritπνεύματιG4151Noun - Dative Neuter SingularbutδὲG1161ConjunctionvvvκαὶG2532ConjunctionI will also singψαλῶG5567Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singularwith [my]τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularmindνοΐG3563Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 16

Original words

OtherwiseἐπεὶG1893ConjunctionifἐὰνG1437Conjunctionyou speak a blessingεὐλογῇςG2127Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionspiritπνεύματιG4151Noun - Dative Neuter SingularhowπῶςG4459Adverb{can} [someone]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvἀναπληρῶνG378Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularvvvτόπονG5117Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularvvvτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularwho is uninstructedἰδιώτουG2399Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularsayἐρεῖG2046Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularAmenἈμήνG281Hebrew WordtoἐπὶG1909PrepositionyourσῇG4674Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Feminine 2nd Person Singular-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularthanksgivingεὐχαριστίᾳG2169Noun - Dative Feminine SingularsinceἐπειδὴG1894Conjunctionhe does not knowοἶδενG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .οὐκG3756AdverbwhatτίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularyou are sayingλέγειςG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular

BSB notes

  • Or in the Spirit
Verse 17

Original words

You {may}σὺG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Singularbe giving thanksεὐχαριστεῖςG2168Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularvvvμὲνG3303ConjunctionvvvγὰρG1063Conjunctionwell enoughκαλῶςG2573Adverbbutἀλλ’G235ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singularother oneἕτεροςG2087Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvοὐκG3756Adverbis not edifiedοἰκοδομεῖταιG3618Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 18

Original words

I thankΕὐχαριστῶG2168Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularGodΘεῷG2316Noun - Dative Masculine Singularthat I speakλαλῶG2980Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singularin tonguesγλώσσαιςG1100Noun - Dative Feminine PluralmoreμᾶλλονG3123Adverbthan allπάντωνG3956Adjective - Genitive Masculine Pluralof youὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Verse 19

Original words

ButἀλλὰG235ConjunctioninἐνG1722Preposition[the] churchἐκκλησίᾳG1577Noun - Dative Feminine SingularI would ratherθέλωG2309Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularspeakλαλῆσαιG2980Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivefiveπέντεG4002Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralvvvμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person SingularvvvτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularcoherentνοΐG3563Noun - Dative Masculine SingularwordsλόγουςG3056Noun - Accusative Masculine PluraltoἵναG2443Conjunction-καὶG2532ConjunctioninstructκατηχήσωG2727Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person SingularothersἄλλουςG243Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralthanG2228Conjunctionten thousandμυρίουςG3463Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralwordsλόγουςG3056Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralinἐνG1722Prepositiona tongueγλώσσῃG1100Noun - Dative Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.