1 Corinthians 13:1 BSB

1 Corinthians 13:1

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

KJV

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

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Commentary

5 voices

Tertullian

Against Marcion Book V (220)

This Spirit, (according to the apostle's showing, ) meant not that the service of these gifts should be in the body, nor did He place them in the human body); and on the subject of the superiority of love above all these gifts, He even taught the apostle that it was the chief commandment, just as Christ has shown it to be: "Thou shalt love the Lord with all thine heart and soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thine own self.

The record, by era

The Reformation1 voice

John Calvin

1509–1564

Commentaries (1554)

If should speak with the tongues of men. He begins with eloquence, which is, it is true, an admirable gift, considered in itself, but, when apart from love, does not recommend a man in the estimation of God. When he speaks of the tongue of angels, he uses a hyperbolical expression to denote what is singular, or distinguished.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Though I speak with all the tongues - Which are upon earth, and with the eloquence of an angel. And have not love - The love of God, and of all mankind for his sake, I am no better before God than the sounding instruments of brass, used in the worship of some of the heathen gods.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

It is the charitable heart, not the voluble tongue, that is acceptable with God. The apostle specifies first this gift because hereupon the Corinthians seemed chiefly to value themselves and despise their brethren. Prophecy, and the understanding of mysteries, and all knowledge.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

Though I speak with the tongues of men - Though I should be able to speak all the languages which are spoken by people. To speak foreign languages was regarded then, as it is now, as a rare and valuable endowment; compare Virgil, Aeneas vi. 625ff. The word “I” here is used in a popular sense, and the apostle designs to illustrate, as he often does, his idea by a reference to himself, which, it is evident, he wishes to be understood as applying to those whom he addressed.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

19 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Ἐὰν	Ean	If	G1437 →
ταῖς	tais	in the	G3588 →
γλώσσαις	glōssais	tongues	G1100 →
τῶν	tōn	<the>	G3588 →
ἀνθρώπων	anthrōpōn	of men	G444 →
λαλῶ	lalō	I shall speak	G2980 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
τῶν	tōn	<the>	G3588 →
ἀγγέλων,	angelōn	of angels,	G32 →
ἀγάπην	agapēn	love	G26 →
δὲ	de	however	G1161 →
μὴ	mē	not	G3361 →
ἔχω,	echō	may have,	G2192 →
γέγονα	gegona	I have become	G1096 →
χαλκὸς	chalkos	a brass	G5475 →
ἠχῶν	ēchōn	sounding	G2278 →
ἢ	ē	or	G2228 →
κύμβαλον	kumbalon	a cymbal	G2950 →
ἀλαλάζον.	alalazon	clanging.	G214 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
leads to
- Colossians 3:12–17
  Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4–7
  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
- John 15:5
  I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
- James 3:17–18
  But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
- John 15:2
  He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
Through
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
leads to
- Proverbs 10:12
  Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.
- Colossians 3:14
  And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.
- Proverbs 17:9
  Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.