1 Corinthians 14:16 BSB

1 Corinthians 14:16

Otherwise, 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?

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

Else if thou bless with the spirit, how shall he that filleth the place of the unlearned say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest?

KJV

Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

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Commentary

3 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

He that occupieth the room of the unlearned - One who is not acquainted with the language in which you speak, sing, or pray. Say Amen - Give his assent and ratification to what he does not understand. It was very frequent in primitive times to express their approbation in the public assemblies by Amen. This practice, soberly and piously conducted, might still be of great use in the Church of Christ.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Otherwise how shall he that filleth the place of a private person - That is, any private hearer. Say Amen - Assenting and confirming your words, as it was even then usual for the whole congregation to do.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

He who fills up or occupies the place of the unlearned, that is, as the ancients interpret it, the body of the people, who, in most Christian assemblies, are illiterate; how should they say Amen to prayers in an unknown tongue? How should they declare their consent and concurrence? This is saying Amen, So be it.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

24 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
ἐπεὶ	epei	Otherwise	G1893 →
ἐὰν	ean	if	G1437 →
εὐλογῇς	eulogēas	you shall bless	G2127 →
ἐν	en	in [the]	G1722 →
πνεύματι,	pneumati	spirit,	G4151 →
ὁ	ho	the [one]	G3588 →
ἀναπληρῶν	anaplērōn	filling	G378 →
τὸν	ton	the	G3588 →
τόπον	topon	place	G5117 →
τοῦ	tou	of the	G3588 →
ἰδιώτου	idiōtou	uninstructed	G2399 →
πῶς	pōs	how	G4459 →
ἐρεῖ	erei	will he say	G4483 →
τὸ	to	the	G3588 →
ἀμὴν	amēn	Amen	G281 →
ἐπὶ	epi	at	G1909 →
τῇ	tēa	<the>	G3588 →
σῇ	sēa	your	G4771 →
εὐχαριστίᾳ;	eucharistia	thanksgiving?	G2169 →
ἐπειδὴ	epeidē	since	G1894 →
τί	ti	what	G5101 →
λέγεις	legeis	you say [is that]	G3004 →
οὐκ	ouk	not	G3756 →
οἶδεν·	oiden	he knows;

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
1 Corinthians 11:24
and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
leads to
- John 6:53–58
  So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you.
- 1 Corinthians 11:27–28
  Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 10:3–4
  They all ate the same spiritual food
Through
1 Chronicles 16:36
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.” Then all the people said, “Amen!” and “Praise the LORD!”
leads to
- Psalms 72:18–19
  Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- 1 Kings 8:15
  and said: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His own hand what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying,
Through
Nehemiah 8:6
Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
leads to
- 1 Timothy 2:8
  Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.
- Lamentations 3:41
  Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
Through
Revelation 5:14
And the four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
leads to
- Revelation 19:4
  And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying: “Amen, Hallelujah!”

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