1 Corinthians 14:39
in 1 Corinthians 14So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Wherefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
KJV
Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 14
Commentary
9 notes on this verseHere the Apostle concludes the general admonition. In regard to this he does three things: first, he admonishes them to desire all the gifts, saying: therefore, to speak in tongues is good. But earnestly desire to prophesy. The reason for this, as it says in …
This site's exposition
So, my brothers, be eager
on 1 Corinthians 14:39-40
The closing command holds both gifts in one sentence: be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. Verse 40 gives the rule governing every instruction since verse 26, a proper and orderly manner, euschemonos kai kata taxin.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Anyone who does not recognize that what the apostle says is from God will not be recognized on the day of judgment.
In order to console them after all his rebukes, Paul calls them brothers and encourages them to have a desire to prophesy, so that by frequent discussion and exposition of the divine law they may become better equipped to be able to learn that what …
Then, as he is ever wont to do, unto the former subject whence he digressed to say these things, he brings back his discourse as follows: "Wherefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues." For this too is his wont, not only to work out what is before him, but also starting from that to set right whatever seems to him in any way akin to it, and again to return to the former, so as not to appear to wander from the subject. For so when he was discoursing of their concord in their banquets, he digressed to their Communion in the Mysteries, and having thence put them to shame, he returns again to the former, saying, "Wherefore, when ye come together to eat, wait one for another." (1 Cor. 11:33) And here, accordingly, having discoursed of good order in their gifts, and of its being a duty neither to faint in the lesser, nor to be puffed up on account of the greater; then having made an excursion from thence to the sobriety becoming women and having established it, he returns again to his subject, saying, "Wherefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues." Seest thou how to the end he preserved the difference of these? And how he signifies that the one is very necessary, the other not so? Wherefore of the one he saith, "desire earnestly," but of the other, "forbid not."
The Medieval Church1 voice
Having spoken about the gifts, he inserted a word about women: now he speaks again about the gifts, and gives first place to the gift of prophecy, saying: "desire earnestly," and second place to the gift of tongues. He did not say: permit, but: "do …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Covet to prophesy - Let it be your endeavor and prayer to be able to teach the way of God to the ignorant; this is the most valuable, because the most useful gift of the Spirit. And forbid not to speak with tongues - Let every gift have its own place and operation; let none envy another; nor prevent him from doing that part of the work to which God, by giving the qualification, has evidently called him.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Covet to prophesy - See the note at 1Co 14:1. This is the “summing up” of all that he had said.
The words behind it
12 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ὥστε, | hoste | So, | G5620 → | 83 times |
| ἀδελφοί | adelphoi | brothers | G80 → | 343 times |
| μου, | mou | of mine, | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ζηλοῦτε | zeloute | do earnestly desire | G2206 → | 11 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προφητεύειν, | propheteuein | to prophesy, | G4395 → | 28 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαλεῖν | lalein | to speak | G2980 → | 294 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| κωλύετε | koluete | do forbid | G2967 → | |
| γλώσσαις. | glossais | in tongues. | G1100 → | 49 times |
Ὥστε,So,
hosteG5620 →83 times
ἀδελφοίbrothers
adelphoiG80 →343 times
μου,of mine,
mouG3165 →1936 times
ζηλοῦτεdo earnestly desire
zelouteG2206 →11 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
προφητεύειν,to prophesy,
propheteueinG4395 →28 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
λαλεῖνto speak
laleinG2980 →294 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
κωλύετεdo forbid
kolueteG2967 →
γλώσσαις.in tongues.
glossaisG1100 →49 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 12:31But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
it leads to
- 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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 13:1
Through
1 Corinthians 14:1Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 4:14
Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders.
- 1 Corinthians 16:14
Do everything in love.
- 1 Corinthians 12:1
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:20
Do not treat prophecies with contempt,
- Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
- 1 Timothy 4:14
Through
1 Thessalonians 5:20Do not treat prophecies with contempt,
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 14:3–6
But he who prophesies speaks to men for their edification, encouragement, and comfort.
- 1 Corinthians 14:1
Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
- 1 Corinthians 14:3–6
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 37; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.