1 Corinthians 14:17
in 1 Corinthians 14You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other one is not edified.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
KJV
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 14
Commentary
9 notes on this verseFor thou verily givest thanks well,.... In very proper words, and pertinent expressions, with great affection and devotion, suitable to the service; but the other is not edified; the rest of the people, who do not understand the language in which thanks are given; "thy friend", as the Syriac version reads it; or thy next neighbour, he that stands by thee, receives no manner of profit by it, because he does not understand what is said.
This site's exposition
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth
on 1 Corinthians 14:14-17
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful: the verse distinguishes spirit and understanding as two real faculties both engaged in prayer, the tongue-gift genuinely spiritual even where the mind gains nothing from it. Paul's own resolve in verse 15 answers the imbalance rather than abandoning either faculty, I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also, the same doubling applied to singing. Verses 16 and 17 press the case toward the assembly's weakest member, the unlearned hearer who cannot say Amen at a thanksgiving he never understood, so that thanks well spoken in an unknown tongue still leaves the other unedified.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Else," saith he, "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?" "For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified." Observe how again here he brings his stone to the plumb-line every where seeking the edification of the Church. Now by the "unlearned" he means the laymen, and signifies that he also suffers no little loss when he is unable to say the Amen. And what he saith is this: "if thou shalt bless in a barbarian tongue, not knowing what thou sayest, nor able to interpret, the layman cannot respond the Amen. For not hearing the words, 'forever and ever,' which are at the end, he doth not say the Amen." Then again, comforting him concerning this, that he might not seem to hold the gift too cheap; the same kind of remark as he made above, that "he speaketh mysteries," and "speaketh unto God," and "edifieth himself," and "prayeth with the spirit," intending no little comfort from these things, this also he utters here, saying, "for thou indeed givest thanks well," since thou speakest being moved by the Spirit: but the other hearing nothing nor knowing what is said, stands there, receiving no great advantage by it.
The Medieval Church2 voices
You might think he is completely disparaging the gift of tongues, but he says: you, for your part, give thanks well, but since there is no benefit to your neighbor in this, your thanksgiving is useless.
Then he proves why he cannot say, "Amen," when he says: For you may give thanks well enough to God, inasmuch as you understand, but the other man, who hears and does not understand, is not edified, for he does not understand in detail, even …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He informs them that tongues were a sign for unbelievers rather than those that believe; and represents the advantage of prophecy above speaking with tongues, from the different suggestions they would give to the mind of an unbeliever coming into their assemblies,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For thou verily givest thanks well - That is, even if you use a foreign language. You do it with the heart; and it is accepted by God as your offering; but the other, who cannot understand it, cannot be benefited by it.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
givest thanks--The prayers of the synagogue were called "eulogies," because to each prayer was joined a thanksgiving. Hence the prayers of the Christian Church also were called blessings and giving of thanks.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Thou verily givest thanks well - Because he felt gratitude, and, from a sense of his obligation, gave praise to God; but because this was in an unknown tongue, those who heard him received no edification.
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| σὺ | su | You yourself | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| μὲν | men | truly | G3303 → | 176 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| καλῶς | kalos | well | G2573 → | 35 times |
| εὐχαριστεῖς, | eucharisteis | are giving thanks, | G2168 → | 38 times |
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἕτερος | heteros | other | G2087 → | 97 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| οἰκοδομεῖται.¶ | oikodomeitai | is edified. | G3618 → | 40 times |
σὺYou yourself
suG4771 →2973 times
μὲνtruly
menG3303 →176 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
καλῶςwell
kalosG2573 →35 times
εὐχαριστεῖς,are giving thanks,
eucharisteisG2168 →38 times
ἀλλ᾽but
all᾽G235 →635 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἕτεροςother
heterosG2087 →97 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
οἰκοδομεῖται.¶is edified.
oikodomeitaiG3618 →40 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 14:4The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 14:22
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.
- 1 Corinthians 14:26
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the…
- Mark 16:17
And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
- 1 Corinthians 14:17–19
You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other one is not edified.
- 1 Corinthians 14:22
Through
1 Corinthians 14:6Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?
it leads to
- Ephesians 1:17
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.
- Romans 6:17
But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.
- 2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
- 1 Corinthians 14:1
Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
- Ephesians 1:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 35; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.