1 Corinthians 14:14

New Life Version

If I pray in special sounds, my spirit is doing the praying. My mind does not understand.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For if I pray in another tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

King James Version (1611)
For if I pray in an vnknowen tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my vnderstanding is vnfruitfull.

King James Version
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

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

New American Standard Bible
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive.

New Century Version
If I pray in a different language, my spirit is praying, but my mind does nothing.

Amplified Bible
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive [because it does not understand what my spirit is praying].

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

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

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

Contemporary English Version
For example, if I use an unknown language in my prayers, my spirit prays but my mind is useless.

Complete Jewish Bible
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit does pray, but my mind is unproductive.

Darby Translation
For if I pray with a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

Easy-to-Read Version
If I pray in a different language, my spirit is praying, but my mind does nothing.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For if I pray in a strange togue, my spirit prayeth: but mine vnderstading is without fruite.

George Lamsa Translation
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my knowledge is fruitless.

Good News Translation
For if I pray in this way, my spirit prays indeed, but my mind has no part in it.

Lexham English Bible
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unproductive.

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

American Standard Version
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

Bible in Basic English
For if I make use of tongues in my prayers, my spirit makes the prayer, but not my mind.

Hebrew Names Version
For if I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

International Standard Version
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is not productive.

Etheridge Translation
For if I am praying in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my mind is without fruit.

Murdock Translation
For if I should pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is without fruits.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For yf I pray with tongue, my spirite prayeth, but my vnderstanding is without fruite.

English Revised Version
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

World English Bible
For if I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my Spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

Weymouth's New Testament
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is barren.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For if Y preye in tunge, my spirit preieth; myn vndurstondyng is with outen fruyt.

Update Bible Version
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

Webster's Bible Translation
For if I pray in an [unknown] language, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

New English Translation
If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive.

New King James Version
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

New Living Translation
For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don't understand what I am saying.

New Revised Standard
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unproductive.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, if I am praying in a tongue, my spirit, is praying, but, my mind, is unfruitful.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth: but my understanding is without fruit.

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

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
If I praye with tonge my sprete prayeth: but my mynde is with out frute.

Young's Literal Translation
for if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit doth pray, and my understanding is unfruitful.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf I praye with tunges, my sprete prayeth, but my vnderstodinge bryngeth no man frute.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit indeed prays, but my meaning is of no benefit to others.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Praying in tongues is your spirit praying, not your conscious mind.

Contextual Overview

⁶ Christian brothers, if I come to you speaking in special sounds, what good is it to you? But if I tell you something God has shown me or something I have learned or what God's Word says will happen in the future or teach you God's Word, it will be for your good. ⁷ There are things on which people play music. If strange sounds are made on these, how will others know which one is played? ⁸ If a horn does not make a good sound, how will men know they are to get ready to fight? ⁹ It is the same if you speak to a person in special sounds. How will he know what you say? Your sounds will be lost in the air. ¹⁰ There are many languages in the world. All of them have meaning to the people who understand them. ¹¹ But if I do not understand the language someone uses to speak to me, the man who speaks is a stranger to me. I am a stranger to him. ¹² Since you want gifts from the Holy Spirit, ask for those that will build up the whole church. ¹³ So the man who speaks in special sounds should pray for the gift to be able to tell what they mean. ¹⁴ If I pray in special sounds, my spirit is doing the praying. My mind does not understand.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

my spirit: 1 Corinthians 14:2, 1 Corinthians 14:15, 1 Corinthians 14:16, 1 Corinthians 14:19

but: That is, "not productive of any benefit to others.

Reciprocal: Psalms 47:7 - sing Romans 1:9 - with 1 Corinthians 14:4 - edifieth himself Ephesians 4:12 - the edifying

Cross-References

Genesis 12:5
Abram took his wife Sarai, and his brother's son Lot, and all the things they had gathered, and the people who joined them in Haran. And they left to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.

Genesis 12:16
And Pharaoh acted well toward Abram because of Sarai. He gave Abram sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, and camels, and men and women servants.

Genesis 13:8
So Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no fighting between you and me or between the men who take care of our animals, for we are brothers.

Genesis 14:1
It was in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,

Genesis 14:2
that they made war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).

Genesis 14:3
All these joined together in the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

Genesis 14:5
Then in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and won a war against the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shavehkiriathaim,

Genesis 14:11
Then those who won the war took all that belonged to Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and left.

Genesis 14:12
They also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who lived in Sodom, and all that belonged to him, and left.

Genesis 15:3
Abram said, "Because You have not given me a child, one born in my house will be given all I have."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if I pray in an unknown tongue,.... In the Hebrew tongue, which the greatest part of the Jewish doctors insisted a upon should be only used in prayer; which notion might be borrowed from them, and now greatly prevailed in the church at Corinth; and the custom was used by such as had the gift of speaking that language, even though the body and bulk of the people understood it not:

my spirit prayeth; I pray with my breath vocally; or else with affection and devotion, understanding what I say myself, and so am edified; or rather with the gift of the Spirit bestowed on me:

but my understanding is unfruitful; that is, what I say with understanding to myself is unprofitable to others, not being understood by them.

a Vid. Trigland. de Sect. Kar. c. 10. p. 172, 173.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For if I pray ... - The reference to prayer here, and to singing in 1 Corinthians 14:15, is designed to illustrate the propriety of the general sentiment which he is defending, that public worship should be conducted in a language that would be intelligible to the people. However well meant it might be, or however the “heart” might be engaged in it, yet unless it was intelligible, and the understanding could join in it, it would be vain and profitless.

My spirit prayeth - The word spirit here (πνεῦμα pneuma) has been variously understood. Some have understood it of the Holy Spirit - the Spirit by which Paul says he was actuated. Others of the “spiritual gift,” or that spiritual influence by which he was endowed. Others of the mind itself. But it is probable that the word “spirit” refers to the “will;” or to the mind, as the seat of the affections and emotions; that is, to the heart, desires, or intentions. The word “spirit” is often used in the Scriptures as the seat of the affections, and emotions, and passions of various kinds; see Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit;” Luke 10:21, “Jesus rejoiced in spirit.” So it is the seat of ardor or fervor Luke 1:17; Acts 18:25; Romans 12:11; of grief or indignation; Mark 3:12; John 11:33; John 13:21; Acts 17:16. It refers also to feelings, disposition, or temper of mind, in Luke 9:55; Romans 8:15. Here it refers, it seems to me. to the heart, the will, the disposition, the feelings, as contradistinguished from the understanding; and the sense is, “My feelings find utterance in prayer; my heart is engaged in devotion; my prayer will be acceptable to God, who looks upon the feelings of the heart, and I may have true enjoyment; but my understanding will be unfruitful, that is, will not profit others. What I say will not he understood by them; and of course, however much benefit I might derive from my devotions, yet they would be useless to others.”

But my understanding - (ὁ δὲ νοῦς μου ho de nous mou). My intellect, my mind; my mental efforts and operations.

Is unfruitful - Produces nothing that will be of advantage to them. It is like a barren tree; a tree that bears nothing that can be of benefit to others. They cannot understand what I say, and of course, they cannot be profited by what I utter.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 14:14. For if I pray in an unknown tongue — If my prayers are composed of sentences and sayings taken out of the prophets, c., and in their own language-my spirit prayeth, my heart is engaged in the work, and my prayers answer all the purpose of prayers to myself but my understanding is unfruitful to all others, because they do not understand my prayers, and I either do not or cannot interpret them. See the note on 1 Corinthians 14:19.