1 Corinthians 14:4

Contextual Overview

¹Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. ¹ Follow after charitie, and desire spirituall giftes, but rather that yee may prophesie. ¹ Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. ¹ Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. ¹ Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. ¹ You should seek after love, and you should truly want to have the spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. ¹Pursue [this] love [with eagerness, make it your goal], yet earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual gifts [to be used by believers for the benefit of the church], but especially that you may prophesy [to foretell the future, to speak a new message from God to the people]. ¹ Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. ¹Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. ¹Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

edifieth himself: 1 Corinthians 14:14

edifieth the: 1 Corinthians 14:3, 1 Corinthians 14:18, 1 Corinthians 14:19

Reciprocal: Genesis 20:7 - a prophet Acts 9:31 - were edified 1 Corinthians 14:12 - seek 1 Corinthians 14:17 - but 1 Corinthians 14:26 - Let Ephesians 4:12 - the edifying

Cross-References

Ezekiel 17:15
However, this king revolted against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt so they might give him horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still escape?

Ezekiel 17:15
But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Mitzrayim, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape who does such things? shall he break the covenant, and yet escape?

Ezekiel 17:15
But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

Ezekiel 17:15
But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape?

Ezekiel 17:15
'But he revolted against him by sending his messengers to Egypt so that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does these things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape?

Ezekiel 17:15
But the king of Judah turned against the king of Babylon by sending his messengers to Egypt and asking them for horses and many soldiers. Will the king of Judah succeed? Will the one who does such things escape? He cannot break the agreement and escape.

Ezekiel 17:15
'But Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar by sending his ambassadors to Egypt so that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant [with Babylon] and [still] escape?

Ezekiel 17:15
But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape who does such things? shall he break the covenant, and yet escape?

Ezekiel 17:15
But he rebelled against him, and sent his ambassadours into Egypt, that they might giue him horses, and much people: shall hee prosper? shall he escape, that doeth such things? or shal he breake the couenant, and be deliuered?

Ezekiel 17:15
'But he rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He that speaketh its an unknown tongue,.... Be it the Hebrew language, or any other; some copies, and the Ethiopic version, read, "with tongues":

edifieth himself; his heart may be warmed, his affections raised, his devotion kept up, and he be in a very spiritual and comfortable frame, knowing and understanding what he himself says:

but he that prophesieth, edifieth the church: which is the great end of the Gospel ministry, which is for the edifying the body of the church: wherefore that which tends to the edification of more, even the whole church, must be preferable to that, which at most can only edify one, and that the speaker himself.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Edifieth himself - That is, the truths which are communicated to him by the Spirit, and which he utters in an unknown language, may be valuable, and may be the means of strengthening his faith, and building him up in the hopes of the gospel, but they can he of no use to others. His own holy affections might be excited by the truths which he would deliver, and the consciousness of possessing miraculous powers might excite his gratitude. And yet, as Doddridge has well remarked, there might be danger that a man might be injured by this gift when exercised in this ostentatious manner.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 14:4. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue — In the Hebrew for instance, the knowledge of the depth and power of which he has got by a Divine revelation, edifieth himself by that knowledge.

But he that prophesieth — Has the gift of preaching.

Edifieth the Church. — Speaketh unto men to edification, exhortation, and comfort, 1 Corinthians 14:3.