1 COR 14:19 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT but in the church I prefer to speak five words with my mind so that I might also instruct others, than myriads of words in a tongue.

UST However, when I gather together with fellow believers to worship God, I want to speak only a few words that I think about. In this way, I can teach other believers and not just myself. It is better for me to do that than to say a million words in an unknown language.

BLB But in the church, I desire to speak five words with my mind, that also I might instruct others, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

AICNT but in the church I would rather speak five words {with}[fn] my mind, so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

14:19, with: Later manuscripts read “through.” BYZ TR

OEB But at a meeting of the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, and so teach others, than ten thousand words when using the gift of “tongues.”

WEBBE However, in the assembly I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in another language.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET but in the church I want to speak five words with my mind to instruct others, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

LSV but I wish to speak five words in an assembly through my understanding, that I also may instruct others, rather than myriads of words in an [unknown] tongue.

FBV But in church I would rather speak five understandable words to teach others than ten thousand words in a tongue nobody understands.

TCNT Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

T4T But during a worship service, in order that others will understand what I am saying, I would prefer to speak five words using my mind, in order that I may teach others, rather than to speak 10,000 words in a language [MTY] that is not understood by the congregation.

LEB but in the church I prefer to speak five words with my mind, in order that I may instruct other people, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

BBE But in the church it would be better for me to make use of five words of which the sense was clear, so that others might have profit, than ten thousand words in a strange tongue.

Moff but in church I would rather say five words with my own mind for the instruction of other people than ten thousand words in a "tongue."

Wymth but in the Church I would rather speak five words with my understanding—so as to instruct others also—than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

ASV howbeit in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

DRA But in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct others also; than ten thousand words in a tongue.

YLT but in an assembly I wish to speak five words through my understanding, that others also I may instruct, rather than myriads of words in an [unknown] tongue.

Drby but in [the] assembly I desire to speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct others also, [rather] than ten thousand words in a tongue.

RV howbeit in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
(howbeit/yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. )

SLT But in the church, I will to speak five words by my mind, that I might also sound in the ears of others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Wbstr Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown language.

KJB-1769 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

KJB-1611 Yet in the Church I had rather speake fiue words with my vnderstanding, that by my voyce I might teach others also, then ten thousand words in an vnknowen tongue.
(Yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.)

Bshps Yet had I rather, in the Churche to speake fiue wordes with my vnderstandyng, to the information of other, then ten thousande wordes with the tongue.
(Yet had I rather, in the Church to speak five words with my understanding, to the information of other, then ten thousand words with the tongue.)

Gnva Yet had I rather in the Church to speake fiue wordes with mine vnderstanding, that I might also instruct others, then ten thousande wordes in a strange tongue.
(Yet had I rather in the Church to speak five words with mine understanding, that I might also instruct others, then ten thousand words in a strange tongue. )

Cvdl Yet had I leuer in the cogregacion to speake fyue wordes with my vnderstondinge yt I maye enfourme other also, rather then ten thousande wordes with tunges.
(Yet had I liver in the congregation to speak five words with my understanding it I may inform other also, rather then ten thousand words with tongues.)

TNT Yet had I lever in the congregacion to speake five wordes with my mynde to the informacio of other rather then ten thousande wordes with the tonge.
(Yet had I lever in the congregation to speak five words with my mind to the informacio of other rather then ten thousand words with the tongue. )

Wycl but in the chirche Y wole speke fyue wordis in my wit, that also Y teche othere men, than ten thousynde of wordis in tunge.
(but in the church I will speak five words in my wit, that also I teach other men, than ten thousand of words in tongue.)

Luth Aber ich will in der Gemeinde lieber fünf Worte reden mit meinem Sinn, auf daß ich auch andere unterweise, denn sonst zehntausend Worte mit Zungen.
(But I will in the/of_the Gemeinde love(v) five words talk with my Sinn, on/in/to that I also other/different instruct/train, because/than otherwise ten_thousand words with tongues.)

ClVg Sed in ecclesia volo quinque verba sensu meo loqui, ut et alios instruam: quam decem millia verborum in lingua.
(But in/into/on assembly/church I_want five words sense mine to_speak, as and others instruam: how ten thousands of_words in/into/on tongue/language. )

UGNT ἀλλὰ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ, θέλω πέντε λόγους τῷ νοΐ μου λαλῆσαι, ἵνα καὶ ἄλλους κατηχήσω, ἢ μυρίους λόγους ἐν γλώσσῃ.
(alla en ekklaʸsia, thelō pente logous tōi noi mou lalaʸsai, hina kai allous kataʸⱪaʸsō, aʸ murious logous en glōssaʸ.)

SBL-GNT ἀλλὰ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ θέλω πέντε λόγους ⸂τῷ νοΐ⸃ μου λαλῆσαι, ἵνα καὶ ἄλλους κατηχήσω, ἢ μυρίους λόγους ἐν γλώσσῃ.
(alla en ekklaʸsia thelō pente logous ⸂tōi noi⸃ mou lalaʸsai, hina kai allous kataʸⱪaʸsō, aʸ murious logous en glōssaʸ.)

RP-GNT ἀλλ' ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ θέλω πέντε λόγους διὰ τοῦ νοός μου λαλῆσαι, ἵνα καὶ ἄλλους κατηχήσω, ἢ μυρίους λόγους ἐν γλώσσῃ.
(all' en ekklaʸsia thelō pente logous dia tou noʼos mou lalaʸsai, hina kai allous kataʸⱪaʸsō, aʸ murious logous en glōssaʸ.)

TC-GNT [fn]ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ θέλω πέντε λόγους [fn]διὰ τοῦ νοός μου λαλῆσαι, ἵνα καὶ ἄλλους κατηχήσω, ἢ μυρίους λόγους ἐν γλώσσῃ.
(all en ekklaʸsia thelō pente logous dia tou noʼos mou lalaʸsai, hina kai allous kataʸⱪaʸsō, aʸ murious logous en glōssaʸ. )

14:19 αλλ ¦ αλλα NA²⁷ SBL TH WH

14:19 δια του νοος 88.8% ¦ τω νοι CT 7.8%

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translation Notes:

Section 14:1–40 Believers should worship God in an orderly way

In this section Paul instructed the Corinthian believers about how they should worship God together. First, he compared prophecy and tongues. He stressed the value of prophecy for building up the church. Then he said they should conduct their worship services in an orderly and harmonious way. They were not to speak all at once. People who spoke in tongues should have someone to interpret, and women were to remain silent in the assembly.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Good order in worship

The spiritual gifts of prophecy and tongues

Use spiritual gifts to help the church grow

Paragraph 14:13–19

In this paragraph Paul discussed the importance of using one’s understanding while worshiping God. He told people who speak in tongues in church to interpret what they say, so that other people can understand and benefit from it.

14:19a

But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others

But among the people in the church I would rather speak five words that others can understand and from which they can learn
But when I am with the group of believers, I want to teach others by speaking words that they can understand. If I can speak five such words,

14:19b

than ten thousand words in a tongue.

than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
that is better than speaking thousands/millions of words in an unknown/miraculous language.

14:19

But: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as But introduces a statement that the reader does not expect.

Here are some other ways to translate this conjunction:

Nevertheless (RSV)

Yet (GW)

in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue: Because Paul could speak in tongues, one might expect him to encourage it. But instead he preferred to do something different when he was among the believers. He said that speaking five words that instructed others was better than speaking ten thousand words that did not help others.

Consider how speakers of your language make such a comparison. In some languages it may be natural to break this up into two or more sentences.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

words that make sense can help the church. That’s why in church I had rather speak five words that make sense than to speak ten thousand words in a language that others don’t know. (CEV)

if I could speak to the church only five words, then I might instruct you a little. But I cannot instruct you at all by speaking in a tongue, even if I spoke ten thousand words.

in the church: The phrase in the church refers to the community of believers, not to the building where they meet. Here is another way to translate this:

in church worship (GNT)

coherent words: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as coherent is more literally “with my mind.”

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

words that people can understand

to instruct others: The Greek text has a word that the BSB leaves untranslated but some English versions translate as “also.” It indicates that when a person speaks in a language that other people can understand, then everyone, including the speaker, benefits from it. Here are other ways to translate this:

so that I may instruct others also (NASB)

for the benefit of others as well as myself (REB)

Consider if it is natural to translate this word in your language.

ten thousand: The number ten thousand is a single Greek word. It was the largest Greek number that could be expressed as a single word. This is a figure of speech called a hyperbole. Paul did not expect to speak ten thousand words in a tongue but he used this number to emphasize his point. Use a word that is natural in your language to express a large number. For example:

thousands

millions

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ

in ˓the˒_assembly

Here, in the church is a spatial metaphor that speaks of the church as if it were a place in which people could gather. Paul speaks in this way to indicate the situation which he is discussing: a gathering of believers that meets to worship God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express in the church by clarifying that the church refers to a gathering of believers for worship. Alternate translation: [in the gathering of believers] or [during the worship service]

Note 2 topic: translate-numbers

πέντε

five

Here Paul refers to five words to indicate just a few words in contrast to the myriads he will mention later on in the verse. There is no special significance to the number five. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express and think that five is a special number with a number that would not be considered special or indicate that Paul has “a few” words in mind. Alternate translation: [four] or [only several]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

ἵνα καὶ ἄλλους κατηχήσω, ἢ μυρίους λόγους ἐν γλώσσῃ

in_order_that (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀλλά ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ θέλω πέντε λόγους τῷ νοΐ μού λαλῆσαι ἵνα καί ἄλλους κατηχήσω ἤ μυρίους λόγους ἐν γλώσσῃ)

If your language would naturally state the rest of the comparison before the purpose, you could rearrange these clauses. You may need to start a new sentence when you express the purpose. Alternate translation: [than myriads of words in a tongue. That way, I might also instruct others]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

μυρίους λόγους

ten_thousand words

Here, much like in [4:15](../04/15.md), myriads of words is an exaggeration that the Corinthians would have understood to mean a large number of words. If myriad would be misunderstood in your language, you could use a word or phrase that refers to a large number. Alternate translation: [many words] or [a large number of words]

Parallel 1 COR 14:19

Section 14:1–40 Believers should worship God in an orderly way

Paragraph 14:13–19

14:19a

14:19b

14:19

Parallel 1 COR 14:19