1 Corinthians 14:4

Contextual Overview

¹ Love should be the goal of your life, but you should also want to have the gifts that come from the Spirit. And the gift you should want most is to be able to prophesy. ¹ Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. ¹ Labour for love and covet spretuall giftes: and most chefly forto prophesye. ¹ Follow after love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. ¹ Keep on pursuing love, and keep on desiring spiritual gifts, especially the ability to prophesy.Numbers 11:25,29; 1 Corinthians 12:31;">[xr] 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. ¹ Follow after love; yet desire earnestly spiritual [gifts], but rather that you may prophesy. 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.

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
But this new king tried to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar anyway! He sent messengers to Egypt to ask for help. The new king asked for many horses and soldiers. Now, do you think the new king of Judah will succeed? Do you think the new king will have enough power to break the agreement and escape punishment?"

Ezekiel 17:15
"Nevertheless, this man of Israel's royal family rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to request a great army and many horses. Can Israel break her sworn treaties like that and get away with it?

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 this one from Israel's royal family rebelled against the king of Babylon by sending his emissaries to Egypt to obtain horses and a large army. Will he prosper? Will the one doing these things escape? Can he break the covenant and escape?

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

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

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 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 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?

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.