1 Corinthians 14:14

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].

Parallel Translations

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

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.

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

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

Christian Standard Bible®
For if I pray in another language, my spirit prays, 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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contextual Overview

⁶Now, believers, if I come to you speaking in unknown tongues, how will I benefit you unless I also speak to you [clearly] either by revelation [revealing God's mystery], or by knowledge [teaching about God], or by prophecy [foretelling the future, speaking a new message from God to the people], or by instruction [teaching precepts that develop spiritual maturity]? ⁷Yet even lifeless things, whether flute or harp, when producing a sound, if they do not produce distinct [musical] tones, how will anyone [listening] know what is piped or played? ⁸And if the [war] bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? ⁹So it is with you, if you speak words [in an unknown tongue] that are not intelligible and clear, how will anyone understand what you are saying? You will be talking into the air [wasting your breath]! ¹⁰There are, I suppose, a great many kinds of languages in the world [unknown to us], and none is lacking in meaning. ¹¹But if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will [appear to] be a foreigner to the one who is speaking [since he knows exactly what he is saying], and the one who is speaking will [appear to] be a foreigner to me. ¹²So it is with you, since you are so very eager to have spiritual gifts and manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in ways that will build up the church [spiritually]. ¹³Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may [be gifted to] translate or explain [what he says]. ¹⁴For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive [because it does not understand what my spirit is praying].

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 Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had acquired, and the people (servants) which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

Genesis 12:16
Therefore Pharaoh treated Abram well for her sake; he acquired sheep, oxen, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

Genesis 13:8
So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife and disagreement between you and me, nor between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, because we are relatives.

Genesis 14:1
In the days of the [Eastern] kings Amraphel of Shinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim,

Genesis 14:2
they [invaded the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea, and] made war with 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 of these [kings] joined together [as allies] in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Sea of Salt).

Genesis 14:5
In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the [three] kings who were with him attacked and subdued the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

Genesis 14:11
Then the victors took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and provisions and left.

Genesis 14:12
And they also took [captive] Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions and left, for he was living in Sodom.

Genesis 15:3
And Abram continued, "Since You have given no child to me, one (a servant) born in my house is my heir."

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.