1 Corinthians 14:14

Good News Translation

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

Parallel Translations

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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].

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Contextual Overview

⁶ So when I come to you, my friends, what use will I be to you if I speak in strange tongues? Not a bit, unless I bring you some revelation from God or some knowledge or some inspired message or some teaching. ⁷ Take such lifeless musical instruments as the flute or the harp—how will anyone know the tune that is being played unless the notes are sounded distinctly? ⁸ And if the one who plays the bugle does not sound a clear call, who will prepare for battle? ⁹ In the same way, how will anyone understand what you are talking about if your message given in strange tongues is not clear? Your words will vanish in the air! ¹⁰ There are many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. ¹¹ But if I do not know the language being spoken, those who use it will be foreigners to me and I will be a foreigner to them. ¹² Since you are eager to have the gifts of the Spirit, you must try above everything else to make greater use of those which help to build up the church. ¹³ The person who speaks in strange tongues, then, must pray for the gift to explain what is said. ¹⁴ For if I pray in this way, my spirit prays indeed, but my mind has no part in it.

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, his nephew Lot, and all the wealth and all the slaves they had acquired in Haran, and they started out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan,

Genesis 12:16
Because of her the king treated Abram well and gave him flocks of sheep and goats, cattle, donkeys, slaves, and camels.

Genesis 13:8
Then Abram said to Lot, "We are relatives, and your men and my men shouldn't be quarreling.

Genesis 14:1
Four kings, Amraphel of Babylonia, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim,

Genesis 14:2
went to war against five other kings: Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (or Zoar).

Genesis 14:3
These five kings had formed an alliance and joined forces in Siddim Valley, which is now the Dead Sea.

Genesis 14:5
In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and his allies came with their armies and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in the plain of Kiriathaim,

Genesis 14:11
The four kings took everything in Sodom and Gomorrah, including the food, and went away.

Genesis 14:12
Lot, Abram's nephew, was living in Sodom, so they took him and all his possessions.

Genesis 15:3
You have given me no children, and one of my slaves will inherit my property."

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.