the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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1 Corinthians 14:16
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Concordances:
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- InternationalContextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
bless: 1 Corinthians 14:2, 1 Corinthians 14:14
unlearned: 1 Corinthians 14:23, 1 Corinthians 14:24, Isaiah 29:11, Isaiah 29:12, John 7:15, Acts 4:13
Amen: 1 Corinthians 11:24, 1 Corinthians 16:24, Numbers 5:22, Deuteronomy 27:15-26, 1 Kings 1:36, 1 Chronicles 16:36, Psalms 41:13, Psalms 72:19, Psalms 89:52, Psalms 106:48, Jeremiah 28:6, Matthew 6:13, Matthew 28:20, Mark 16:20, John 21:25, Revelation 5:14, Revelation 22:20
at: 1 Corinthians 1:4-8
Reciprocal: Numbers 6:24 - The Lord Nehemiah 8:6 - Amen Jeremiah 11:5 - So be it Romans 1:14 - to the unwise Romans 9:5 - Amen 2 Corinthians 13:14 - Amen Revelation 19:4 - Amen
Cross-References
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing;
I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.
Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing.
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you, and make your name great. You will be a blessing.
And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];
and Y schal make thee in to a greet folk, and Y schal blisse thee, and Y schal magnyfie thi name, and thou schalt be blessid;
And I make thee become a great nation, and bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing.
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Else when thou shall bless with the spirit,.... Which must be understood of giving thanks to God, not in a private way, in the family and at meals, but in a public manner before the whole congregation, for mercies temporal and spiritual, especially the latter; and that not with the breath, or voice only; nor with the affections of the heart, with the soul, and all that is within it, though that is what should be; nor with the common assistance of the Spirit, and under the influence of his grace, which excites to true gratitude; but with the extraordinary gift of the Spirit, pronouncing the blessing, or expressing the thanksgiving with divers tongues, or in an unknown language: when this part of divine service, which by the way is distinct from singing, is performed in this manner,
how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned; ιδιωτου, "idiot". The word הדיוט, "idiot", is often used by the Jewish writers, and signifies a plebeian, one of the common people; and is sometimes indeed distinguished from a wise man, or a learned man; but frequently signifies a private person, whether learned or unlearned, that is not in so high a post as others; hence we read c דיינים הדיוטות, "of private judges", which were not of the great sanhedrim, and of private men, as distinguished from kings d;
"there are three kings, and four הדיוטות, "private men", (the Jews say,) that have no part in the world to come; the three kings are Jeroboam, Ahab, and Manasseh; the four private persons are Balsam, Doeg, Ahithophel, and Gehazi:''
here a private man is distinguished from the public minister that blesses, or gives thanks in the name of the people; and not to be understood of a single person, whose place and office it was to say "Amen", at the minister's giving of thanks, and who stood in some particular place for that purpose; but of the whole body of the people, who, in distinction from the minister, were in the condition of private men, and all joined, as will be seen hereafter, in saying "Amen"; now the apostle's question is, that if thou who art a public minister, givest blessing and praise, or returnest thanks to God in an unknown tongue, how shall the common people, or anyone that is in a private capacity,
say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? It was usual to say "Amen" at blessing, or giving of thanks privately at meals, by those that were present, concerning which are the following rules e;
"he that breaks the bread, might not break it until the "Amen" was finished out of the mouth of those that answered; Rab Chasdai says out of the mouth of the major part of those that answer:''
and elsewhere f it is said,
"they answer "Amen" after an Israelite has blessed, but they do not answer "Amen" after a Cuthite (a Samaritan, or any Gentile, or Christian) hath blessed, unless the whole blessing is heard:''
but of this kind of blessing the apostle speaks not, but of blessing in public: upon which all the people, and not a single person only, as with one united voice, said Amen; see 1 Chronicles 16:36 to this practice the apostle refers; concerning which the rule g is;
"that the congregation may not answer "Amen", until the blessing is finished out of the mouth of the priests; and the priests may not begin the other blessing, until the "Amen" is finished out of the mouth of the congregation.''
There were different sorts of "Amen", or rather different pronunciations of it; of which the Jews say h,
"they may not answer with a fatherless "Amen"; nor with a sudden or violent "Amen"; (pronounced quick and in haste;) nor with an "Amen" cut off, or asunder (the last letter of it not pronounced): says Ben Azzai, whoever answers with a fatherless "Amen", his children shall be fatherless; with a quick "Amen", his days will be short; with an "Amen" cut off, his days shall be cut off; and whoever prolongs "Amen", his days and years shall be prolonged.''
Now, אמן יתומה, "a fatherless Amen", was when a person answered, and he did not know what he answered i to; and such an "Amen", in the case here, must a private man answer with, at the giving of thanks in an unknown tongue; and to answer "Amen" to what was said in a language not understood, was not allowed of; so the woman suspected of adultery was to be sworn and examined by the priest in a language she understood; and was to say "Amen, Amen", to what was said, in a language known to her k; for if she did not understand it, how could she say "Amen?" which is the apostle's reasoning here: but was this an affair of such importance, to be instanced in and argued upon in this manner? with the Jews it was, who say l,
"that greater is he that answers "Amen", than he that blesses:''
and indeed they bestow very extravagant encomiums on those who say it in a proper manner;
"there is nothing greater (they say m) in the sight of the blessed God, than the "Amen" the Israelite answers with; says R. Joden, whoever answers "Amen" in this world, is worthy to answer "Amen" in the world to come;''
again n,
"says R. Joshua ben Levi, whoever answers "Amen", his hame shall be great and blessed for ever and ever; says R. Simeon ben Lakish, whoever answers "Amen" with all his strength, the gates of paradise will be opened for him, according to Isaiah 26:2.''
Moreover, it was a practice of the primitive Christians at the Lord's supper, at the close of it, to say with a loud voice "Amen"; the account Justin Martyr gives of it is this o; that
"when the minister had finished the prayers, and the thanksgiving, all the people present, with a joyful acclamation, said "Amen"; which word, he observes, in the Hebrew tongue, signifies "so be it":''
and this custom might obtain in the Corinthian church at this time, to which the apostle is thought by some learned men to refer.
c Misn. Yebamot, c. 12. sect. 1. d T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 90. 1. e T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 47. 1. f Misn. Beracot, c. 8. sect. 8. g T. Bab. Sota, fol. 39. 2. h T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 47. 1. Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora, pr. affirm. 27. i T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 12. 3. Succa, fol. 54. 1. & Megilla, fol. 72. 1. k Maimon. Hilch. Sota, c. 3. sect. 7. l T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 53. 2. & Nazir, fol. 66. 2. Zohar in Gen. fol. 19. 2. & Baal Hatturim in Deut. xxvii. 15. m Debarim Rabba, sect. 7. fol. 242. 2. n T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 119. 2. Shaare Zion, fol. 99. 2. 100. 2. 101. 1. o Apolog. 2. p. 97.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Else - (Ἐπεί Epei). Since; if this is not done; if what is said is not intelligible, how shall the unlearned be able appropriately to express his assent, and join in your devotions?
When thou shalt bless - When thou shalt bless God, or give thanks to him. If thou shalt lead the devotions of the people in expressing thanksgiving for mercies and favors. This may refer to a part of public worship, or to the thanks which should be expressed at table, and the invocation of the divine blessing to attend the bounties of his providence. Paul had illustrated his subject by prayer and by singing; be now does it by a reference to the important part of public worship expressed in giving thanks.
With the spirit - In the manner referred to above; that is, in an unknown tongue, in such a way that your own “heart” may be engaged in it, but which would be unintelligible to others.
He that occupieth the room - Is in the place, or the seat of the unlearned; that is, he who is unlearned. On the meaning of the word “room,” see the note at Luke 14:8. To “fill” a place means to occupy a station, or to be found in a slate or condition.
Of the unlearned - (τοῦ ἰδιώτου tou idiōtou. On the meaning of this word, see the note at Acts 4:13. Here it means one who was unacquainted with the foreign language spoken by him who gave thanks. It properly denotes a man in “private,” in contradistinction from a man in “public” life; and hence, a man who is ignorant and unlettered, as such people generally were.
Say Amen - This word means “truly, verily;” and is an expression of affirmation John 3:5 or of assent. Here it means assent. How can he pronounce “the” Amen; how can he express his assent; how can he join in the act of devotion? This “might” have been, and probably “was,” expressed aloud; and there is no impropriety in it. It “may,” however, be “mental” - a silent assent to what is said, and a silent uniting in the act of thanksgiving. In one way or the other, or in both, the assent should always be expressed by those who join in acts of public worship.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:16. He that occupieth the room of the unlearned — One who is not acquainted with the language in which you speak, sing, or pray.
Say Amen — Give his assent and ratification to what he does not understand. It was very frequent in primitive times to express their approbation in the public assemblies by Amen. This practice, soberly and piously conducted, might still be of great use in the Church of Christ.
This response was of the highest authority and merit among the Jews; they even promised the remission of all sins, the annihilation of the sentence of damnation, and the opening of the gates of paradise, to those who fervently say Amen. And it is one of their maxims that "greater is he who says Amen than he who prays." See many testimonies of this kind in Schoettgen. Now, allowing that this was of so much consequence in tho time of St. Paul, it was a very serious matter for a person to be in a congregation where prayer was offered, who could not say Amen, because the prayers were in a language which he did not understand.
