I Corinthians 14:13 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 14:13 Commentary: Seeking Interpretation for Edification
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does Paul mean when he tells tongue-speakers to 'pray that he may interpret'? Two interpretive views and how to apply this today.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The tongue-speaker must ensure that their utterance becomes understandable for the edification of the church, whether by seeking the gift of interpretation or by praying in such a way that interpretation follows.
- Key words: (tongue), language or dialect; (interpret), to explain or translate; purpose conjunction indicating the intended result.
- Main debate: Does Paul command the speaker to pray for a separate gift of interpretation, or to pray in the tongue with the aim of interpreting their own words? Both views have strong support.
- Theological theme: Gifts are for service, not self-display; edification of the body is the test of all spiritual practice.
- Best use: A lens for examining whether our worship and spiritual expressions are genuinely accessible and helpful to others, especially in corporate settings.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Therefore, the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Therefore let him who speaks in another language pray that he may interpret.
KJV King James Version 1769
Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Wherefore let him that speaketh in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
wherefore he who is speaking in an unknown tongue--let him pray that he may interpret;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Wherefore let him that speaks with a tongue pray that he may interpret.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And therefore he that speaketh by a tongue, let him pray that he may interpret.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por lo cual, el que habla lengua extraña, pida que la interprete.
Portanto, o que fala em língua estranha ,ore para que possa interpretar.
C’ est pourquoi, que celui qui parle en langue prie pour avoir le don d’ interpréter.
Darum, welcher mit Zungen redet, der bete also, daß er's auch auslege.
Daarom, die in een vreemde taal spreekt, die bidde, dat hij het moge uitleggen.
Perciò, chi parla in altra lingua preghi di poter interpretare;
Dlatego kto mówi obcym językiem, niech się modli, aby mógł tłumaczyć.
А потому, говорящий на незнакомом языке, молись о даре истолкования.
所以 那說 方言的，就當求 著 能翻出來。
For this reason, let the man who has the power of using tongues make request that he may, at the same time, be able to give the sense.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 14:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Paul's directive aims at edification: the tongue-speaker must not remain unintelligible when the church gathers. Barnes, Calvin, Gill and Clarke understand the verse as a command to pray for the separate gift of interpretation (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:10), so that what is spoken in tongues can be explained to everyone. Vincent offers a different reading: the tongue-speaker should pray in the tongue, and through that prayerful use of the gift, the ability to interpret will grow. Both readings treat he may interpret as the goal, whether the gift is requested or exercised in the moment. The grammar of the Greek (the conjunction with the subjunctive) leaves the exact mechanism open, but the shared conviction is that tongues without interpretation fail the test of love and edification Paul has been pressing since chapter 13. The surrounding verse (v.12) makes it clear: all gifts must build up the assembly.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Prayer for the gift of interpretation: Supported by Barnes, Calvin, Gill, Clarke; views interpretation as a distinct gift to be requested (1 Cor 12:10).
- Prayer in the tongue with a view to interpreting: Supported by Vincent and the Cambridge alternative; reads the verse as using the tongue in prayer itself, leading to ability to interpret.
What is clear: The tongue-speaker must ensure that their utterance becomes understandable for the edification of the church.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'pray that he may interpret' | The tongue-speaker must seek to make their utterance understandable for the church's edification. | Some commentators (Barnes, Calvin, Gill, Clarke) see it as praying for the separate gift of interpretation; others (Vincent, Cambridge alternative) see it as praying in the tongue with the intention of interpreting one's own words. |
| Relationship between tongues and interpretation as gifts | Interpretation is a distinct gift (1 Cor 12:10) and is necessary for tongues to edify the congregation. | Whether interpretation must be a separate endowment given to a different person, or whether the same individual can and should exercise both gifts in sequence (as Paul seems to imply in v.13). |
| Role of edification as criterion | Public worship must build up the church; unintelligible speech fails this test. | Whether tongues can be considered edifying for the individual speaker even without interpretation (v.14 suggests the spirit prays but the understanding is unfruitful). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Corinthian congregation was a mix of Jews and Gentiles in a bustling Roman colony where multiple languages were spoken. The gift of speaking in tongues, whether known languages (as the lexical range of the word suggests) or Spirit-inspired speech, had become a source of pride and disorder. People were speaking aloud in worship without anyone understanding, leading Paul to write this entire chapter on intelligibility. In chapter 12, he listed 'kinds of languages' and 'interpretation of languages' as distinct gifts, indicating that not every tongue-speaker could also interpret. The practice seems to have been that a speaker would utter in a tongue, and if no interpreter was present, silence was required (v.28).
Verse 13 fits logically into this pattern: if you speak in a tongue, take responsibility for making it understandable. Pray either for the gift to interpret or to interpret your own utterance, either way, the church must be built up. The surrounding verses (vv.9, 12) stress that words without meaning are like a trumpet giving an uncertain sound or speaking into the air. In a culture where public rhetoric was highly valued, unintelligible speech would have been seen as foolish and unedifying. Paul applies the same standard to spiritual gifts: they are for service, not show.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Greek text is stable across the main manuscript traditions.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this verse has been read as a call to seek intelligibility in worship. Early church writers urged tongue-speakers to pray for interpretation so that all may benefit. During the Reformation, commentators like John Calvin emphasized the danger of ostentation and insisted the gift must serve the congregation. In the Wesleyan tradition, Adam Clarke connected the verse to understanding the deep truths of Scripture. More recently, in the charismatic renewal, this passage has guided believers to integrate the gift of tongues with the desire for clarity and community building. Across traditions, the core concern remains: love (ch. 13) must shape every spiritual expression.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The problem: Tongues without interpretation leave the church unbuilt. Paul has already said that prophecy is greater precisely because it is understood (v.1, 5). The tongue-speaker who does not interpret is like a foreigner (v.11).
- The solution: Do not love tongues for their own sake. Direct your zeal toward prayer that produces understanding. The tongue becomes fruitful only when it can be explained.
- The principle: Every spiritual gift has a single test: does it build up the body? Self-edification is not enough when the church gathers. Private benefit must give way to public good.
Five-point outline
- Recognise the gift you have received, do not despise it, but do not stop there.
- Desire that others benefit from what you experience. Let love govern your use of gifts.
- Pray specifically for the ability to make your gift understandable. This may mean asking for a separate gift or for clarity in expression.
- Use your gift in a way that serves others, not just yourself. In the assembly, priority goes to what all can receive.
- Let the criterion of edification shape every practice. If it does not help others, wait or remain silent until it can.
Illustration hooks
- An medical researcher who discovers a breakthrough but cannot explain it in plain language to patients or donors. The knowledge is real, but its power is locked until someone interprets it.
- A musician who plays a complex piece beautifully but never tells the audience what it means or why it moves her. The listeners hear sound, but the story is lost.
- A traveler who learns a new language fluently but, when asked to help translate for the group, hesitates. The skill is there, but it must be turned outward to be useful.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it wrong to speak in tongues if I cannot interpret? What does Paul mean for private use?
- How do I know if my spiritual gifts are actually helping others, or if I am just enjoying the experience?
- What does it look like to 'pray for interpretation' in practice, is it a one-time prayer or a continuing attitude?
Leading a Discussion
Paul has been urging the Corinthians to prefer gifts that build up the church. In verse 13, he gets specific: if you speak in a tongue, take responsibility for making it understandable. This passage challenges us to examine whether our spiritual expressions, whether in tongues, teaching, worship, or service, are truly reaching others or staying safely within our own experience.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Corinthians 14:13 in light of verse 12 and verse 5. What does Paul value most in public worship?
- What do you think Paul means by 'pray that he may interpret'? Is it a prayer for a gift, or a way of praying that leads to interpretation? Give reasons from the text.
- How does this verse relate to the description of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:10? Are tongues and interpretation always supposed to go together?
- When have you experienced a situation where a spiritual gift or expression went 'uninterpreted', either in church or in your own life? What was the result?
- What might it look like for someone today to 'pray that he may interpret'? How would you counsel a person who speaks in tongues but feels unable to explain what they are saying?
- How does Paul's emphasis on edification (v.12) shape the way we evaluate all our gifts and ministries, not just tongues?
- What is one step you can take this week to ensure that your spiritual life is not just for your own benefit, but contributes to building up others?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Mark 11:24 | Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them. |
| John 14:13 | Whatever you will ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. |
| John 14:14 | If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it. |
| Acts 1:14 | All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. |
| Acts 4:29 | Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, |
| Acts 4:31 | When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. |
| Acts 8:15 | who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit; |
| I Corinthians 12:10 | and to another workings of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of languages, and to another the interpretation of languages. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke applies the call to pray for interpretation specifically to Old Testament prophetic writings in their original Hebrew. He argues the speaker must first ask God for personal understanding of these ancient texts, then for the gift to explain their full depth and breadth to others.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that speaking in foreign languages and interpreting them were separate gifts, not always found in one person, just as natural talents are distributed unevenly today. So Paul directs those with the speaking gift to pray for the interpreting gift, making their speech useful to the congregation rather than merely impressive.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin answers a potential objection: if someone can speak in a foreign language, should the gift be hidden? He says no, but warns against using it for display. The remedy is to ask God for the gift of interpretation as well; without it, refrain from ostentatious speech.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
pray that he may interpret ] Cf. 1 Co_14:1 ; 1 Co_14:5 . This passage may mean (1) pray that he may receive the faculty of interpretation, or (2) pray in such a language as he has the power of interpreting.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note insists that anyone who speaks in tongues must pray specifically for the gift of interpretation. Speaking in an unknown language alone is not enough; the speaker’s own prayer for interpretation is necessary so the church can understand and benefit from what is said.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws a sharp distinction between the gift of speaking in a tongue and the gift of interpreting it. A person might have one without the other, understanding himself yet being unable to translate for the church. For the congregation to be edified, he must pray specifically for the gift of interpretation.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that this verse links logically with Paul's earlier statement about praying in an unknown tongue. Though the speaker's words are unintelligible to hearers, he should pray specifically for the gift of interpretation so that his prayer becomes edifying to the church.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry argues that spiritual gifts, even direct revelations, are useless to the congregation if spoken in an unknown language. The problem is not the gift itself but its unintelligibility: an apostle with all his divine knowledge cannot edify anyone unless he speaks words they can understand.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent argues that the instruction is not to ask for the gift of interpretation separately. Rather, the speaker should use his unknown tongue in prayer, since that very practice, more than any other spiritual gift, would develop the power to interpret.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley emphasizes that the gift of interpretation is a separate, distinct spiritual gift in itself, not merely a natural talent or an accessory to another gift like prophecy or tongues. He treats it as a specific enablement from the Spirit, given for the church's benefit.