What Does 1 Corinthians 14:13 Mean in the King James?
Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The utterance reaches shared understanding when its meaning is carried through interpretation.
THE MEANING
When you speak in a tongue, this verse joins prayer to interpretation. Meaning can pass from one voice into understanding others can receive.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the assumption that speaking itself makes a message clear; an utterance’s meaning still has to reach understanding.
THE ROOT
διερμηνεύῃ
diermēneuē
GROWS FROM
ἑρμηνεύω
hermēneuō
To explain, interpret, or translate; the compound verb carries interpretation through to intelligible meaning.
“interpret” in this verse is diermēneuē. This word family includes interpretation and the interpreter, showing that the utterance’s path continues toward meaning another person can receive. Interpretation carries speech from a voice into shared understanding.
ALSO GROWS
hermēneia: Interpretation; the act or result of explaining meaning.
ἑρμηνεία
The same word family names the work that makes an utterance understandable.
hermēneutēs: Interpreter; one who explains or translates.
ἑρμηνευτής
This branch names the person who carries meaning from the utterance to its hearers.
THE PATTERN
A spoken message becomes shared when its meaning is made understandable to its hearers.
So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.THE THREAD
I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.The same verb family appears here for interpretation, and the verse names what interpretation makes possible: the assembly receives edification. It opens this verse’s prayer as a movement from utterance toward meaning others can receive.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us