1 Corinthians 14 21

1 Corinthians 14:21 kjv

In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

1 Corinthians 14:21 nkjv

In the law it is written: "With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me," says the Lord.

1 Corinthians 14:21 niv

In the Law it is written: "With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord."

1 Corinthians 14:21 esv

In the Law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord."

1 Corinthians 14:21 nlt

It is written in the Scriptures : "I will speak to my own people
through strange languages
and through the lips of foreigners.
But even then, they will not listen to me,"
says the LORD.

1 Corinthians 14 verses

1 Corinthians 14 21 Meaning

In 1 Corinthians 14:21, the apostle Paul quotes from Isaiah 28:11-12 to demonstrate the ineffectiveness and even counter-purpose of uninterpreted tongues in a church setting, particularly in the presence of unbelievers. Paul indicates that just as God, through foreign tongues (the languages of invading Assyrians), gave a sign of judgment and severe warning to His rebellious people Israel who would not listen to His clear words, similarly uninterpreted tongues in Corinth serve not as a positive sign leading to faith for those outside, but rather confirm their unbelief and signify disorder. It underscores that stubborn rejection of God's clear message eventually leads to a state where even profound signs fail to elicit understanding or repentance.

1 Corinthians 14 21 Context

Chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians addresses significant disorder and misunderstanding regarding spiritual gifts within the Corinthian church. The Corinthians highly esteemed speaking in tongues (glossolalia), often exercising this gift in public worship without interpretation, leading to chaos and a lack of edification for the wider assembly. Paul contrasts tongues with prophecy, arguing that prophecy is superior because it provides understandable instruction and encouragement to believers. This verse (1 Cor 14:21) specifically provides an Old Testament basis for Paul's assertion that uninterpreted tongues are not primarily a sign that leads unbelievers to faith but rather a sign connected with judgment for those who persistently refuse to hear God's plain word. The historical context draws on God's dealings with ancient Israel, where foreign tongues (the languages of invaders) were a direct consequence of their disobedience and a sign of impending judgment from a God whose own words they had ignored.

1 Corinthians 14 21 Word analysis

• "In the law" (Ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, En tō nomō):
  • Nomos (νόμος) generally means "law" but is often used in the New Testament as a comprehensive term for the Old Testament Scriptures. Paul quotes from the book of Isaiah here, demonstrating that the entire Old Testament (Prophets included) carried the authority of "the Law."
  • This phrase indicates that Paul is basing his argument on divinely inspired authority, grounding his teaching in God's revealed truth from the past.
• "it is written" (γέγραπται, gegraptai):
  • This verb is in the perfect tense, passive voice, highlighting that this is a standing, authoritative divine utterance that remains written. What God declared through the prophets is permanently recorded and carries enduring weight.
• "With other tongues" (Ἐν ἑτερογλώσσοις, En heteroglossous):
  • Derived from heteros ("other, different") and glossa ("tongue, language").
  • In the original context of Isaiah 28:11, these "other tongues" referred to the foreign languages spoken by invading armies (e.g., Assyrians) that God would use as a severe disciplinary sign and judgment against disobedient Israel. They represented an unfamiliar, hostile sound to a people who rejected familiar divine instruction.
• "and other lips" (καὶ ἐν χείλεσιν ἑτέρων, kai en cheilesin heterōn):
  • A parallel phrase that intensifies the meaning of "other tongues," emphasizing the alien and unintelligible nature of the speech, underscoring separation and divine disfavor.
• "I will speak to this people" (λαλήσω τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ, lalēsō tō laō toutō):
  • "I" refers to God. "This people" refers specifically to Israel, the people whom God chose, but who repeatedly hardened their hearts. Paul applies this historical dealing to the new covenant church, particularly those within it or observers who are similarly hardened or unresponsive.
  • The "speaking" here is not necessarily for instruction leading to faith, but rather an act of divine consequence and judgment.
• "and even then they will not listen to me" (καὶ οὐδʼ οὕτως οὐκ ἀκούσονται μου, kai oud' houtōs ouk akousontai mou):
  • This is the critical element. Despite God using such drastic, disorienting means (speaking through foreign tongues of judgment), the people's stubborn refusal to akouō (ἀκούω - not merely to hear, but to understand, heed, and obey) remained. Their unresponsiveness demonstrated their hardened spiritual state.
  • This phrase emphasizes the persistent, profound spiritual deafness of the recipients, which is the very problem Paul is addressing in Corinth regarding unbelievers.
• "says the Lord" (λέγει Κύριος, legei Kyrios):
  • A standard authoritative formula, affirming that this quoted prophecy is indeed the direct word of God.

Words-group analysis:

• "In the law it is written: 'With other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people...": Paul anchors his argument in the Old Testament, using God's historical interaction with Israel to inform his counsel for the Corinthian church. The "other tongues and other lips" are presented as a form of divine communication, yet one that conveys judgment due to previous rejection of clear speech.
• "...and even then they will not listen to me,' says the Lord.": This climax reveals the outcome. The drastic sign of foreign tongues was met with further unbelief, underscoring the severity of spiritual blindness. Paul implies that uninterpreted tongues in the church, rather than converting outsiders, may alienate them and confirm their unbelief, demonstrating a similar lack of "listening."

1 Corinthians 14 21 Bonus section

• Paul's distinction between the "tongues" at Pentecost (Acts 2), which were actual foreign languages enabling gospel proclamation to diverse groups, and the "tongues" in Corinth, which required interpretation for edification (1 Cor 14:13), is crucial. In 1 Corinthians 14:21-22, Paul uses the historical precedent of tongues as a sign of judgment and spiritual unresponsiveness (Isaiah) rather than merely a sign of the Spirit's arrival.
• The effectiveness of any spiritual gift is not in its spectacular nature but in its capacity to communicate God's truth clearly and build up the Body of Christ. Displays that hinder this, even if divinely enabled, are out of order according to Paul's theology of edification and love.

1 Corinthians 14 21 Commentary

1 Corinthians 14:21 is a pivotal verse for understanding Paul's teaching on tongues in the church. Often misunderstood, it is not arguing that tongues are for positively converting unbelievers, but rather they serve as a sign of God's dealings with those who are hardened. By quoting Isaiah 28:11-12, Paul brings forth an Old Testament precedent: God spoke to rebellious Israel through "other tongues"—the unintelligible languages of their Assyrian invaders—as a sign of His judgment because they refused to listen to His clear, understandable messages. The significant point in Isaiah, and Paul's application, is that even this severe sign of judgment failed to bring them to repentance; they remained deaf.

Paul then applies this logic to the Corinthian situation. If outsiders or unbelievers come into a chaotic church service dominated by uninterpreted tongues, they won't understand, and instead of being drawn to faith, they will conclude that the believers are mad (1 Cor 14:23). Therefore, like the foreign tongues in Isaiah's prophecy, these uninterpreted utterances serve as a negative sign of incomprehension and divine judgment for those who stubbornly refuse to believe, rather than a positive, converting sign. Paul strongly advocates for intelligibility and order, prioritizing prophecy and interpretation because they do build up believers and convict unbelievers, leading to repentance and worship (1 Cor 14:24-25). This verse emphasizes that clarity and edification are paramount in corporate worship, especially when considering the spiritual impact on those yet to believe.