1 Corinthians 14:16

Otherwise, if you speak a blessing in spirit, how can someone who is uninstructed say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Paul writes to the Corinthian church while correcting their misuse of spiritual gifts, specifically addressing the balance between personal prayer and corporate edification.

The words — εὐλογῇς (eulogēas) means you bless or speak a blessing, and ἀναπληρῶν (anaplērōn) denotes the act of filling or completing.

The thread — The congregational response “Amen” to a spoken blessing appears in 1 Chronicles 16:36, Psalm 106:48, and Revelation 5:14.

Why it lands — The text requires intelligible speech in corporate worship so uninstructed listeners can understand the thanksgiving and affirm it with “Amen.”

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

Cross-references

1 Chronicles 16:36 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.” Then all the people said, “Amen!” and “Praise the LORD!”
Psalms 106:48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah!
Revelation 5:14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Deuteronomy 27:15 ‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman—and sets it up in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
Nehemiah 8:6 Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
Jeremiah 28:6 “Amen!” Jeremiah said. “May the LORD do so! May the LORD fulfill the words you have prophesied, and may He restore the articles of His house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.
1 Corinthians 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Numbers 5:22 May this water that brings a curse enter your stomach and cause your belly to swell and your thigh to shrivel.’ Then the woman is to say, ‘Amen, Amen.’
Revelation 7:12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
1 Kings 1:36 “Amen,” replied Benaiah son of Jehoiada. “May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so declare it.