1 Corinthians 14:16

16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will the uninformed person^[a] say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?

1 Corinthians 14:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 14:16

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;
(idiwtou) , "idiot". The word (jwydh) , "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

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (twjwydh Mynyyd) , "of private judges", which were not of the great sanhedrim, and of private men, as distinguished from kings ^F4;

``there are three kings, and four (twjwydh) , "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 ^F5;

``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 ^F6 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 ) ( Nehemiah 8:6 ) to this practice the apostle refers; concerning which the rule ^F7 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 ^F8,

``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, (hmwty Nma) , "a fatherless Amen", was when a person answered, and he did not know what he answered ^F9 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 ^F11; 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 ^F12,

``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 ^F13) 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 ^F14,

``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 ^F15; 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.

F3 Misn. Yebamot, c. 12. sect. 1.
F4 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 90. 1.
F5 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 47. 1.
F6 Misn. Beracot, c. 8. sect. 8.
F7 T. Bab. Sota, fol. 39. 2.
F8 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 47. 1. Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora, pr. affirm. 27.
F9 T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 12. 3. Succa, fol. 54. 1. & Megilla, fol. 72. 1.
F11 Maimon. Hilch. Sota, c. 3. sect. 7.
F12 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 53. 2. & Nazir, fol. 66. 2. Zohar in Gen. fol. 19. 2. & Baal Hatturim in Deut. xxvii. 15.
F13 Debarim Rabba, sect. 7. fol. 242. 2.
F14 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 119. 2. Shaare Zion, fol. 99. 2. 100. 2. 101. 1.
F15 Apolog. 2. p. 97.

1 Corinthians 14:16 In-Context

14 For if I pray in [another] language, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

15 What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with my understanding.

16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will the uninformed person say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?

17 For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up.

18 I thank God that I speak in [other] languages more than all of you;

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit the one filling the place of the uninformed