1 Corinthians 14:17

For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

1 Corinthians 14:17, King James Version

1 Corinthians 14:17 in other translations

BSB	You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other one is not edified.
WEB	For you most certainly give thanks well, but the other person is not built up.
ASV	For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
YLT	for thou, indeed, dost give thanks well, but the other is not built up!
DARBY	For thou indeed givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
BBE	For your giving of the blessing is certainly well done, but of no profit to the man without knowledge.
Webster	For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

What does 1 Corinthians 14:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

17. givest thanks--The prayers of the synagogue were called "eulogies," because to each prayer was joined a thanksgiving. Hence the prayers of the Christian Church also were called blessings and giving of thanks. This illustrates Col 4:2; 1Th 5:17, 18. So the Kaddisch and Keduscha, the synagogue formulæ of "hallowing" the divine "name" and of prayer for the "coming of God's kingdom," answer to the Church's Lord's Prayer, repeated often and made the foundation on which the other prayers are built [Tertullian, Prayer].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 17. For thou verily givest thanks well. That is, even if you use a foreign language. You do it with the heart; and it is accepted by God as your offering; but the other, who cannot understand it, cannot be benefited by it.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 17 Thou verily givest thanks well - Because he felt gratitude, and, from a sense of his obligation, gave praise to God; but because this was in an unknown tongue, those who heard him received no edification.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Corinthians 14:15-25

There can be no assent to prayers that are not understood. A truly Christian minister will seek much more to do spiritual good to men's souls, than to get the greatest applause to himself. This is proving himself the servant of Christ. Children are apt to be struck with novelty; but do not act like them. Christians should be like children, void of guile and malice; yet they should not be unskilful as to the word of…

Read the full comment on 1 Corinthians 14:15-25 →

1 Corinthians 14:17 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

σὺsuYou yourselfG4771

μὲνmentrulyG3303

γὰρgarforG1063

καλῶςkalōswellG2573

εὐχαριστεῖς,eucharisteisare giving thanks,G2168

ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235

ὁhotheG3588

ἕτεροςheterosotherG2087

οὐκouknotG3756

οἰκοδομεῖται.¶oikodomeitaiis edified.G3618

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Corinthians 14:17

1 Corinthians 14:4
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
1 Corinthians 14:6
Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

1 Corinthians 14:16
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?
1 Corinthians 14:17
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
1 Corinthians 14:18
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

Read all of 1 Corinthians 14

1 Corinthians 14:17 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Porque tú, á la verdad, bien haces gracias; mas el otro no es edificado.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Car toi, il est vrai, tu rends bien grâces; mais l’autre n’est pas édifié.
German Elberfelder 1871	Denn du danksagst wohl gut, aber der andere wird nicht erbaut.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Nam tu quidem bene gratias agis, sed alter non ædificatur.