1 Corinthians 14:29

Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Let	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
prophets	προφῆται prophētai	G4396	a foreteller ("prophet") · noun — nominative plural masculine
speak	λαλείτωσαν, laleitōsan	G2980	to talk · verb — present active imperative, 3rd person plural
two	δύο duo	G1417	"two" · adjective — numeral, indeclinable
or	ἢ ē	G2228	disjunctive · conjunction
three	τρεῖς treis	G5140	"three" · adjective — nominative plural masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
let	διακρινέτωσαν· diakrinetōsan	G1252	to separate thoroughly · verb — present active imperative, 3rd person plural
other	ἄλλοι alloi	G243	"else · adjective — nominative plural masculine
judge	διακρίνω diakrínō	G1252	to separate thoroughly

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Corinthians 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another th…
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Quench not the Spirit.
1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1 Corinthians 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 14:26-33

In this passage the apostle reproves them for their disorder, and endeavours to correct and regulate their conduct for the future. I. He blames them for the confusion they introduced into the assembly, by ostentation of their gifts (Co1 14:26): When you come together every one hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, etc.; that is, "You are apt to confound the several parts of worship; and, while one has a psalm to utter by inspiration, another has a doctrine, or revelation;" or else, "You are apt to be confused in the same branch of worship, many of you having psalms or doctrines to propose at the same time, without staying for one another. Is not this perfect uproar? Can this be edify…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 14:29

two or three--at one meeting (he does not add "at the most," as in Co1 14:27, lest he should seem to "quench prophesyings," the most edifying of gifts), and these "one by one," in turn (Co1 14:27, "by course," and Co1 14:31). Paul gives here similar rules to the prophets, as previously to those speaking in unknown tongues. judge--by their power of "discerning spirits" (Co1 12:10), whether the person prophesying was really speaking under the influence of the Spirit (compare Co1 12:3; Jo1 4:13).

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 14:29

Let the prophets - Those who have the gift of speaking to men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort; Co1 14:3. Two or three - As prophesying implied psalmody, teaching, and exhortation, Dr. Lightfoot thinks that the meaning of the place is this: Let one sing who has a psalm; let another teach who has a doctrine; and let a third exhort, or comfort, who has a gift of that kind. And let the other judge - The other prophets, or qualified persons, judge of the propriety of what had been spoken; or let them discern, διακρινετωσαν, how the revelation under the new covenant confirmed and illustrated the revelation granted under the Old Testament. It appears to have been taken for granted, tha…

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The Church Fathers

But permit the prophets to make Thanksgiving as much as they desire.
— Didache, The Didache, Chapter 10

Paul allowed others to ask questions about ambiguous matters, so that they might be elucidated by clearer discussion.
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

"Let the prophets speak by two or three, and let the others discern." No where hath he added, "at the most," as in the case of the tongues. And how is this, one saith? For he makes out that neither is prophesy sufficient in itself, if at least he permitteth the judgment to others. Nay, surely it is quite sufficient; and this is why he did not stop the mouth of the prophet, as of the other, when there is no interpreter; nor, as in his case he said, "if there be no interpreter let him keep silence," so also in the case of the prophet, "if there be none to discern, let him not prophesy;" but he only secured the hearer; since for the satisfaction of the hearers he said this, that no diviner might throw himself in among them. For of this also at the beginning he bade them beware, when he introduced a distinction between divination and prophecy, and now he bids them discriminate and spy out the matter, so that no Satanic teacher might privily enter.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 36

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

1 Corinthians 14:29

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 14:26-33

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 14:29

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 14:29

The Church Fathers

1 Corinthians 14:29

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 14:26-33

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 14:29

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 14:29

The Church Fathers

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 14:29

John Calvin on 1 Corinthians 14:26-33

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Corinthians 14:29-32