1 Corinthians 14:17

17 For your giving of the blessing is certainly well done, but of no profit to the man without knowledge.

1 Corinthians 14:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 14:17

For thou verily givest thanks well
In very proper words, and pertinent expressions, with great affection and devotion, suitable to the service;

but the other is not edified;
the rest of the people, who do not understand the language in which thanks are given; "thy friend", as the Syriac version reads it; or thy next neighbour, he that stands by thee, receives no manner of profit by it, because he does not understand what is said.

1 Corinthians 14:17 In-Context

15 What then? let my prayer be from the spirit, and equally from the mind; let my song be from the spirit, and equally from mind.

16 For if you give a blessing with the spirit, how will the man who has no knowledge say, So be it, after your prayer, seeing that he has not taken in what you are saying?

17 For your giving of the blessing is certainly well done, but of no profit to the man without knowledge.

18 I give praise to God that I am able to make use of tongues more than you all:

19 But in the church it would be better for me to make use of five words of which the sense was clear, so that others might have profit, than ten thousand words in a strange tongue.