Kehillah in Corinth I 14:14

14 For if I daven (pray) in a lashon, my nashamah davens, but my sikhliyut (rationality) lies shemitah (fallow).

Kehillah in Corinth I 14:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 14:14

For if I pray in an unknown tongue
In the Hebrew tongue, which the greatest part of the Jewish doctors insisted ^F1 upon should be only used in prayer; which notion might be borrowed from them, and now greatly prevailed in the church at Corinth; and the custom was used by such as had the gift of speaking that language, even though the body and bulk of the people understood it not:

my spirit prayeth;
I pray with my breath vocally; or else with affection and devotion, understanding what I say myself, and so am edified; or rather with the gift of the Spirit bestowed on me:

but my understanding is unfruitful;
that is, what I say with understanding to myself is unprofitable to others, not being understood by them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Vid. Trigland. de Sect. Kar. c. 10. p. 172, 173.

Kehillah in Corinth I 14:14 In-Context

12 So also you, als (since) you have a zeal for the matanot of the Ruach Hakodesh, endeavor to abound in them for the edification of the Kehillah (Congregation).

13 Therefore, the speaker in a lashon (tongue), let him offer tefillos that he may give the pitron (interpretation).

14 For if I daven (pray) in a lashon, my nashamah davens, but my sikhliyut (rationality) lies shemitah (fallow).

15 Nu? (Well?) I will daven [in leshonot] with my nashamah, and I will daven also with my seichel; I will sing [in leshonot] with my nashamah, and I will sing niggunim also with my seichel.

16 Otherwise, if you make a bracha [in leshonot] with your neshamah, how will the am ha’aretz, who have no idea what you are saying, answer the "Omein"? [DEVARIM 27:15:26; DIVREY HAYAMIM ALEF 16:36; NECHEMYAH 8:6; TEHILLIM 106:48]