1 Corinthians 14:10

“There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices, etc.] ançl, “tongues”, or “languages”, as the Syriac version renders it; that is, as many as there are nations in the world; there may be seventy of them, as the Jews say there were at the confusion of languages at Babel; there may be more or less: and none of them is without signification: every language, and every word in a language, has a meaning in it, an idea annexed to it, which it conveys to him that understands it, and that cannot be done without a voice ordinarily speaking.”

“it may be--that is, perhaps, speaking by conjecture. "It may chance" (Co1 15:37). so many--as may be enumerated by investigators of such matters. Compare "so much," used generally for a definite number left undefined (Act 5:8; also Sa2 12:8). kinds of voices--kinds of articulate speech. without signification--without articulate voice (that is, distinct meaning). None is without its own voice, or mode of speech, distinct from the rest.”

“There are it may be ... - There has been considerable variety in the interpertation of this expression. Rosenmuller renders it, “for the sake of example.” Grotius supposes that Paul meant to indicate that there were, perhaps, or might be, as many languages as the Jews supposed, to wit, seventy. Beza and others suppose it means, that there may he as many languages as there are nations of people. Bloomfield renders it, “Let there he as many kinds of languages as you choose.” Macknight, “There are, no doubt, as many kinds of languages in the world as ye speak.” Robinson (Lexicon) renders it, “If so happen, it may be; perchance, perhaps;” and says the phrase is equivalent to “for example,” The…”