Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on 1 Corinthians 13:1
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Though I speak with the tongues of men, etc.] That is, of all men, all languages that men anywhere speak, or have been spoken by them. The number of these is by some said f247 to be “seventy five”; but the general opinion of the Jews is, that at the confusion of languages at Babel, they were seventy; for they say f248, that then “the holy blessed God descended, and “seventy angels” surrounding the throne of his glory, and confounded the languages of seventy people, and every nation of the seventy had their own language and writing, and an angel set over each nation;” whether this may be the reason, why the tongues of angels are mentioned here with those of men, let it be considered. Mordecai, they say f249, was skilled in all these seventy languages, so that when he heard Bigthan and Teresh, who were Tarsians, talking together in the Tarsian language, he understood them. The same is said f250 of R. Akiba, R. Joshua, and R. Eliezer; yet, they say f251, that this was one of the qualifications of the sanhedrim, or of such that sat in that great council, that they should understand these seventy languages, because they were not to hear causes from the mouth of an interpreter. It is affirmed f252 of Mithridates, king of Pontus and Bithynia, that he had “twenty five” nations under his government, and that he so well understood, and could speak the language of each nation, as to converse with men of any of them, without an interpreter. Apollonius Tyaneus f253 pretended to understand, and speak with the tongues of all men; such a case the apostle supposes here, whether attained to by learning, industry, and close application, or by an extraordinary gift of the Spirit, which latter seems to be what he intends; and the rather he mentions this, and begins with it, because many of the Corinthians were greatly desirous of it; some that had it not, were dejected on that account; wherefore to comfort them, the apostle suggests, that the grace of love which they were possessed of, was abundantly preferable to it; and others that had it were lifted up with it, and used it either for ostentation or gain, or to make parties, and not to the edification of their brethren; which showed want of love, and so were no better than what the apostle hereafter asserts: what he says here and in the following verses, is in an hypothetical way, supposing such a case, and in his own person, that it might be the better taken, and envy and ill will be removed: he adds, and of angels; not that angels have tongues in a proper sense, or speak any vocal language, in an audible voice, with articulate sounds; for they are spirits immaterial and incorporeal; though they have an intellectual speech, by which they celebrate the perfections and praises of God, and can discourse with one another, and communicate their minds to each other; (see <230603>Isaiah 6:3, <270813>Daniel 8:13) and which is what the Jews f254 call, “blh rwbyd, “the speech of the heart”; and is the speech (they say) µyrbdm µykalmhç, “which the angels speak” in their heart; and is the “pure language”, and more excellent than other tongues; is pleasant discourse, the secret of the holy seraphim — and is µykalmh jyç, “the talk of angels”; who do the will of their Creator in their hearts, and in their thoughts:” this is not what the apostle refers to; but rather the speech of angels, when they have assumed human bodies, and have in them spoke with an audible voice, in articulate sounds; of which we have many ins…
This public page shows a contextual excerpt from the locally available source text.
How to use this source
This excerpt is attributed to its named commentary. It is included as a historical study resource and should be evaluated in light of Scripture and other relevant evidence.
