1 Corinthians 14:30

If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:26-33 Religious exercises in public assemblies should have this view; Let all be done to edifying. As to the speaking in an unknown tongue, if another were present who could interpret, two miraculous gifts might be exercised at once, and thereby the church be edified, and the faith of the hearers confirmed at the same time. As to prophesying, two or three only should speak at one meeting, and this one after the other, not all at once. The man who is inspired by the Spirit of God will observe order and decency in delivering his revelations. God never teaches men to neglect their duties, or to act in any way unbecoming their age or station.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If anything be revealed to another - If, while one is speaking, an important truth is revealed to another, or is suggested to his mind by the Holy Spirit, which he feels it to be important to communicate.

Let the first hold his peace - That is, let him that was speaking conclude his discourse, and let there not be the confusion arising from two persons speaking. at the same time. Doddridge understands this as meaning, that he to whom the revelation was made should sit still, until the other was done speaking, and not rise and rudely interrupt him. But this is to do violence to the language. So Macknight understands it, that the one who was speaking was first to finish his discourse, and be silent. before the other began to speak. But this is evidently a forced construction. Locke understands it as meaning, that if, while one was speaking, the meaning of what he said was revealed to another, the first was to cease speaking until the other had interpreted or explained it. But the obvious meaning of the passage is, that the man that was speaking was to close his discourse and be silent. It does not follow, however, that he was to be rudely interrupted. He might close his discourse deliberately, or perhaps by an intimation from the person to whom the revelation was made. At any rate, two were not to speak at the same time, but the one who was speaking was to conclude before the other addressed the assembly.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

30. If any thing—Translate, "But if any thing."

another that sitteth by—a hearer.

let the first hold his peace—Let him who heretofore spoke, and who came to the assembly furnished with a previous ordinary (in those times) revelation from God (1Co 14:26), give place to him who at the assembly is moved to prophesy by a sudden revelation from the Spirit.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

There were two modes or sorts of prophecies; the one ordinary, when the teacher came to those assemblies furnished with a revelation from some previous impression of God upon him, enabling him to give the sense of some scripture, or to open some Divine truth; not as we are, but by some influence of the Holy Spirit upon him, without the use of such means as we use. The other was, by some present afflatus or impression. The apostle seems not to speak of the latter; or if of both, he plainly lets them know, that even such a one was under the government of natural order, and obliged to do nothing confusedly and tumultuously, but might, without any offence to God, stay until the other had finished his discourse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by,.... To another prophet that sits, and hears, and tries, and judges what he hears; if he has a clearer revelation made to him of what the other is speaking of, and has a more distinct knowledge of it, and is capable of removing any difficulty that attends it, and of expressing it more plainly, and of proving it more largely, and of setting it in an easier light to the understandings of men:

let the first hold his peace; be that was speaking, upon such an intimation being made to him, let him stop, and give way to him that has the revelation, that the church may receive the benefit of it: hence it may be observed, that the custom of the primitive churches was to hear the word sitting, and the prophet or preacher stood, or sat, as he thought fit; See Gill on Matthew 5:1, and that sometimes a revelation was made, and light conveyed to these prophets in a very sudden and extraordinary manner, when it was proper that it should be at once communicated for the good of the whole society: but this is to be understood only of those prophets or preachers, not of the common people; for it must not be thought that any that rose up, and pretended to a revelation, might be indulged to deliver it, and the speaker give way to him, which might be attended with much confusion, and many bad consequences; but only such who were known to have gifts, and who at certain times had peculiar revelations made unto them.

Geneva Study Bible

If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

1 Corinthians 14:30. But two prophets were never to speak together. The order ought, on the contrary, to be this, that if a revelation shall have been imparted to another prophet (ἄλλῳ) while he sits listening, the first shall be silent (not simply soon cease, as Neander, Maier, and others would take it; comp., too, Hofmann) and let the second speak. Paul thus does not enjoin that the second shall wait until the first is finished, to which meaning Grotius, Storr, and Flatt twist the words (comp. 1 Corinthians 14:28; 1 Corinthians 14:34); on the contrary, he attaches more importance to the fresh undelayed outburst of prophetic inspiration, than to the further continuance of the address after the first outburs.

καθημ.] for the prophets spoke standing, Luke 4:17. See Grotius in loc.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

30. If any thing be revealed to another] If it should appear that some special message from God had been sent to one of the prophets during the discourse of another, the first was to bring his discourse to an end as soon as might be, in an orderly manner, so as to give the other an opportunity of saying what had occurred to him.

Bengel's Gnomen

1 Corinthians 14:30. Καθημένῳ) while he sits, listening.—ὁ πρῶτος, the first) who formerly spoke.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 30. - Let the first hold his peace. It would be easy enough to judge whether the revelation vouchsafed to his neighbour was more pressing and important than his own address. 1 Corinthians 14:30

Vincent's Word Studies

That sitteth

Rev., sitting by. The speaker standing.