complete verse (1 Corinthians 14:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 14:10:

  • Uma: “In this world, there are ever so many languages, and every kind of language has meaning.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “There are many different languages in the world and all have meaning.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There are many languages here on the earth and for each one of them there are people who understand it.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It’s true that there are many kinds of languages on this earth and they all have meaning.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Probably there are very many different languages here under heaven, and as for each one, of course it has (it’s own) meaning.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Here in the world there are very many words in which the people speak. But all of these words which the people speak have a meaning.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

    • German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): “There are thousands of languages around the world, everybody communicates in specific languages.”

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 14:10

Languages: here and in verse 11, the Greek word for “sound” is used in the sense of “language.” By using this word Paul makes it clear that he is not talking about “tongues” in this verse. Some modern translations such as Phillips and New English Bible translate this word as “sounds,” but Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and Revised English Bible render it as “languages.” This latter translation is preferable.

The words translated many different convey the ideas (1) of a large number, and (2) that Paul is unwilling to say how many. Barrett translates “there are I don’t know how many languages in the world.”

The adjective translated without meaning means “incapable of speech,” as in 2 Peter 2.16, which refers to Balaam’s donkey. So the meaning may also be “incapable of meaning.” One can render this double-negative clause positively as “yet all of them have meaning.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .