complete verse (1 Corinthians 14:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 14:17:

  • Uma: “Though our prayer saying thank you to God is good, yet it has no point for others, for their hearts are not strengthened hearing our prayer.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Even though your giving thanks is however (very) good, it does not make peoples trust strong because they don’t understand.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Even if that which you said giving thanks to God is very good, it cannot help the faith of this person.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Thus even though your (sing.) prayer to thank God is very-good, your (sing.) companion will absolutely not be helped.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Even though this thanks of yours is good, it can’t help others by strengthening their believing/obeying.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “No matter how beautiful it is how you thank God, but if the people do not understand the words with which you thank God, it will not do any good for those who listen to the words.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 14:17

In English well enough or “quite good” (Good News Bible) is ambiguous. The meaning here is “entirely good.” New English Bible makes this clear: “your prayer of thanksgiving may be all that could be desired”; Revised English Bible “… may be splendid.”

Edified: see the comment on “upbuilding” in 1 Cor. 14.3.

The final sentence may be rephrased as “you do not build up the other person at all.”

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Corinthians 14:17

14:17a You may be giving thanks well enough,

You (sing.) may have thanked God very well/nicely,
-or-
You are saying good prayers of thanks,

14:17b but the other one is not edified.

but the other person is not strengthened.
-or-
but you have not built up other people.

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