40 Bible Verses about Language

For this reason, let the man who has the power of using tongues make request that he may, at the same time, be able to give the sense.

Now though it is my desire for you all to have the power of tongues, it would give me more pleasure to be hearing the prophet's word from you; for this is a greater thing than using tongues, if the sense is not given at the same time, for the good of the church.

If any man makes use of a tongue, let it not be more than two, or at the most three, and in turn; and let someone give the sense: But if there is no one to give the sense, let him keep quiet in the church; and let his words be to himself and to God.

See, I will send you a nation from far away, O people of Israel, says the Lord; a strong nation and an old nation, a nation whose language is strange to you, so that you may not get the sense of their words.

The Lord will send a nation against you from the farthest ends of the earth, coming with the flight of an eagle; a nation whose language is strange to you;

No, but with broken talk, and with a strange tongue, he will give his word to this people:

And these signs will be with those who have faith: in my name they will send out evil spirits; and they will make use of new languages;

And when Paul had put his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they had the power of talking in tongues, and acting like prophets.

And to another the power of working wonders; and to another the prophet's word; and to another the power of testing spirits; to another different sorts of tongues; and to another the power of making clear the sense of the tongues:

And they were full of wonder and said, Are not all these men Galilaeans? And how is it that every one of us is hearing their words in the language which was ours from our birth?

And they were talking in tongues, and giving glory to God. Then Peter said,

If, then, the church has come together, and all are using tongues, and there come in men without knowledge or faith, will they not say that you are unbalanced?

For he who makes use of tongues is not talking to men but to God; because no one has the sense of what he is saying; but in the Spirit he is talking of secret things. But the word of the prophet gives men knowledge and comfort and strength. He who makes use of tongues may do good to himself; but he who gives the prophet's word does good to the church. read more.
Now though it is my desire for you all to have the power of tongues, it would give me more pleasure to be hearing the prophet's word from you; for this is a greater thing than using tongues, if the sense is not given at the same time, for the good of the church. But, now, my brothers, if I come to you using tongues, what profit will it be to you, if I do not give you a revelation, or knowledge, or the word of the prophet, or teaching? Even things without life, having a voice, such as a music-pipe or other instrument, if they do not give out different sounds, who may be certain what is being played? For if the war-horn gives out an uncertain note, who will get ready for the fight? So if you, in using a strange tongue, say words which have no sense, how will anyone take in what you are saying? for you will be talking to the air. There are, it may be, a number of different voices in the world, and no voice is without sense. But if the sense of the voice is not clear to me, I am like a man from a strange country to him who is talking, and he will be the same to me. So if you are desiring the things which the Spirit gives, let your minds be turned first to the things which are for the good of the church.

From these came the nations of the sea-lands, with their different families and languages.

All these, with their different families, languages, lands, and nations, are the offspring of Ham.

These, with their families and their languages and their lands and their nations, are the offspring of Shem.

Then King Darius sent a letter to all the peoples, nations, and languages, living in all the earth: May your peace be increased.

And sent letters to all the divisions of the kingdom, to every division in the writing commonly used there, and to every people in the language which was theirs, saying that every man was to be the ruler in his house, and that this order was to be given out in the language of his people.

Then one of the king's criers said in a loud voice, To you the order is given, O peoples, nations, and languages,

In Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and those who have come from Rome, Jews by birth and others who have become Jews,

He gave it to Joseph as a witness, when he went out over the land of Egypt; then the words of a strange tongue were sounding in my ears.

When Israel came out of Egypt, the children of Jacob from a people whose language was strange to them;

Then the Chaldaeans said to the king in the Aramaean language, O King, have life for ever: give your servants an account of your dream, and we will make clear to you the sense of it.

Then Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the Rab-shakeh, Will you kindly make use of the Aramaean language in talking to your servants, for we are used to it, and do not make use of the Jews' language in the hearing of the people on the wall.

And in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his friends, sent a letter to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, writing it in the Aramaean writing and language.

And the Lord said, See, they are all one people and have all one language; and this is only the start of what they may do: and now it will not be possible to keep them from any purpose of theirs.

And all the earth had one language and one tongue.

And when we had all gone down on the earth, a voice came to me, saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you attacking me so cruelly? It is hard for you to go against the impulse which is driving you.

Then the Rab-shakeh got up and said with a loud voice in the Jews' language, Give ear to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria;

And this came to the knowledge of all those who were living in Jerusalem, so that the field was named in their language, Akel-dama, or, The field of blood.)

And their voices are sounding in a new song, saying, It is right for you to take the book and to make it open: for you were put to death and have made an offering to God of your blood for men of every tribe, and language, and people, and nation,

Then Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the Rab-shakeh, Will you kindly make use of the Aramaean language in talking to your servants, for we are used to it, and do not make use of the Jews' language in the hearing of the people on the wall.

And in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his friends, sent a letter to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, writing it in the Aramaean writing and language.

But again he said it was not so. And after a little time, again those who were near said to Peter, Truly you are one of them; for you are a Galilaean.

And when the people saw what Paul had done, they said in a loud voice, in the language of Lycaonia, The gods have come down to us in the form of men.

And all the earth had one language and one tongue. And it came about that in their wandering from the east, they came to a stretch of flat country in the land of Shinar, and there they made their living-place. And they said one to another, Come, let us make bricks, burning them well. And they had bricks for stone, putting them together with sticky earth. read more.
And they said, Come, let us make a town, and a tower whose top will go up as high as heaven; and let us make a great name for ourselves, so that we may not be wanderers over the face of the earth. And the Lord came down to see the town and the tower which the children of men were building. And the Lord said, See, they are all one people and have all one language; and this is only the start of what they may do: and now it will not be possible to keep them from any purpose of theirs. Come, let us go down and take away the sense of their language, so that they will not be able to make themselves clear to one another. So the Lord God sent them away into every part of the earth: and they gave up building their town. So it was named Babel, because there the Lord took away the sense of all languages and from there the Lord sent them away over all the face of the earth.

From these came the nations of the sea-lands, with their different families and languages.

All these, with their different families, languages, lands, and nations, are the offspring of Ham.

These, with their families and their languages and their lands and their nations, are the offspring of Shem.

And when Paul had put his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they had the power of talking in tongues, and acting like prophets.

Then they put their hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came on them.

The writing was seen by a number of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was put to death on the cross was near the town; and the writing was in Hebrew and Latin and Greek.

And how is it that every one of us is hearing their words in the language which was ours from our birth? Men of Parthia, Media, and Elam, and those living in Mesopotamia, in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, In Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and those who have come from Rome, Jews by birth and others who have become Jews, read more.
Men of Crete and Arabia, to all of us they are talking in our different languages, of the great works of God.

For this reason tongues are for a sign, not to those who have faith, but to those who have not: but the prophet's word is for those who have faith, and not for the rest who have not.

And to another the power of working wonders; and to another the prophet's word; and to another the power of testing spirits; to another different sorts of tongues; and to another the power of making clear the sense of the tongues:

The writing was seen by a number of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was put to death on the cross was near the town; and the writing was in Hebrew and Latin and Greek.

And these words were put in writing over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

And to another the power of working wonders; and to another the prophet's word; and to another the power of testing spirits; to another different sorts of tongues; and to another the power of making clear the sense of the tongues:

But if the sense of the voice is not clear to me, I am like a man from a strange country to him who is talking, and he will be the same to me.

There are, it may be, a number of different voices in the world, and no voice is without sense.

And when Paul was about to be taken into the building, he said to the chief captain, May I say something to you? And he said, Have you a knowledge of Greek?

And these words were put in writing over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

In Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and those who have come from Rome, Jews by birth and others who have become Jews,

When Israel came out of Egypt, the children of Jacob from a people whose language was strange to them;

And after a little time those who were near came and said to Peter, Truly you are one of them; because your talk is witness against you.

Then they said to him, Now say Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth, and was not able to say it in the right way; then they took him and put him to death at the crossing-places of Jordan; and at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites were put to death.

And it came about that in their wandering from the east, they came to a stretch of flat country in the land of Shinar, and there they made their living-place. And they said one to another, Come, let us make bricks, burning them well. And they had bricks for stone, putting them together with sticky earth. And they said, Come, let us make a town, and a tower whose top will go up as high as heaven; and let us make a great name for ourselves, so that we may not be wanderers over the face of the earth. read more.
And the Lord came down to see the town and the tower which the children of men were building. And the Lord said, See, they are all one people and have all one language; and this is only the start of what they may do: and now it will not be possible to keep them from any purpose of theirs.

So the Lord God sent them away into every part of the earth: and they gave up building their town. So it was named Babel, because there the Lord took away the sense of all languages and from there the Lord sent them away over all the face of the earth.

While Peter was saying these words, the Holy Spirit came on all those who were hearing the word. And the Jews of the faith, who had come with Peter, were full of wonder, because the Holy Spirit was given to the Gentiles, And they were talking in tongues, and giving glory to God. Then Peter said,

They were not conscious that the sense of their words was clear to Joseph, for he had been talking to them through one who had knowledge of their language.

For you are not sent to a people whose talk is strange and whose language is hard, but to the children of Israel; Not to a number of peoples whose talk is strange and whose language is hard and whose words are not clear to you. Truly, if I sent you to them they would give ear to you.

Come, let us go down and take away the sense of their language, so that they will not be able to make themselves clear to one another.

And they were full of wonder and said, Are not all these men Galilaeans? And how is it that every one of us is hearing their words in the language which was ours from our birth? Men of Parthia, Media, and Elam, and those living in Mesopotamia, in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, read more.
In Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and those who have come from Rome, Jews by birth and others who have become Jews, Men of Crete and Arabia, to all of us they are talking in our different languages, of the great works of God.

And they saw tongues, like flames of fire, coming to rest on every one of them. And they were all full of the Holy Spirit, and were talking in different languages, as the Spirit gave them power.

And these signs will be with those who have faith: in my name they will send out evil spirits; and they will make use of new languages;

And when the people saw what Paul had done, they said in a loud voice, in the language of Lycaonia, The gods have come down to us in the form of men.

Young men who were strong and healthy, good-looking, and trained in all wisdom, having a good education and much knowledge, and able to take positions in the king's house; and to have them trained in the writing and language of the Chaldaeans.

And when Paul was about to be taken into the building, he said to the chief captain, May I say something to you? And he said, Have you a knowledge of Greek?

And these words were put in writing over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

Men of Parthia, Media, and Elam, and those living in Mesopotamia, in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, In Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and those who have come from Rome, Jews by birth and others who have become Jews, Men of Crete and Arabia, to all of us they are talking in our different languages, of the great works of God.

Men of Crete and Arabia, to all of us they are talking in our different languages, of the great works of God.

And the Lord said, See, they are all one people and have all one language; and this is only the start of what they may do: and now it will not be possible to keep them from any purpose of theirs.

And all the earth had one language and one tongue.

And when the people saw what Paul had done, they said in a loud voice, in the language of Lycaonia, The gods have come down to us in the form of men.

And their children were talking half in the language of Ashdod; they had no knowledge of the Jews' language, but made use of the language of the two peoples.

Young men who were strong and healthy, good-looking, and trained in all wisdom, having a good education and much knowledge, and able to take positions in the king's house; and to have them trained in the writing and language of the Chaldaeans.

After these things I saw a great army of people more than might be numbered, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and languages, taking their places before the high seat and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, and with branches in their hands,

And I am coming to get together all nations and tongues: and they will come and will see my glory.

From these came the nations of the sea-lands, with their different families and languages.

All these, with their different families, languages, lands, and nations, are the offspring of Ham.