Dictionaries :: Tongue (-s)

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Tongue (-s):

is used of

(1) the "tongues... like as of fire" which appeared at Pentecost;

(2) "the tongue," as an organ of speech, e.g., Mar 7:33; Rom 3:13; 14:11; 1Cr 14:9; Phl 2:11; Jam 1:26; 3:5, 6, 8; 1Pe 3:10; 1Jo 3:18; Rev 16:10;

(3)
   (a) "a language," coupled with phule, "a tribe," laos, "a people," ethnos, "a nation," seven times in the Apocalypse, Rev 5:9; 7:9; 10:11; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; 17:15;

(b) "the supernatural gift of speaking in another language without its having been learnt;" in Act 2:4-13 the circumstances are recorded from the viewpoint of the hearers; to those in whose language the utterances were made it appeared as a supernatural phenomenon; to others, the stammering of drunkards; what was uttered was not addressed primarily to the audience but consisted in recounting "the mighty works of God;" cp. Act 2:46; in 1 Cor., chapters 12 and 14, the use of the gift of "tongues" is mentioned as exercised in the gatherings of local churches; 1Cr 12:10 speaks of the gift in general terms, and couples with it that of "the interpretation of tongues;" chapt. 14 gives instruction concerning the use of the gift, the paramount object being the edification of the church; unless the "tongue" was interpreted the speaker would speak "not unto men, but unto God," 1Cr 14:2; he would edify himself alone, 1Cr 14:4, unless he interpreted, 1Cr 14:5, in which case his interpretation would be of the same value as the superior gift of prophesying, as he would edify the church, 1Cr 14:4-6; he must pray that he may interpret, 1Cr 14:13; if there were no interpreter, he must keep silence, 1Cr 14:28, for all things were to be done "unto edifying," 1Cr 14:26. "If I come... speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you," says the Apostle (expressing the great object in all oral ministry), "unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophesying, or of teaching?" (1Cr 14:6). "Tongues" were for a sign, not to believers, but to unbelievers, 1Cr 14:22, and especially to unbelieving Jews (see 1Cr 14:21): cp. the passages in the Acts.

There is no evidence of the continuance of this gift after apostolic times nor indeed in the later times of the Apostles themselves; this provides confirmation of the fulfillment in this way of 1Cr 13:8, that this gift would cease in the churches, just as would "prophecies" and "knowledge" in the sense of knowledge received by immediate supernatural power (cp. 1Cr 14:6). The completion of the Holy Scriptures has provided the churches with all that is necessary for individual and collective guidance, instruction, and edification.

Tongue (-s):

"language" (Eng., "dialect"), is rendered "tongue" in the AV of Act 1:19; 2:6, 8; 21:40; 22:2; 26:14.
See LANGUAGE.

Tongue (-s):

is rendered "strange tongues" in 1Cr 14:21, RV (heteros, "another of a different sort," see ANOTHER, and A, No. 1), AV, "other tongues."

Tongue (-s):

(or ebraisti, Westcott and Hort) denotes

(a) "in Hebrew," Rev 9:11, RV (AV, "in the Hebrew tongue"); so Rev 16:16;

(b) in the Aramaic vernacular of Palestine, Jhn 5:2, AV, "in the Hebrew tongue" (RV, "in Hebrew"); in Jhn 19:13, 17, AV, "in the Hebrew" (RV, "in Hebrew"); in Jhn 19:20, AV and RV, "in Hebrew;" in Jhn 20:16, RV only, "in Hebrew (Rabboni)."

Note: Cp. Hellenisti, "in Greek," Jhn 19:20, RV; Act 21:37, "Greek."
See also Rhomaisti, under LATIN.