40 Bible Verses about Language

Therefore, the person who speaks in a foreign language should pray for the ability to interpret it.

Now I wish that all of you could speak in foreign languages, but especially that you could prophesy. The person who prophesies is more important than the person who speaks in a foreign language, unless he interprets it so that the church may be built up.

If anyone speaks in a foreign language, only two or three at the most should do so, one at a time, and somebody must interpret. If an interpreter is not present, the speaker should remain silent in the church and speak to himself and God.

People of Israel, I'm now bringing a nation from far away to attack you," declares the LORD. "It is an enduring nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don't know. And you won't understand what they say.

"The LORD will raise a distant nation against you from the other side of the earth. Swooping down like a vulture,

Very well, then, through the mouths of foreigners and foreign languages the LORD will speak to this people

These are the signs that will accompany those who believe: In my name they'll drive out demons, they'll speak in new languages,

When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in foreign languages and to prophesy.

to another miraculous results; to another prophecy; to another the ability to distinguish between spirits; to another various kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages.

Stunned and amazed, they asked, "All of these people who are speaking are Galileans, aren't they? So how is it that each one of us hears them speaking in his own native language:

because they heard them speaking in foreign languages and praising God. Then Peter said,

Now if the whole church gathers in the same place and everyone is speaking in foreign languages, when uneducated people or unbelievers come in, they will say that you are out of your mind, won't they?

For the person who speaks in a foreign language is not actually speaking to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands him, because he is talking about secrets by the Spirit. But the person who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding, encouragement, and comfort. The person who speaks in a foreign language builds himself up, but the person who prophesies builds up the church. read more.
Now I wish that all of you could speak in foreign languages, but especially that you could prophesy. The person who prophesies is more important than the person who speaks in a foreign language, unless he interprets it so that the church may be built up. Indeed, brothers, if I come to you speaking in foreign languages, what good will I be to you unless I speak to you in some revelation, knowledge, prophecy, or teaching? In the same way, lifeless instruments like the flute or harp produce sounds. But if there's no difference in the notes, how can a person tell what tune is being played? For example, if a bugle doesn't sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? In the same way, unless you speak an intelligible message with your language, how will anyone know what is being said? You'll be talking into the air! There are, I suppose, many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If I don't know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. In the same way, since you're so desirous of spiritual gifts, you must keep on desiring them for building up the church.

from whom the coastal nations spread into their own lands and nations, each with their own language and family groups.

These are Ham's descendants, listed by their families, each with their own lands, language, and family groups.

These are Shem's descendants, listed by their families, each with their own lands, language, and family groups.

Afterward, King Darius wrote to all nations, nations, and languages who lived throughout his realm: "May great prosperity be yours!

He sent letters to all the provinces of the king, written in the script of that province, and to each people in their own language, ordering that every man should be the master in his house and speak the language of his own people.

Then a herald proclaimed aloud:

Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the district of Libya near Cyrene, Jewish and proselyte visitors from Rome,

a decree that he prescribed for Joseph when he went throughout the land of Egypt, speaking a language I did not recognize.

When Israel came out of Egypt the household of Jacob from a people of foreign speech

The Chaldeans responded to the king in Aramaic: "May the king live forever. Tell the dream to your servants, and we'll reveal its meaning."

At this, Hilkiah's son Eliakim, Shebnah, and Joah asked Rab-shakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, because we understand it, but don't speak the language of Judah to us within the hearing of the people who are on the wall."

While Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their co-conspirators wrote in the Aramaic language and script to King Artaxerxes of Persia. Aramaic:

The LORD said, "Look! They are one people with the same language for all of them, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing that they have a mind to do will be impossible for them!

There was a time when the entire earth spoke a common language with an identical vocabulary.

"All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in the Hebrew language, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the cattle prods.'

Then Rab-shakeh stood up and cried out loud, "Listen to what the great king, the king of Assyria has to say.

This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that this field is called in their language Hakeldama, that is, "The Field of Blood".)

They sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered. With your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

At this, Hilkiah's son Eliakim, Shebnah, and Joah asked Rab-shakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, because we understand it, but don't speak the language of Judah to us within the hearing of the people who are on the wall."

While Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their co-conspirators wrote in the Aramaic language and script to King Artaxerxes of Persia. Aramaic:

Again he denied it. After a little while, the people who were standing there began to say to Peter again, "Obviously you're one of them, because you are a Galilean!"

When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us!"

There was a time when the entire earth spoke a common language with an identical vocabulary. As people migrated westward, they came across a plain in the region of Shinar and settled there. They told each other, "Come on! Let's burn bricks thoroughly." They used bricks for stone and tar for mortar. read more.
Then they said, "Come on! Let's build ourselves a city and a tower, with its summit in the heavens, and let's make a name for ourselves so we won't be scattered over the surface of the whole earth." However, the LORD descended to look over the city and the tower that the humans were building. The LORD said, "Look! They are one people with the same language for all of them, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing that they have a mind to do will be impossible for them! Come on! Let's go down there and confuse their language, so that they won't understand each other's speech." So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the surface of the whole earth, so that they had to stop building the city. Therefore it was called Babylon, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth, and from there the LORD scattered them over the surface of the entire earth.

from whom the coastal nations spread into their own lands and nations, each with their own language and family groups.

These are Ham's descendants, listed by their families, each with their own lands, language, and family groups.

These are Shem's descendants, listed by their families, each with their own lands, language, and family groups.

When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in foreign languages and to prophesy.

Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Many Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

So how is it that each one of us hears them speaking in his own native language: Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the district of Libya near Cyrene, Jewish and proselyte visitors from Rome, read more.
Cretans, and Arabs, listening to them talk in our own languages about the great deeds of God?"

Foreign languages, then, are meant to be a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers, while prophecy is meant, not for unbelievers, but for believers.

to another miraculous results; to another prophecy; to another the ability to distinguish between spirits; to another various kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages.

Many Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

There was also an inscription over him written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: "This is the King of the Jews."

to another miraculous results; to another prophecy; to another the ability to distinguish between spirits; to another various kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages.

If I don't know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker will be a foreigner to me.

There are, I suppose, many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning.

Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the tribune, "May I say something to you?"

There was also an inscription over him written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: "This is the King of the Jews."

Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the district of Libya near Cyrene, Jewish and proselyte visitors from Rome,

When Israel came out of Egypt the household of Jacob from a people of foreign speech

After a little while, the people who were standing there came up and told Peter, "Obviously you're also one of them, because your accent gives you away."

they would order him, "Pronounce the word "Shibboleth' right now." If he said "Sibboleth," not being able to pronounce it correctly, they would seize him and slaughter him there at the fords of the Jordan River. During those days 42,000 descendants of Ephraim died that way.

As people migrated westward, they came across a plain in the region of Shinar and settled there. They told each other, "Come on! Let's burn bricks thoroughly." They used bricks for stone and tar for mortar. Then they said, "Come on! Let's build ourselves a city and a tower, with its summit in the heavens, and let's make a name for ourselves so we won't be scattered over the surface of the whole earth." read more.
However, the LORD descended to look over the city and the tower that the humans were building. The LORD said, "Look! They are one people with the same language for all of them, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing that they have a mind to do will be impossible for them!

So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the surface of the whole earth, so that they had to stop building the city. Therefore it was called Babylon, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth, and from there the LORD scattered them over the surface of the entire earth.

While Peter was still making this statement, the Holy Spirit fell on all the people who were listening to his message. Then the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the gentiles, too, because they heard them speaking in foreign languages and praising God. Then Peter said,

Meanwhile, they had no idea that Joseph could understand them, since he was talking to them through an interpreter.

because you're not going to a people whose speech you cannot understand or whose language is difficult to speak. Instead, you're going to the house of Israel. This isn't a large group of people whose speech is unintelligible to you or whose language is difficult for you to comprehend. Frankly, if I had sent you to that kind of people, they would certainly have listened to you!

Come on! Let's go down there and confuse their language, so that they won't understand each other's speech."

Stunned and amazed, they asked, "All of these people who are speaking are Galileans, aren't they? So how is it that each one of us hears them speaking in his own native language: Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, read more.
Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the district of Libya near Cyrene, Jewish and proselyte visitors from Rome, Cretans, and Arabs, listening to them talk in our own languages about the great deeds of God?"

They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.

These are the signs that will accompany those who believe: In my name they'll drive out demons, they'll speak in new languages,

When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us!"

They were to be young men without physical defect, handsome in appearance, skilled in all wisdom, quick to learn, prudent in how they used knowledge, and capable of serving in the king's palace. They were to learn the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the tribune, "May I say something to you?"

There was also an inscription over him written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: "This is the King of the Jews."

Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the district of Libya near Cyrene, Jewish and proselyte visitors from Rome, Cretans, and Arabs, listening to them talk in our own languages about the great deeds of God?"

Cretans, and Arabs, listening to them talk in our own languages about the great deeds of God?"

The LORD said, "Look! They are one people with the same language for all of them, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing that they have a mind to do will be impossible for them!

There was a time when the entire earth spoke a common language with an identical vocabulary.

When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us!"

Furthermore, their children spoke half of the time in the language of Ashdod, and could not speak in the language of Judah. Instead, they spoke in the languages of various nations.

They were to be young men without physical defect, handsome in appearance, skilled in all wisdom, quick to learn, prudent in how they used knowledge, and capable of serving in the king's palace. They were to learn the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

After these things, I looked, and there was a crowd so large that no one was able to count it! They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing in front of the throne and the lamb and were wearing white robes, with palm branches in their hands.

"But as for me, I know their actions and their thoughts. Come and gather all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.

from whom the coastal nations spread into their own lands and nations, each with their own language and family groups.

These are Ham's descendants, listed by their families, each with their own lands, language, and family groups.