40 Bible Verses about Language

Wherefore let him that speaks with a tongue pray that he may interpret.

Now I desire that ye should all speak with tongues, but rather that ye should prophesy. But greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues, unless he interpret, that the assembly may receive edification.

If any one speak with a tongue, let it be two, or at the most three, and separately, and let one interpret; but if there be no interpreter, let him be silent in the assembly, and let him speak to himself and to God.

Behold, I bring a nation upon you from afar, house of Israel, saith Jehovah: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest thou what they say.

Jehovah will bring a nation against thee from afar, from the end of the earth, like as the eagle flieth, a nation whose tongue thou understandest not;

For with stammering lips and a strange tongue will he speak to this people;

And these signs shall follow those that have believed: in my name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues;

And Paul having laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

and to another operations of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; and to a different one kinds of tongues; and to another interpretation of tongues.

And all were amazed and wondered, saying, Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galilaeans? and how do we hear them each in our own dialect in which we have been born,

for they heard them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered,

If therefore the whole assembly come together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and simple persons enter in, or unbelievers, will not they say ye are mad?

For he that speaks with a tongue does not speak to men but to God: for no one hears; but in spirit he speaks mysteries. But he that prophesies speaks to men in edification, and encouragement, and consolation. He that speaks with a tongue edifies himself; but he that prophesies edifies the assembly. read more.
Now I desire that ye should all speak with tongues, but rather that ye should prophesy. But greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues, unless he interpret, that the assembly may receive edification. And now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, unless I shall speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophecy, or in teaching? Even lifeless things giving a sound, whether pipe or harp, if they give not distinction to the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For also, if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for war? Thus also ye with the tongue, unless ye give a distinct speech, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye will be speaking to the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of undistinguishable sound. If therefore I do not know the power of the sound, I shall be to him that speaks a barbarian, and he that speaks a barbarian for me. Thus ye also, since ye are desirous of spirits, seek that ye may abound for the edification of the assembly.

From these came the distribution of the isles of the nations, according to their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, in their nations.

These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.

Then king Darius wrote unto all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.

And he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language, That every man should bear rule in his own house, and should speak according to the language of his people.

And the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,

both Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya which adjoin Cyrene, and the Romans sojourning here, both Jews and proselytes,

He ordained it in Joseph for a testimony, when he went forth over the land of Egypt, where I heard a language that I knew not.

When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, O king, live for ever! tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

And Eliakim the son of Hilkijah, and Shebnah and Joah said to Rab-shakeh, Speak, we pray thee, to thy servants in Syriac, for we understand it, and talk not with us in the Jewish language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic.

And Jehovah said, Behold, the people is one, and have all one language; and this have they begun to do. And now will they be hindered in nothing that they meditate doing.

And the whole earth had one language, and the same words.

And, when we were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against goads.

And Rab-shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and spoke and said, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!

And it was known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their own dialect Aceldama; that is, field of blood.)

And they sing a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals; because thou hast been slain, and hast redeemed to God, by thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,

And Eliakim the son of Hilkijah, and Shebnah and Joah said to Rab-shakeh, Speak, we pray thee, to thy servants in Syriac, for we understand it, and talk not with us in the Jewish language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic.

And he again denied. And again, after a little, those that stood by said to Peter, Truly thou art one of them, for also thou art a Galilean.

But the crowds, who saw what Paul had done, lifted up their voices in Lycaonian, saying, The gods, having made themselves like men, are come down to us.

And the whole earth had one language, and the same words. And it came to pass as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and dwelt there. And they said one to another, Come on, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. read more.
And they said, Come on, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, the top of which may reach to the heavens; and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth. And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built. And Jehovah said, Behold, the people is one, and have all one language; and this have they begun to do. And now will they be hindered in nothing that they meditate doing. Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. And Jehovah scattered them thence over the face of the whole earth. And they left off building the city. Therefore was its name called Babel; because Jehovah there confounded the language of the whole earth. And Jehovah scattered them thence over the face of the whole earth.

From these came the distribution of the isles of the nations, according to their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, in their nations.

These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.

And Paul having laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

This title therefore many of the Jews read, for the place of the city where Jesus was crucified was near; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, Latin.

and how do we hear them each in our own dialect in which we have been born, Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those who inhabit Mesopotamia, and Judaea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, both Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya which adjoin Cyrene, and the Romans sojourning here, both Jews and proselytes, read more.
Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our own tongues the great things of God?

So that tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to unbelievers; but prophecy, not to unbelievers, but to those who believe.

and to another operations of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; and to a different one kinds of tongues; and to another interpretation of tongues.

This title therefore many of the Jews read, for the place of the city where Jesus was crucified was near; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, Latin.

And there was also an inscription written over him in Greek, and Roman, and Hebrew letters: This is the King of the Jews.

and to another operations of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; and to a different one kinds of tongues; and to another interpretation of tongues.

If therefore I do not know the power of the sound, I shall be to him that speaks a barbarian, and he that speaks a barbarian for me.

There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of undistinguishable sound.

But as he was about to be led into the fortress, Paul says to the chiliarch, Is it allowed me to say something to thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek?

And there was also an inscription written over him in Greek, and Roman, and Hebrew letters: This is the King of the Jews.

both Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya which adjoin Cyrene, and the Romans sojourning here, both Jews and proselytes,

When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

And after a little, those who stood there, coming to him, said to Peter, Truly thou too art of them, for also thy speech makes thee manifest.

they said to him, "Then say Shibboleth," and he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it right; then they seized him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time forty-two thousand of the E'phraimites.

And it came to pass as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and dwelt there. And they said one to another, Come on, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, Come on, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, the top of which may reach to the heavens; and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth. read more.
And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built. And Jehovah said, Behold, the people is one, and have all one language; and this have they begun to do. And now will they be hindered in nothing that they meditate doing.

And Jehovah scattered them thence over the face of the whole earth. And they left off building the city. Therefore was its name called Babel; because Jehovah there confounded the language of the whole earth. And Jehovah scattered them thence over the face of the whole earth.

While Peter was yet speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were hearing the word. And the faithful of the circumcision were astonished, as many as came with Peter, that upon the nations also the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out: for they heard them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered,

And they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them.

For thou art not sent to a people of strange language, and of difficult speech, but to the house of Israel; not to many peoples of strange language and of difficult speech, whose words thou canst not understand: had I sent thee to them, would they not hearken unto thee?

Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

And all were amazed and wondered, saying, Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galilaeans? and how do we hear them each in our own dialect in which we have been born, Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those who inhabit Mesopotamia, and Judaea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, read more.
both Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya which adjoin Cyrene, and the Romans sojourning here, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our own tongues the great things of God?

And there appeared to them parted tongues, as of fire, and it sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave to them to speak forth.

And these signs shall follow those that have believed: in my name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues;

But the crowds, who saw what Paul had done, lifted up their voices in Lycaonian, saying, The gods, having made themselves like men, are come down to us.

youths in whom was no blemish, and of goodly countenance, and skilful in all wisdom, and acquainted with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the language of the Chaldeans.

But as he was about to be led into the fortress, Paul says to the chiliarch, Is it allowed me to say something to thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek?

And there was also an inscription written over him in Greek, and Roman, and Hebrew letters: This is the King of the Jews.

Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those who inhabit Mesopotamia, and Judaea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, both Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya which adjoin Cyrene, and the Romans sojourning here, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our own tongues the great things of God?

Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our own tongues the great things of God?

And Jehovah said, Behold, the people is one, and have all one language; and this have they begun to do. And now will they be hindered in nothing that they meditate doing.

And the whole earth had one language, and the same words.

But the crowds, who saw what Paul had done, lifted up their voices in Lycaonian, saying, The gods, having made themselves like men, are come down to us.

And their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.

youths in whom was no blemish, and of goodly countenance, and skilful in all wisdom, and acquainted with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the language of the Chaldeans.

After these things I saw, and lo, a great crowd, which no one could number, out of every nation and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm branches in their hands.

And I, their works and their thoughts are before me. ... The time cometh for the gathering of all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

From these came the distribution of the isles of the nations, according to their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, in their nations.