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Language.

From: The New Topical Textbook

By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 1 min. read • grade level: 12

Of all mankind one at first. Gen. 11:1, 6¹And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. (Genesis 11:1)
⁶And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (Genesis 11:6).

CALLED

Speech. Mark 14:70⁷⁰And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. (Mark 14:70). Acts 14:11¹¹And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. (Acts 14:11).

Tongue. Acts 1:19¹⁹And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. (Acts 1:19). Rev. 5:9⁹And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9).

CONFUSION OF,

A punishment for presumption, &c. Gen. 11:2-6²And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. ³And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. ⁴And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. ⁵And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. ⁶And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (Genesis 11:2‑6).

Originated the varieties in. Gen. 11:7⁷Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. (Genesis 11:7).

Scattered men over the earth. Gen. 11:8, 9⁸So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. ⁹Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:8‑9).

Divided men into separate nations. Gen. 10:5, 20, 31⁵By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. (Genesis 10:5)
²⁰These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations. (Genesis 10:20)
³¹These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. (Genesis 10:31).

Great variety of, spoken by men. 1 Cor. 14:10¹⁰There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. (1 Corinthians 14:10).

Ancient kingdoms often comprehended nations of different. Esther 1:22²²For he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people. (Esther 1:22). Dan. 3:4⁴Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, (Daniel 3:4). Dan. 6:25²⁵Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. (Daniel 6:25).

KINDS OF, MENTIONED;

Hebrew. 2 Kin. 18:28. Acts 26:14¹⁴And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. (Acts 26:14).

Chaldee. Dan. 1:4⁴Children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in 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 tongue of the Chaldeans. (Daniel 1:4).

Syriac. 2 Kin. 18:26. Ezra 4:7⁷And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue. (Ezra 4:7).

Greek. Acts 21:37³⁷And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? (Acts 21:37).

Latin. Luke 23:38³⁸And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. (Luke 23:38).

Lycaonian. Acts 14:11¹¹And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. (Acts 14:11).

Arabic, &c. Acts 2:11¹¹Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:11).

Egyptian. Psa. 81:5⁵This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not. (Psalm 81:5). Psa. 114:1¹When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; (Psalm 114:1). Acts 2:10¹⁰Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, (Acts 2:10).

Of some nations difficult. Ezek. 3:5, 6⁵For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; ⁶Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee. (Ezekiel 3:5‑6).

The term barbarian applied to those who spoke a strange. 1 Cor. 14:11¹¹Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. (1 Corinthians 14:11).

POWER OF SPEAKING DIFFERENT,

A gift of the Holy Ghost. 1 Cor. 12:10¹⁰To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: (1 Corinthians 12:10).

Promised. Mar. 16:17.

Given on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:3, 4³And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:3‑4).

Followed receiving the gospel. Acts 10:44-46⁴⁴While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. ⁴⁵And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. ⁴⁶For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, (Acts 10:44‑46).

Conferred by laying on of the apostles' hands. Acts 8:17, 18¹⁷Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. ¹⁸And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, (Acts 8:17‑18). Acts 19:6⁶And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. (Acts 19:6).

Necessary to spread of the gospel. Acts 2:7-11⁷And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? ⁸And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? ⁹Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:7‑11).

A sign to unbelievers. 1 Cor. 14: 72.

Sometimes abused. 1 Cor. 14:2-12, 23²For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. ³But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. ⁴He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. ⁵I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. ⁶Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? ⁷And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? ⁸For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? ⁹So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. ¹⁰There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. ¹¹Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. ¹²Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. (1 Corinthians 14:2‑12)
²³If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? (1 Corinthians 14:23).

INTERPRETATION OF,

Antiquity of engaging persons for, Gen. 42:23²³And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. (Genesis 42:23).

A gift of the Holy Ghost. 1 Cor. 12:10¹⁰To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: (1 Corinthians 12:10).

Most important in the early church. 1 Cor. 14:5, 13, 27, 28⁵I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. (1 Corinthians 14:5)
¹³Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. (1 Corinthians 14:13)
²⁷If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. ²⁸But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. (1 Corinthians 14:27‑28).

The Jews punished by being given up to people of a strange. Deut. 28:49⁴⁹The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; (Deuteronomy 28:49). Isa. 28:11¹¹For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. (Isaiah 28:11). Jer. 5:15¹⁵Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say. (Jeremiah 5:15).

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