What does the Bible say about language?

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• Genesis 11:1-9

  [1] The whole earth was of one language and of one speech. [2] It happened, as they traveled east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they lived there. [3] They said one to another, "Come, let's make brick, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. [4] They said, "Come, let's build us a city, and a tower, whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth." [5] Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. [6] Yahweh said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. [7] Come, let's go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." [8] So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city. [9] Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because Yahweh confused the language of all the earth, there. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

• Zephaniah 3:9

  For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on the name of Yahweh, to serve him shoulder to shoulder.

• 1 Corinthians 14:9

  So also you, unless you uttered by the tongue words easy to understand, how would it be known what is spoken? For you would be speaking into the air.

• Revelation 7:9-10

  [9] After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. [10] They cried with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

• Exodus 4:10-12

  [10] Moses said to Yahweh, "Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." [11] Yahweh said to him, "Who made man's mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn't it I, Yahweh? [12] Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak."

• Isaiah 50:4

  The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary: he wakens morning by morning, he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

• Deuteronomy 28:49

  Yahweh will bring a nation against you from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies; a nation whose language you shall not understand;

• Psalms 19:1-4

  [1] > The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork. [2] Day after day they pour forth speech, And night after night they display knowledge. [3] There is no speech nor language, Where their voice is not heard. [4] Their voice has gone out through all the earth, Their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,

• 1 Corinthians 14:10

  There are, it may be, so many kinds of sounds in the world, and none of them is without meaning.

• Acts 2:1-11

  [1] Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. [2] Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [3] Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. [4] They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. [5] Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky. [6] When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. [7] They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Behold, aren't all these who speak Galileans? [8] How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? [9] Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, [10] Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, [11] Cretans and Arabians: we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!"

Study outline

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Related topics

• bad language
• vulgar language
• using bad language
• body language
• foul language
• crude language