Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:27
Verse 27. Speak in an unknown tongue] The Hebrew, as has already been conjectured. Let it be by two; or at the most by three, and that by course] Let only two or three in one assembly act in this way, that too much time may not be taken up with one exercise; and let this be done by course, the one after the other, that two may not be speaking at the same time: and let one interpret for all that shall thus speak.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 27. If any man speak in an unknown tongue , etc.] He begins with the gift of tongues, with speaking in an unknown tongue, as the Hebrew language, because this they were desirous of: and the rule for this he would have observed is, let it be by two, or at most by three, and that by course . The Arabic version reads it, let him speak to two, or at most three, and separately; as if it respected the number of persons he was to speak to at a time, and that in a separate and private manner: but the apostles sense is, that two such persons as had the gift of speaking in an unknown tongue, or three at most, should be only employed at one opportunity, lest too much time should be taken up this way, and prevent a more useful and edifying exercise; and that these should speak not together, which would be a mere jargon and confusion, and make them took like madmen, and render them entirely useless indeed; but in course, one after another, that so an interpreter might be able to take their sense, and render what they said, and express it in a language the people understood: for it follows, let one interpret what the two or three had said. This practice seems to be borrowed from the Jews, who had such an officer in the synagogue as a Methurgeman, or an interpreter. The rise of which office, and the rules to be observed in the performance of it, are as follow, delivered by Maimonides f304 : from the times of Ezra it has been customary that an interpreter should interpret to the people what the reader reads in the law, so that they may understand the nature of things; and the reader reads one verse only, and is silent until the interpreter has interpreted it; then he returns and reads a second verse: a reader may not raise his voice above the interpreter, nor the interpreter raise his voice above the reader. The interpreter may not interpret until the verse is finished out of the mouth of the reader, and the reader may not read a verse until the interpretation is finished out of the mouth of the interpreter; and the interpreter might not lean neither upon a pillar, nor a beam, but must stand in trembling, and in fear; and he may not interpret by writing, but by mouth: and the reader may not help the interpreter; and they may not say the interpretation written in the law; and a little one may interpret by the means of a grown person, but it is no honour to a grown person to interpret by the means of a little one; and two may not interpret as one, but one reads grtm djaw , and one interprets f305 .
An interpreter might not interpret according to his own sense, nor according to the form of the words, or its literal sense; nor might he add of his own, but was obliged to go according to the Targum of Onkelos f306 , which they say was the same that was delivered on Mount Sinai. The place they stood in was just before the reader; for so it is said f307 , the interpreters stand before the wise man on the sabbath days, and hear from his mouth, and cause the multitude to hear.
And elsewhere it is said f308 , the interpreter stands before the wise man, the preacher, and the wise man (or doctor) whispers to him in the Hebrew language, and he interprets to the multitude in a language they hear, or understand. And sometimes these sat at his side, and only reported what the doctor whispered privately. So it is said f309 , that when the son of R. Judah bar Ilai died, he went into the house of Midrash, or the school, and R. Chaniah ben Akabia went in and sat by his side, and he whispered to him, and he to the interpreter, and the interpreter caused the multitude to hear.
And they never put any man into this office until he was fifty years of age f310 . Several of the Jewish Rabbins were interpreters, as R. Chananiah before mentioned, and R. Chutzphit, and others f311 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 26-33 - Religious exercises in public assemblies should have this view; Let all be done to edifying. As to the speaking in an unknown tongue, if another were present who could interpret, two miraculous gifts might be exercised at once, and thereby the church be edified, and the faith of the hearers confirmed at the same time. As to prophesying, two or thre only should speak at one meeting, and this one after the other, not all at once. The man who is inspired by the Spirit of God will observ order and decency in delivering his revelations. God never teaches me to neglect their duties, or to act in any way unbecoming their age of station.
Greek Textus Receptus
ειτε 1535 CONJ γλωσση 1100 N-DSF τις 5100 X-NSM λαλει 2980 5719 V-PAI-3S κατα 2596 PREP δυο 1417 A-NUI η 2228 PRT το 3588 T-ASN πλειστον 4118 A-ASN τρεις 5140 A-NPM και 2532 CONJ ανα 303 PREP μερος 3313 N-ASN και 2532 CONJ εις 1520 A-NSM διερμηνευετω 1329 5720 V-PAM-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
27. By two, etc. That is, to the number of two or three at each meeting. 123 By course (ana merov). Rev., correctly, in turn. Edwards' explanation, antiphonally, is quite beside the mark.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
14:27 {By two} (kata duo). According to two, ratio. {Or at most} (e to pleiston). Adverbial accusative, "or at the most." {Three} (treis). kata to be repeated. {And that in turn} (kai ana meros). One at a time and not over three in all.
