John Gill, on 1Cor 14:14

“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is without fruit.”

“For if I pray in an unknown tongue,.... In the Hebrew tongue, which the greatest part of the Jewish doctors insisted (a) upon should be only used in prayer; which notion might be borrowed from them, and now greatly prevailed in the church at Corinth; and the custom was used by such as had the gift of speaking that language, even though the body and bulk of the people understood it not: my spirit prayeth; I pray with my breath vocally; or else with affection and devotion, understanding what I say myself, and so am edified; or rather with the gift of the Spirit bestowed on me: but my understanding is unfruitful; that is, what I say with understanding to myself is unprofitable to others, not being understood by them. (a) Vid. Trigland. de Sect. Kar. c. 10. p. 172, 173.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.