CategoryDoctrine / Language and Spiritual Gift Term
Modern Equivalentlanguages; speech; spiritual gift of languages.
KJV Word TypeNoun / language and spiritual-gift term
DefinitionLanguages or speech. In the KJV, “tongues” may refer to ordinary human languages, the physical tongue, or Spirit-enabled speech in New Testament contexts.
Key Verses"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:4); "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." (1 Corinthians 13:1)
KJV Usage NoteContext determines whether the word refers to languages, speech, the physical tongue, or the spiritual gift discussed in Acts and 1 Corinthians.
Common MisunderstandingIt does not always refer to ecstatic speech only; in many contexts it simply means languages or speech.
EtymologyFrom Old English tunge, meaning tongue, language, or speech.