1 Corinthians 14:8

World English Bible (2000)

For if the trumpet gave an uncertain sound, who would prepare himself for war?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ γὰρ ἐὰν ἄδηλον φωνὴν σάλπιγξ δῷ, τίς παρασκευάσεται εἰς πόλεμον;

Transliteration

Kai gar ean adēlon phōnēn salpinx dō, tis paraskeuasetai eis polemon?

Grammar Details

• *Kai*: conjunction - and/also/even
• *gar*: postpositive conjunction - for/because [explanatory]
• *ean*: conditional conjunction - if
• *adēlon*: accusative, feminine, singular - uncertain/indistinct/unclear
• *phōnēn*: accusative, feminine, singular - sound/voice
• *salpinx*: nominative, feminine, singular - trumpet
• *dō*: aorist subjunctive, 3rd singular - might give/produce
• *tis*: nominative, masculine, singular - who? [interrogative]
• *paraskeuasetai*: future middle indicative, 3rd singular - will prepare himself
• *eis*: preposition + accusative - for/into/to
• *polemon*: accusative, masculine, singular - battle/war

Word Meanings

• *adēlon*: uncertain/indistinct/unclear/obscure
• *phōnēn*: sound/voice/noise/tone
• *salpinx*: trumpet/bugle/horn
• *paraskeuasetai*: will prepare himself/will get ready
• *polemon*: battle/war/combat/fighting

Referenced Verses

• Num 10:9 : 9 When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.
• Jer 4:19 : 19 My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I can't hold my peace; because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
• Ezek 33:3-6 : 3 if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn't take warning, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and didn't take warning; his blood shall be on him; whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword come, and doesn't blow the trumpet, and the people aren't warned, and the sword comes, and take any person from among them; he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
• Joel 2:1 : 1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of Yahweh comes, for it is close at hand:
• Amos 3:6 : 6 Does the trumpet alarm sound in a city, without the people being afraid? Does evil happen to a city, and Yahweh hasn't done it?
• Eph 6:11-18 : 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; 16 above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:
• Josh 6:4-9 : 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him." 6 Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Yahweh." 7 They said to the people, "Advance! March around the city, and let the armed men pass on before Yahweh's ark." 8 It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before Yahweh advanced, and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the ark went after them. The trumpets sounded as they went. 10 Joshua commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout." 11 So he caused the ark of Yahweh to go around the city, going about it once. Then they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. 12 Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of Yahweh. 13 The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Yahweh went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went before them. The rear guard came after the ark of Yahweh. The trumpets sounded as they went. 14 The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days. 15 It happened on the seventh day, that they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. Only on this day they marched around the city seven times. 16 It happened at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout, for Yahweh has given you the city! 17 The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from the devoted thing, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so would you make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy to Yahweh. They shall come into Yahweh's treasury." 20 So the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets. It happened, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
• Judg 7:16-18 : 16 He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers. 17 He said to them, "Watch me, and do likewise. Behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so you shall do. 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and shout, 'For Yahweh and for Gideon!'"
• Neh 4:18-21 : 18 and the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me. 19 I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us." 21 So we worked in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
• Job 39:24-25 : 24 He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet. 25 As often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, 'Aha!' He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
• Isa 27:13 : 13 It will happen in that day that a great trumpet will be blown; and those who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and those who were outcasts in the land of Egypt, shall come; and they will worship Yahweh in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.