Greek Word Study

Tongues, γλῶσσα (glōssa)

Strong's G1100 · The Greek word behind one of the most important signs in all of Scripture.

The Word Itself

γλῶσσα, What It Means

The Greek word most commonly translated as "tongues" in the New Testament is γλῶσσα (glōssa), assigned Strong's Concordance number G1100. It appears across contexts ranging from the physical body part (the tongue) to known human languages, to spiritual utterance inspired by the Holy Spirit. Understanding how this one word carries multiple meanings, and how context determines which meaning applies, is key to understanding what happened at Pentecost and why it still matters today.

Forms of γλῶσσα in the New Testament

Like all Greek nouns, γλῶσσα changes form based on its grammatical case and number. These forms appear throughout the New Testament in different contexts.

Form	Case / Number	Usage
γλῶσσα	Nominative Singular	a tongue or a language
γλώσσῃ	Dative Singular	with / in a tongue
γλώσσης	Genitive Singular	of a tongue
γλῶσσαι	Nominative Plural	tongues / languages
γλωσσῶν	Genitive Plural	of tongues
γλώσσαις	Dative Plural	in tongues

Where glōssa Appears

Key New Testament References

Mark 16:17 γλώσσαις καιναῖς

"They will speak with new tongues."

Here this sign is named among those that follow believers; many Pentecostal and Apostolic interpreters understand it as confirmation of the gospel rather than a mere curiosity.

Acts 2:3-4 ἑτέραις γλώσσαις

"They began to speak with other tongues."

The initial outpouring at Pentecost. The word "other" (heteros) marks these as languages other than the disciples' own; the narrative that follows (Acts 2:6-11) points to supernatural utterance beyond their native tongues.

Acts 10:46 γλώσσαις

"They heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God."

The Gentiles at Cornelius' house spoke in tongues. Peter recognized this as the same gift as Pentecost (Acts 11:15-17).

Acts 19:6 γλώσσαις

"They spoke with tongues and prophesied."

The Ephesian disciples, after receiving baptism in Jesus' name and the Holy Ghost, spoke in tongues, completing the Acts 2:38 pattern.

1 Corinthians 12:10 γένη γλωσσῶν

"To another different kinds of tongues."

Paul includes tongues in the list of spiritual gifts, acknowledging varieties of the gift in the church body.

James 3:5-6 γλῶσσα

"Even so the tongue is a little member..."

Here glōssa refers to the literal body part, evidence that context determines which meaning applies.

Three Categories of Meaning

The same Greek word carries three distinct but related meanings throughout the New Testament. Context, speaker, and audience determine which is in view.

Physical Tongue

James 3:5-6; also James 1:26

The literal body part, the tongue as an instrument of speech, blessing, or harm. James uses it as a powerful metaphor for the power of words.

Apostolic Note

God chose the tongue, of which James says "no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8), as the sign of Spirit baptism. When the Spirit takes control of the one part of you that you cannot control, that is evidence.

Known Human Language

Acts 2:4-11

At Pentecost, the crowd heard disciples speaking in recognizable human languages (Acts 2:8-11 lists specific regions). glōssa here means a real human language the speaker did not know.

Spiritual Language

1 Corinthians 14

Utterance given by the Holy Spirit, not the speaker's native tongue. Paul distinguishes this from known languages and notes it requires interpretation in a congregational setting.

Why This Word Matters for Apostolic Doctrine

The consistent appearance of glōssa across Acts, at Jerusalem (Acts 2), at Caesarea (Acts 10), at Ephesus (Acts 19), is not coincidence. It is a pattern. The same gift, using the same Greek word, given to Jews, Gentiles, and the disciples of John. Peter confirmed this in Acts 11:15-17: the Gentiles received "the same gift" as at the beginning.

Paul does not minimize tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. He regulates its use in corporate settings, but explicitly says "do not forbid to speak with tongues" (v. 39). He himself spoke in tongues more than all of them (v. 18). The gift is not optional or exceptional, it is the initial, physical sign that the Holy Spirit has taken residence in a believer's life.

"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues."

Mark 16:17 NKJV

A note on the text: these closing verses of Mark (16:9–20) stand in the King James and New King James Bibles and were received as Scripture throughout the church for centuries. Two of the oldest surviving Greek manuscripts do not contain them, which is why some modern editions add a footnote here. We hold them as the preserved Word of God, and the sign they name, believers speaking with new tongues, is borne out again and again in the book of Acts.

See glōssa in Action

Read the chapters where tongues appear at every outpouring.

Study Acts 1-2 Acts 10-12: Cornelius