Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Corinthians 14:30

"But if a revelation be made to another sitting by, let the first keep silence." — 1 Corinthians 14:30 (ASV)

If any thing be revealed to another. If, while one is speaking, an important truth is revealed to another, or is suggested to his mind by the Holy Spirit, which he feels it is important to communicate.

Let the first hold his peace. That is, the one who was speaking should conclude his discourse, and there should not be the confusion arising from two persons speaking at the same time. Doddridge understands this to mean that the one to whom the revelation was made should sit still until the other had finished speaking, and not rise and rudely interrupt him.

But this is to do violence to the language. So Macknight understands it to mean that the one who was speaking was first to finish his discourse and be silent before the other began to speak. But this is evidently a forced construction. Locke understands it to mean that if, while one was speaking, the meaning of what he was saying was revealed to another, the first was to cease speaking until the other had interpreted or explained it.

But the obvious meaning of the passage is that the one who was speaking should close his discourse and be silent. It does not follow, however, that he should be rudely interrupted. He might close his discourse deliberately, or perhaps by an intimation from the person to whom the revelation was made. At any rate, two should not speak at the same time, but the one who was speaking was to conclude before the other addressed the assembly.