the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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King James Version
Philippians 2:6
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He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit.
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Which beynge in the shape of god and thought it not robbery to be equall with god.
who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider it robbery to be equal with God,
who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
Christ himself was like God in everything. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit.
who, existing in the form of God, did not consider making full use of his equality with God,
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider it robbery to be equal with God,
Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God;
Although from the beginning He had the nature of God He did not reckon His equality with God a treasure to be tightly grasped.
that whanne he was in the forme of God, demyde not raueyn, that hym silf were euene to God;
who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God,
Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain equal with God.
who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it];
who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,
To whom, though himself in the form of God, it did not seem that to take for oneself was to be like God;
Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be possessed by force .
who, subsisting in the form of God, did not esteem it an object of rapine to be on an equality with God;
In God's own form existed he,John 1:1-2; 5:18; 10:33; 17:5; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3;">[xr] And shared with God equality, Deemed nothing needed grasping.
who, when he was in the form of Aloha, considered this not to be robbery, (this, namely,) that he was the co-equal of Aloha:
who, as he was in the likeness of God, deemed it no trespass to be the coequal of God;
Who being in the forme of God, thought it not robbery to bee equall with God:
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God.
who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,
Who being in ye forme of God, thought it no robberie to be equall with God:
Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God:
Who, in form of God, subsisting, not, a thing to be seized, accounted the being equal with God,
Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Who beyng in the fourme of God, thought it not robbery to be equall with God.
He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God.
who, existing in the form of God,did not consider equality with Godas something to be exploited.
who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God something to be grasped,
who subsisting in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God,
who, being in the form of God, thought [it] not robbery to be equal to God,
which beyinge in the shappe of God, thought it not robbery to be equall with God,
who tho' he was the image of God, did not affect to appear with divine majesty, but divested himself thereof,
who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped,
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
Although he rode with God, he didn't ride in front of him or even beside him.
who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
in: Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 8:8, Isaiah 9:6, Jeremiah 23:6, Micah 5:2, Matthew 1:23, John 1:1, John 1:2, John 1:18, John 17:5, Romans 9:5, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1:15, Colossians 1:16, 1 Timothy 1:17, 1 Timothy 3:16, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 1:6, Hebrews 1:8, Hebrews 13:8
thought: Genesis 32:24-30, Genesis 48:15, Genesis 48:16, Ezekiel 8:2-6, Joshua 5:13-15, Hosea 12:3-5, Zechariah 13:7, John 5:18, John 5:23, John 8:58, John 8:59, John 10:30, John 10:33, John 10:38, John 14:9, John 20:28, Revelation 1:17, Revelation 1:18, Revelation 21:6
Reciprocal: Exodus 39:27 - coats Leviticus 16:23 - General Numbers 19:2 - upon which Psalms 89:19 - exalted Isaiah 46:5 - General Isaiah 49:3 - General Isaiah 53:2 - he shall grow Daniel 7:13 - one like Zechariah 3:8 - my Matthew 12:18 - my servant Matthew 12:42 - behold Matthew 17:2 - transfigured Matthew 22:45 - how Mark 9:2 - transfigured John 1:14 - the Word John 1:15 - he was John 8:49 - but John 10:18 - but John 13:4 - laid aside John 14:28 - Father John 17:21 - as 2 Corinthians 4:6 - in the 2 Corinthians 8:9 - though Galatians 4:4 - made Philippians 2:7 - in the 1 Timothy 2:5 - the man
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Who being in the form of God,.... The Father; being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. This form is to be understood, not of any shape or figure of him; for as such is not to be seen, it is not to be supposed of him; or any accidental form, for there are no accidents in God, whatever is in God, is God; he is nothing but nature and essence, he is the Ïο ον, the Jehovah, I am what I am; and so is his Son, which is, and was, and is to come, the fountain of all created beings nor does it intend any outward representation and resemblance of him, such as in kings; who, because of the honour and dignity they are raised unto, the authority and power they have, and because of the glory and majesty they are arrayed with, are called gods: nor does it design the state and condition Christ appeared in here on earth, having a power to work miracles, heal diseases, and dispossess devils, for the manifestation of his glory; and so might be said to be in the form of God, as Moses for doing less miracles is said to be a God unto Pharaoh; since this account does not regard Christ; as he was on earth in human nature, but what he was antecedent to the assumption of it; or otherwise his humility and condescension in becoming man, and so mean, will not appear: but this phrase, "the form of God", is to be understood of the nature and essence of God, and describes Christ as he was from all eternity; just as the form of a servant signifies that he was really a servant, and the fashion of a man in which he was found means that he was truly and really man; so his being in the form of God intends that he was really and truly God; that he partook of the same nature with the Father, and was possessed of the same glory: from whence it appears, that he was in being before his incarnation; that he existed as a distinct person from God his Father, in whose form he was, and that as a divine person, or as truly God, being in the glorious form, nature, and essence of God; and that there is but one form of God, or divine nature and essence, common to the Father and the Son, and also to the Spirit; so that they are not three Gods, but one God: what the form of God is, the Heathens themselves g say cannot be comprehended nor seen, and so not to be inquired after; and they use the same word the apostle does here h: and now Christ being in this glorious form, or having the same divine nature with the Father, with all the infinite and unspeakable glories of it,
thought it no robbery to be equal with God; the Father; for if he was in the same form, nature, and essence, he must be equal to him, as he is; for he has the same perfections, as eternity, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, immutability, and self-existence: hence he has the same glorious names, as God, the mighty God, the true God, the living God, God over all, Jehovah, the Lord of glory, c. the same works of creation and providence are ascribed to him, and the same worship, homage, and honour given him: to be "in the form of God", and to be "equal with God", signify the same thing, the one is explanative of the other: and this divine form and equality, or true and proper deity, he did not obtain by force and rapine, by robbery and usurpation, as Satan attempted to do, and as Adam by his instigation also affected and so the mind of a wicked man, as Philo the Jew says i, being a lover of itself and impious, Î¿Î¹Î¿Î¼ÎµÎ½Î¿Ï Î¹ÏοÏ
ειναι θεÏ, "thinks itself to be equal with God", a like phrase with this here used; but Christ enjoyed this equality by nature; he thought, he accounted, he knew he had it this way; and he held it hereby, and of right, and not by any unlawful means; and he reckoned that by declaring and showing forth his proper deity, and perfect equality with the Father, he robbed him of no perfection; the same being in him as in the Father, and the same in the Father as in him; that he did him no injury, nor deprived him of any glory, or assumed that to himself which did not belong to him: as for the sense which some put upon the words, that he did not "affect", or "greedily catch" at deity; as the phrase will not admit of it, so it is not true in fact; he did affect deity, and asserted it strongly, and took every proper opportunity of declaring it, and in express terms affirmed he was the Son of God; and in terms easy to be understood declared his proper deity, and his unity and equality with the Father; required the same faith in himself as in the Father, and signified that he that saw the one, saw the other, Mark 14:61 John 5:17. Others give this as the sense of them, that he did not in an ostentatious way show forth the glory of his divine nature, but rather hid it; it is true, indeed, that Christ did not seek, but carefully shunned vain glory and popular applause; and therefore often after having wrought a miracle, would charge the persons on whom it was wrought, or the company, or his disciples, not to speak of it; this he did at certain times, and for certain reasons; yet at other times we find, that he wrought miracles to manifest forth his glory, and frequently appeals to them as proofs of his deity and Messiahship: and besides, the apostle is speaking not of what he was, or did in his incarnate state, but of what he was and thought himself to be, before he became man; wherefore the above sense is to be preferred as the genuine one.
g Socraticus, Xenophon, & Aristo Chius, apud Minuc. Felic. Octav. p. 20. & Hostanes apud Caecil. Cyprian. de Idol. van. p. 46. h Laertii proem. ad Vit. Philosoph. p. 7. i Leg. Alleg. l. 1. p. 48, 49.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Who, being in the form of God - There is scarcely any passage in the New Testament which has given rise to more discussion than this. The importance of the passage on the question of the divinity of the Saviour will be perceived at once, and no small part of the point of the appeal by the apostle depends, as will be seen, in the fact that Paul regarded the Redeemer as equal with God. If he was truly divine, then his consenting to become a man was the most remarkable of all possible acts of humiliation. The word rendered âformâ - μοÏÏÎ·Ì morpheÌ - occurs only in three places in the New Testament, and in each place is rendered âform.â Mark 16:12; Philippians 2:6-7. In Mark it is applied to the form which Jesus assumed after his resurrection, and in which he appeared to two of his disciples on his way to Emmaus. âAfter that he appeared in another form unto two of them.â This âformâ was so unlike his usual appearance, that they did not know him. The word properly means, form, shape, bodily shape, especially a beautiful form, a beautiful bodily appearance - Passow. In Philippians 2:7, it is applied to the appearance of a servant - and took upon him the form of a servant;â that is, he was in the condition of a servant - or of the lowest condition. The word âformâ is often applied to the gods by the classic writers, denoting their aspect or appearance when they became visible to people; see Cic. de Nat. Deor. ii. 2; Ovid, Meta. i. 37; Silius, xiii. 643; Xeno. Memora. iv; Aeneid, iv. 556, and other places cited by Wetstein, in loc. Hesychius explains it by ιÌδεÌα ειÍÎ´Î¿Ï idea eidos. The word occurs often in the Septuagint:
(1)As the translation of the word צ×× - Ziv - âsplendour,â Daniel 4:33; Daniel 5:6, Daniel 5:9-10; Daniel 7:28;
(2)As the translation of the word תּ×× ×ת tabniyth, structure, model, pattern - as in building, Isaiah 44:13;
(3)As the translation of תּ××× × temuwnah, appearance, form, shape, image, likeness, Job 4:16; see also Wisdom Job 18:1.
The word can have here only one or two meanings, either:
(1)Splendor, majesty, glory - referring to the honor which the Redeemer had, his power to work miracles, etc. - or.
(2)Nature, or essence - meaning the same as ÏÏ ÌÏÎ¹Ï phusis, ânature,â or Î¿Ï ÏιÌα ousia, âbeing.â
The first is the opinion adopted by Crellius, Grotius, and others, and substantially by Calvin. Calvin says, âThe form of God here denotes majesty. For as a man is known from the appearance of his form, so the majesty which shines in God, is his figure. Or to use a more appropriate similitude, the form of a king consists of the external marks which indicate a king - as his scepter, diadem, coat of mail, attendants, throne, and other insignia of royalty; the form of a counsul is the toga, ivory chair, attending lictors, etc. Therefore Christ before the foundation of the world was in the form of God, because he had glory with the Father before the world was; John 17:5. For in the wisdom of God, before he put on our nature, there was nothing humble or abject, but there was magnificence worthy of God.â Commentary in loc. The second opinion is, that the word is equivalent to nature, or being; that is, that he was in the nature of God, or his mode of existence was that of God, or was divine. This is the opinion adopted by Schleusner (Lexicon); Prof. Stuart (Letters to Dr. Channing, p. 40); Doddridge, and by orthodox expositors in general, and seems to me to be the correct interpretation. In support of this interpretation, and in opposition to that which refers it to his power of working miracles, or his divine appearance when on earth, we may adduce the following considerations:
(1) The âformâ here referred to must have been something before he became a man, or before he took upon him the form of a servant. It was something from which he humbled himself by making âhimself of no reputation;â by taking upon himself âthe form of a servant;â and by being made âin the likeness of men.â Of course, it must have been something which existed when he had not the likeness of people; that is, before he became incarnate. He must therefore have had an existence before he appeared on earth as a man, and in that previous state of existence there must have been something which rendered it proper to say that he was âin the form of God.â
(2) That it does not refer to any moral qualities, or to his power of working miracles on earth, is apparent from the fact that these were not laid aside. When did he divest himself of these in order that he might humble himself? There was something which he possessed which made it proper to say of him that he was âin the form of God,â which he laid aside when he appeared in the form of a servant and in the likeness of human beings. But assuredly that could not have been his moral qualities, nor is there any conceivable sense in which it can be said that he divested himself of the power of working miracles in order that he might take upon himself the âform of a servant.â All the miracles which he ever did were performed when he sustained the form of a servant, in his lowly and humble condition. These considerations make it certain that the apostle refers to a period before the incarnation. It may be added:
(3) That the phrase âform of Godâ is one that naturally conveys the idea that he was God. When it is said that he was âin the form of a servant,â the idea is, that he was actually in a humble and depressed condition, and not merely that he appeared to be. Still it may be asked, what was the âformâ which he had before his incarnation? What is meant by his having been then âin the form of God?â To these questions perhaps no satisfactory answer can be given. He himself speaks John 17:5 of âthe glory which he had with the Father before the world was;â and the language naturally conveys the idea that there was then a manifestation of the divine nature through him, which in some measure ceased when he became incarnate; that there was some visible splendor and majesty which was then laid aside. What manifestation of his glory God may make in the heavenly world, of course, we cannot now fully understand. Nothing forbids us, however, to suppose that there is some such visible manifestation; some splendor and magnificence of God in the view of the angelic beings such as becomes the Great Sovereign of the universe - for he âdwells in light which no man can approach unto;â 1 Timothy 6:16. That glory, visible manifestation, or splendor, indicating the nature of God, it is here said that the Lord Jesus possessed before his incarnation.
Thought it not robbery to be equal with God - This passage, also, has given occasion to much discussion. Prof. Stuart renders it: âdid not regard his equality with God as an object of solicitous desire;â that is, that though he was of a divine nature or condition, be did not eagerly seek to retain his equality with God, but took on him an humble condition - even that of a servant. Letters to Channing, pp. 88-92. That this is the correct rendering of the passage is apparent from the following considerations:
(1) It accords with the scope and design of the apostleâs reasoning. His object is not to show, as our common translation would seem to imply, that he aspired to be equal with God, or that he did not regard it as an improper invasion of the prerogatives of God to be equal with him, but that he did not regard it, in the circumstances of the case, as an object to greatly desired or eagerly sought to retain his equality with God. Instead of retaining this by an earnest effort, or by a grasp which he was unwilling to relinquish, he chose to forego the dignity, and to assume the humble condition of a man.
(2) It accords better with the Greek than the common version. The word rendered ârobberyâ - αÌÏÏÎ±Î³Î¼Î¿Ï harpagmos - is found nowhere else in the New Testament, though the verb from which it is derived frequently occurs; Matthew 11:12; Matthew 13:19; John 6:15; John 10:12, John 10:28-29; Acts 8:29; Acts 23:10; 2Co 12:2, 2 Corinthians 12:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Jude 1:23; Revelation 12:5. The notion of violence, or seizing, or carrying away, enters into the meaning of the word in all these places. The word used here does not properly mean an act of robbery, but the thing robbed - the plunder - das Rauben (Passow), and hence something to be eagerly seized and appropriated. Schleusner; compare Storr, Opuscul. Acade. i. 322, 323. According to this, the meaning of the word here is, something to be seized and eagerly sought, and the sense is, that his being equal with God was not a thing to be anxiously retained. The phrase âthought it not,â means âdid not consider;â it was not judged to be a matter of such importance that it could not be dispensed with. The sense is, âhe did not eagerly seize and tenaciously holdâ as one does who seizes prey or spoil. So Rosenmuller, Schleusner, Bloomfield, Stuart, and others understand it.
To be equal with God - ÏÎ¿Ì ÎµÎ¹ÌÍναι ιÌÍÏα ÎεÏÍÍ to einai isa TheoÌ. That is, the being equal with God he did not consider a thing to be tenaciously retained. The plural neuter form of the word âequalâ in Greek - ιÌÍÏα isa - is used in accordance with a known rule of the language, thus stated by Buttman: âWhen an adjective as predicate is separated from its substantive, it often stands in the neuter where the substantive is a masculine or feminine, and in the singular where the substantive is in the plural. That which the predicate expresses is, in this case, considered in general as a thing.â Greek Grammar, section 129, 6. The phrase âequal with God,â or âequal with the gods,â is of frequent occurrence in the Greek Classics; see Wetstein in loc. The very phrase here used occurs in the Odyssey:
Τον Î½Ï Íν ιÌÌÏα ÎεÏÍÍ ÎÌθακηÌÏιοι ειÌÏοÏοÌÏÏι Ton nun isa TheoÌ IthakeÌsioi eisorooÌsi
Compare John 5:18. âMade himself equal with God.â The phrase means one who sustains the same rank, dignity, nature. Now it could not be said of an angel that he was in any sense equal with God; much less could this be said of a mere man. The natural and obvious meaning of the language is, that there was an equality of nature and of rank with God, from which he humbled himself when he became a man. The meaning of the whole verse, according to the interpretation suggested above, is, that Christ, before he became a man, was invested with honor, majesty, and glory, such as was appropriate to God himself; that there was some manifestation or splendor in his existence and mode of being then, which showed that he was equal with God; that he did not consider that that honor, indicating equality with God, was to be retained at all events, and so as to do violence, as it were, to other interests, and to rob the universe of the glory of redemption; and that he was willing, therefore, to forget that, or lay it by for a time, in order that he might redeem the world. There were a glory and majesty which were appropriate to God, and which indicated equality with God - such as none but God could assume. For how could an angel have such glory, or such external splendor in heaven, as to make it proper to say that he was âequal with God?â With what glory could he be invested which would be such as became God only? The âfairâ interpretation of this passage, therefore, is, that Christ before his incarnation was equal with God.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 6. Who, being in the form of God — This verse has been the subject of much criticism, and some controversy. Dr. Whitby has, perhaps, on the whole, spoken best on this point; but his arguments are too diffuse to be admitted here. Dr. Macknight has abridged the words of Dr. Whitby, and properly observes that, "As the apostle is speaking of what Christ was before he took the form of a servant, the form of God, of which he divested himself when he became man, cannot be any thing which he possessed during his incarnation or in his divested state; consequently neither the opinion of Erasmus, that the form of God consisted in those sparks of divinity by which Christ, during his incarnation, manifested his Godhead, nor the opinion of the Socinians, that it consisted in the power of working miracles, is well founded; for Christ did not divest himself either of one or the other, but possessed both all the time of his public ministry. In like manner, the opinion of those who, by the form of God understand the Divine nature and the government of the world, cannot be admitted; since Christ, when he became man, could not divest himself of the nature of God; and with respect to the government of the world, we are led, by what the apostle tells, Hebrews 1:3, to believe that he did not part with even that; but, in his divested state, still continued to uphold all things by the word of his power. By the form of God we are rather to understand that visible, glorious light in which the Deity is said to dwell, 1 Timothy 6:16, and by which he manifested himself to the patriarchs of old, Deuteronomy 5:22; Deuteronomy 5:24; which was commonly accompanied with a numerous retinue of angels, Psalms 68:17, and which in Scripture is called The Similitude, Numbers 12:8; The Face, Psalms 31:16: The Presence, Exodus 33:15; and The Shape of God, John 5:37. This interpretation is supported by the term μοÏÏη, form, here used, which signifies a person's external shape or appearance, and not his nature or essence. Thus we are told, Mark 16:12, that Jesus appeared to his disciples in another μοÏÏη, shape, or form. And, Matthew 17:2, μεÏεμοÏÏÏθη, he was transfigured before them-his outward appearance or form was changed. Farther this interpretation agrees with the fact: the form of God, that is, his visible glory, and the attendance of angels, as above described, the Son of God enjoyed with his Father before the world was, John 17:5; and on that as on other accounts he is the brightness of the Father's glory, Hebrews 1:3. Of this he divested himself when he became flesh; but, having resumed it after his ascension, he will come with it in the human nature to judge the world; so he told his disciples, Matthew 16:27: The Son of man will come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, c,. Lastly, this sense of μοÏÏη Î¸ÎµÎ¿Ï , is confirmed by the meaning of μοÏθη Î´Î¿Ï Î»Î¿Ï , Philippians 2:7 which evidently denotes the appearance and behaviour of a servant or bondman, and not the essence of such a person." See Whitby and Macknight.
Thought it not robbery to be equal with God — If we take these words as they stand here, their meaning is, that, as he was from the beginning in the same infinite glory with the Father, to appear in time-during his humiliation, as God and equal with the Father, was no encroachment on the Divine prerogative; for, as he had an equality of nature, he had an equality of rights.
But the word αÏÏαγμον, which we translate robbery, has been supposed to imply a thing eagerly to be seized, coveted, or desired; and on this interpretation the passage has been translated: Who, being in the form of God, did not think it a matter to be earnestly desired to appear equal to God; but made himself of no reputation, c. However the word be translated, it does not affect the eternal Deity of our Lord. Though he was from eternity in the form of God-possessed of the same glory, yet he thought it right to veil this glory, and not to appear with it among the children of men and therefore he was made in the likeness of men, and took upon him the form or appearance of a servant: and, had he retained the appearance of this ineffable glory, it would, in many respects, have prevented him from accomplishing the work which God gave him to do; and his humiliation, as necessary to the salvation of men, could not have been complete. On this account I prefer this sense of the word αÏÏαγμον before that given in our text, which does not agree so well with the other expressions in the context. In this sense the word is used by Heliodorus, in his AEthiopics, lib. vii. cap. 19, &c., which passage Whitby has produced, and on which he has given a considerable paraphrase. The reader who wishes to examine this subject more particularly, may have recourse to Heliodorus as above, or to the notes of Dr. Whitby on the passage.
