Bible Lexicons

The idea of falling back upon a ";basis,"; and hence of continuity with a previous state, which originally belonged this verb (cf. Hort ad James 2:15), seems gradually to have faded in later Greek, as the following exx. show—P Petr III. 64 (b.).12 (iii/B.C.) τοῦτο (sc. τὸ ὀψώνιον) ὑπάρξει ἡ τιμὴ τῶν εὑρεθέ [ντων ] παρὰ Τασύθει, ";this will be made up by the price of the articles discovered in the possession of Tasuthis"; (Edd.), P Hib I. 72.18 (B.C. 241) τὴμ μὲν σφραγῖδα ὡμολόγουν ὑπάρχειν ἐν τῶι ἀδύτωι, ";confessed that the seal was in the sanctuary"; (Edd.), P Oxy IX. 1189.10 (c. A.D. 117) περὶ γραφῆς τῶν τοῖς [Ἰ ]ουδαίοις ὑπ ̣αρξάντων, ";about a list of property which belonged to the Jews"; (Ed.), ib. VI. 933.17 (late ii/A.D.) πάντα αὐτῇ ὑπῆρκται, ";everything was provided for her"; (Edd.), ib. 905.16 (A.D. 170) ( = Selections, p. 87) a marriage contract, where the giver of the bride has the right of execution upon the husband and upon all his property—ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχ [ό ]ντων αὐτῷ πάντων (cf. Matthew 19:21, al.), P Tebt II. 418.7 (iii/A.D.) εὐχόμενός σοι τὰ ἐν βίῳ κάλλιστα ὑπαρχθήσεσθαι, ";praying that you may have life’s greatest blessings"; (Edd.), and the mantic P Ryl I. 28.45 (iii/iv A.D.) ἐν δανίοις δὲ ὑπάρχων ἀποδώσει (cf. Luke 7:25). It may be added that the new recension of Tobit 2:1-14 in P Oxy VIII. 1076 inserts in ver. 8 καὶ ἀπώλεσεν πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχο [ν ]τα αὐτοῦ, which is reproduced in the Old Latin version with et perdidit substantiam suam.

In view of the above, the meaning ";being originally"; (RV marg.) cannot be pressed for ὑπάρχων in Philippians 2:6, though the thought is probably present. As showing how naturally it might arise, we may cite the letter of Claudius to the Alexandrines, P Lond 1912.23 (A.D. 41) φύσει μὲν εὐσεβεῖς περὶ τοὺς Σεβαστοὺς ὑπάρχοντες, ";you are by disposition loyal to the Augusti"; (Ed.), and ib. .104. In MGr ὑπάρχω = ";am present,"; ";exist.";