Philippians 2:7

Philippians 2:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
• New International Version (NIV)rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
• English Standard Version (ESV)but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
• New King James Version (NKJV)but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Context of Philippians 2:7

5You should think about things in the same way that Christ Jesus thought: 6Christ had the same nature as God. He was completely equal with God. But he did not try to keep hold of that. Instead, he chose to leave heaven. He took for himself the nature of a slave. He became like a human. 8And when he lived as a man, he made himself even less important. He obeyed God completely, so that he died. He even died on a cross! 9Because of that, God then raised Jesus Christ to the most important place. God gave him the name that is greater than every other name.

Philippians 2:7 word by word

ἀλλ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωποςRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butἀλλάalla · butG235
• madeκενόωkenoō · to emptyG2758
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• and took upon himλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• the formμορφήmorphē · formG3444
• of a servantδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
• and was madeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the likenessὁμοίωμαhomoiōma · likenessG3667
• of menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444

Cross-references for Philippians 2:7

• Psalms 22:6People insult me. They think that I am worth nothing. It seems that I am only a worm, and I am not really a man.
• Isaiah 49:7The Lord is Israel's Redeemer, their Holy God. Nations refuse to accept his servant. Their people hate him and their rulers have made him their slave. The Lord says to his servant, ‘Kings will see you and they will rise up to respect you. Princes will bend down low in front of you. They will see that the Lord is faithful. He is Israel's Holy God, who has chosen you to serve him.’
• Isaiah 50:5The Almighty Lord has spoken clearly to me. I have accepted his message, and I have not turned back.
• Isaiah 52:14At one time, when people saw him, they were very upset. His body became completely spoiled, so that he no longer seemed to be a man. He did not seem to have a human body.
• Isaiah 53:2God's servant grew up in front of him, like a young, green plant, with its roots in dry ground. He was not handsome. He did not seem like a great king. We did not see him as a special person. There was nothing to see that would make us want to be with him.
• Daniel 9:26After the 62 weeks have passed, people will kill the ruler that God had chosen. He will have nothing. Then a foreign ruler and his army will attack the city and the temple. He will destroy them quickly, like a flood of water. War and terrible trouble will continue until the end that God has decided.
• Zechariah 9:9Sing loudly, people in Zion. Shout, people in Jerusalem. Look! Your king comes to you. He will save you because he does everything well. But he is quiet and he is riding on a donkey. He will ride on a young animal. Its mother is a donkey.
• Mark 9:12Jesus said to them, ‘Elijah does come first. He makes everything ready. But what is written in the Bible about the Son of Man? It says that people will cause him to suffer a lot. They will think that he is nothing.
• Romans 15:3Even Christ did not just do things that would make himself happy. It is written in the Bible that he said this: ‘People have insulted you, God. In that way they have also insulted me.’
• 2 Corinthians 8:9You know that our Lord Jesus Christ is very kind. He was rich, but he made himself poor to help you. So then, because he became poor, you could become rich.
• Hebrews 2:9But we do see Jesus! God made him less important than the angels for a short time. And now God has made him the great and powerful king. God did this because Jesus died as a sacrifice on behalf of all people. His death showed that God is very kind.
• Hebrews 12:2As we run, we must always look towards Jesus. He is the one who trusted God completely. Our faith starts with him, and he will help us to trust God all the way to the end. Jesus accepted punishment on the cross. He chose to receive much pain. He did not think about being ashamed to die like that. He knew that God had prepared something very good for him that would make him happy. Now he has sat down at the right side of God to rule with him in heaven.
• Hebrews 13:3Remember to help those believers who are in prison. Think about what that would be like, if you were there with them. Remember those believers who are receiving trouble from people. Think about them as if you were receiving the same pain in your own body.
• Isaiah 42:1‘Here is my servant. I give him strength. I have chosen him. He makes me very happy. I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
• Isaiah 49:3He said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel. Because of you, I will cause people to know that I am great.’
• Isaiah 52:13Look! My servant will do well. He will move up to a high place where people will honour him as great.

Commentaries on Philippians 2:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7But made himself of no reputation - ̔ · He emptied himself - did not appear in his glory, for he assumed the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of man. And his being made in the likeness of man, and assuming the form of a servant, was a proof that he had emptied himself - laid aside the effulgence of his glory.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7But made himself of no reputation - This translation by no means conveys the sense of the original According to this it would seem that he consented to be without distinction or honor among people; or that he was willing to be despised or disregarded. The Greek is ̔ ̓́ heauton ekenōsenThe word ́ kenoōmeans literally, to empty, “to make empty, to make vain or void.” It is rendered: “made void” in Romans 4:14; “made of none effect,” 1 Corinthians 1:17…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-11Verses 5-11 The example of our Lord Jesus Christ is set before us. We must resemble him in his life, if we would have the benefit of his death. Notice the two natures of Christ; his Divine nature, and human nature. Who being in the form of God, partaking the Divine nature, as the eternal and only-begotten Son of God, Joh 1:1, had not thought it a robbery to be equal with God, and to receive Divine worship from men. His human nature; herein he became like…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7he emptied himself: He gave up his divine privileges and chose to live as a human. The rest of verses 7–8 explains this ultimate act of godly self-giving love (compare 2 Corinthians 8:9). taking the form of a servant: Paul might have been thinking of Isaiah 52:13–53:12. being made in human likeness: Jesus became truly human while still being God (see John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. made himself of no reputation, and ... and--rather as the Greek, "emptied Himself, taking upon him the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men." The two latter clauses (there being no conjunctions, "and ... and," in the Greek) expresses in what Christ's "emptying of Himself" consists, namely, in "taking the form of a servant" (see on He 10:5; compare Ex 21:5, 6, and Psa 40:6, proving that it was at the time when He assumed a body, He took…Read the comment

Topics related to Philippians 2:7

• Commandments
• Example
• Humility
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ

In the dictionaries

• Apostle
• Companion
• Covenant
• Disputing
• Humility
• Kingly office of Christ
• Lowliness
• Nigh
• Philippians, Epistle to
• Presently

Commentaries on Philippians 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings