Philippians 4:17

Philippians 4:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
• New International Version (NIV)Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.

Context of Philippians 4:17

15Also, you Christians in Philippi know that you already helped me earlier. That was the time when I started to tell people God's good news. When I left Macedonia, you were the only group of Christians who helped me. We were able to help one another, and no other group of Christians did that for me. 16Even when I was at Thessalonica, you helped me. More than once, you sent gifts to me because I needed things. It is not your gifts themselves that I want. But I want you to do good things so that God will bless you in return. 18Epaphroditus has brought the gifts that you sent to me. I have received those gifts, so that I no longer need anything. You have sent me more than enough. Your gifts are like a sacrifice with a nice smell that you have offered to God. God accepts that kind of sacrifice. It makes him very happy. 19My Lord God in heaven has plenty of good and valuable things. Because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will give to you everything that you need.

Philippians 4:17 word by word

οὐχ ὅτι ἐπιζητῶ τὸ δόμα, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιζητῶ τὸν καρπὸν τὸν πλεονάζοντα εἰς λόγον ὑμῶν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Notοὐou · noG3756
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• I desireἐπιζητέωepizēteō · to seek afterG1934
• a giftὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• a giftδόμαdoma · giftG1390
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• fruitκαρπόςkarpos · fruitG2590
• that may aboundπλεονάζωpleonazō · to increaseG4121
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• accountλόγοςlogos · wordG3056

Cross-references for Philippians 4:17

• Philippians 4:11When I say that, it is not because I need anything. I have learned to be happy, whatever things may happen to me.
• Malachi 1:10‘It would be better if one of you shut the temple doors! Then you would not be able to offer useless sacrifices on my altar. I am not happy with you. I will not accept any more gifts from you.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says.
• Acts 20:33When I stayed among you, I did not ask you to give me money or clothes.
• 1 Corinthians 9:12You agree to help other people who teach God's message to you. So surely we should receive even more help from you! But Barnabas and I have not used our authority to make you help us like that. Instead, we accept all these difficult things patiently. We want the good news about Christ to go everywhere. We do not want to do anything that might stop it.
• 2 Corinthians 11:16I say this again: nobody should think that I am a fool. But even if you do think that, still listen to me. Give me a chance to praise myself a little, as a fool would do.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:5When we came to you, we spoke what was true. We did not just say nice things to make you feel good. You yourselves know that. We did not try to make you give things to us. We never had a secret purpose like that. God knows that this is true.
• 1 Timothy 3:3He should not drink too much wine. He must not get angry quickly or quarrel with people. Instead he should be kind to people. He must not want lots of money.
• 1 Timothy 6:10When people like to have lots of money, it causes all kinds of bad things to happen. Some people have stopped believing the message about Christ because they want to get more money. As a result, they have caused themselves to become sad with many troubles.
• 1 Peter 5:2Watch over the group of believers that God has given to you. Be like a shepherd that takes care of his sheep. Lead them well because you want to do it. Do not do it just because you have to do it. Do it in the way that God wants for you. Do not be a leader because you want to receive money for yourself. Instead, do it because you want to help people.
• 2 Peter 2:3The false teachers want you to give them money. So they will teach things that are not true. A long time ago, God already decided that he must punish them. God is ready to do that now. Certainly, he will soon destroy them.
• Jude 1:11It will be terrible for them! They have lived in the way that Cain lived. They have made the same mistake that Balaam made, because they wanted to get money for themselves. Like Korah, they have refused to obey God. So God will destroy them.
• Philippians 1:11Because of the work that Jesus Christ has done in you, you will be right with God. And your lives will be full of good things. As a result, people will praise God and they will say that he is very great.
• Micah 7:1I am very sad! I am like someone who comes to trees with no fruit on them. Other people have picked the fruit already. So I am like those people who can only pick the last grapes. Those are the grapes that other people leave behind. Really, there are no grapes there to eat. There are none of the first figs that I like so much.
• John 15:8If you make plenty of fruit, that will give honour to my Father. You will show that you are truly my disciples.
• Romans 15:28So I must take their gift safely to the Christians in Jerusalem. When I have finished that job, I will come to visit you. Then I will continue my journey to Spain.
• 2 Corinthians 9:9The Bible says this about someone who helps other people: ‘He has shared his things with many poor people. God will always remember how kind that person has been.’

Commentaries on Philippians 4:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Not because I desire a gift - I do not speak thus to incite you to send me a farther gift; I speak this on the general subject, because I wish you to bear such fruit as shall abound to your account in the day of the Lord.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Not because I desire a gift - “The reason why I rejoice in the reception of what you have sent to me, is not that I am covetous.” From the interest with which he had spoken of their attention to him, some might perhaps be disposed to say, that it arose from this cause. He says, therefore, that, grateful as he was for the favor which he had received, his chief interest in it arose from the fact that it would contribute ultimately to their own good. It…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-19Verses 10-19 It is a good work to succour and help a good minister in trouble. The nature of true Christian sympathy, is not only to feel concern for our friends in their troubles, but to do what we can to help them. The apostle was often in bonds, imprisonments, and necessities; but in all, he learned to be content, to bring his mind to his condition, and make the best of it. Pride, unbelief, vain hankering after something we have not got, and fickle…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Not that I am seeking a gift: Paul preferred to support himself financially (see Acts 18:3; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 9:3–18; 2 Corinthians 11:7–11; 12:14–15). Paul was not seeking a gift for himself. Instead, he wanted their generosity to produce spiritual fruit, a reward from God credited to their accountRead the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. a gift--Greek, "the gift." Translate, "It is not that I seek after the gift, but I do seek after the fruit that aboundeth to your account"; what I do seek is your spiritual good, in the abounding of fruits of your faith which shall be put down to your account, against the day of reward (He 6:10).Read the comment

Topics related to Philippians 4:17

• Beneficence
• Church
• Minister, Christian
• Philippi
• Unselfishness
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Communicate
• Crown
• Epaphroditus
• Need
• Request
• Therewith
• Bible, the
• Macedonia
• Money
• Philippi

Commentaries on Philippians 4

• 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