Philippians 2:6

Philippians 2:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
• New International Version (NIV)Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
• English Standard Version (ESV)who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
• New King James Version (NKJV)who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

Context of Philippians 2:6

4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2:6 word by word

ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• beingὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the formμορφήmorphē · formG3444
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• thought itἡγέομαιhēgeomai · to governG2233
• notοὐou · noG3756
• robberyἁρπαγμόςharpagmos · something to graspG725
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• to beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• equalἴσοςisos · equalG2470

Cross-references for Philippians 2:6

• Isaiah 7:14All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).
• Isaiah 8:8and sweep into Judah until it is chin deep. It will spread its wings, submerging your land from one end to the other, O Immanuel.
• Isaiah 9:6For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
• Jeremiah 23:6And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’ In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.
• Micah 5:2But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.
• Matthew 1:23“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
• John 1:1In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
• John 17:5Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.
• Romans 9:5Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
• 2 Corinthians 4:4Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
• Colossians 1:15Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
• 1 Timothy 1:17All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.
• 1 Timothy 3:16Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.
• Hebrews 1:3The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
• Hebrews 13:8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
• Genesis 32:24This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break.

Commentaries on Philippians 2:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Who, 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Who, 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…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. 6existing in the form of God: Jesus has the same nature as God and has existed with him from the beginning (see John 1:1–3; 17:5; Colossians 1:15).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. Translate, "Who subsisting (or existing, namely, originally: the Greek is not the simple substantive verb, 'to be') in the form of God (the divine essence is not meant: but the external self-manifesting characteristics of God, the form shining forth from His glorious essence). The divine nature had infinite BEAUTY in itself, even without any creature contemplating that beauty: that beauty was 'the form of God'; as 'the form of a servant' (Php 2:7)…Read the comment

Topics related to Philippians 2:6

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

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Apostle
• Companion
• Covenant
• Disputing
• Humility
• Kingly office of Christ
• Lowliness
• Nigh

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