Philippians 2:6 BSB

Philippians 2:6

Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,

KJV

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

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Commentary

4 voices

Athanasius of Alexandria

296–373

Discourses Against the Arians 1.40 (373)

What clearer and more decisive proof could there be than this? He did not become better from assuming a lower state but rather, "being God, he took the form of a slave." … If [as the Arians think] it was for the sake of this exaltation that the Word came down and that this is written, what need would there be for him to humble himself completely in order to seek what he already had?

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

Who being in the form of God,.... The Father; being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Who being in the essential form - The incommunicable nature. Of God - From eternity, as he was afterward in the form of man; real God, as real man. Counted it no act of robbery - That is the precise meaning of the words, - no invasion of another's prerogative, but his own strict and unquestionable right.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Some understand being in the form of God -- en morphe Theou hyparchon, of his appearance in a divine majestic glory to the patriarchs, and the Jews, under the Old Testament, which was often called the glory, and the Shechinah. The word is used in such a sense by the LXX. and in the New Testament.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

12 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
ὃς	hos	Who	G3739 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
μορφῇ	morphēa	[the] form	G3444 →
θεοῦ	theou	of God	G2316 →
ὑπάρχων	huparchōn	existing	G5225 →
οὐχ	ouch	not	G3756 →
ἁρπαγμὸν	harpagmon	something to be grasped	G725 →
ἡγήσατο	hēgēsato	considered	G2233 →
τὸ	to	<the>	G3588 →
εἶναι	einai	to be	G1511 →
ἴσα	isa	equal	G2470 →
θεῷ,	theō	with God,	G2316 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the…
leads to
- Colossians 1:15–17
  The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Revelation 4:11
  “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and came to be.”
Through
2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
leads to
- John 12:40
  “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”
- 2 Corinthians 3:14
  But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.
- Acts 26:18
  to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified…
- Isaiah 6:10
  Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
- 1 John 5:19
  We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.
Through
John 17:5
And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
leads to
- John 1:1–3
  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

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No single title carries him. Scripture names Jesus by a constellation of titles — Christ, Son of Man, Lamb of God, Logos, High Priest, King of Kings — and each one is a door. This hub gathers every title page on the site and anchors the rest to the verses that confer them.

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01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Philippians

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Philippians