SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2002

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:30

1:30a–b

the same struggle you saw I had: People were persecuting the Philippian believers because of what they as Christians believed. This was similar to the way they had persecuted Paul when he had been in Philippi. See Acts 16:19–24.

struggle: The Greek word used here refers to a conflict, a contest or a fight. This includes the idea of suffering.

you saw I had: The Philippians had witnessed what Paul had suffered for Christ in Philippi. He was beaten and put in prison.

hear that I still have: Here Paul was referring to the suffering he was experiencing while in prison in Rome. The Philippians would have heard about this from Epaphroditus, who carried the letter to them. In both Philippi and Rome Paul continued preaching the good news about Jesus, even though this was why the authorities put him in prison in both of those cities.

© 2002 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 3:11

3:11

and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead: The Greek phrase ei pōs that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so, somehow can be understood in three ways:

(1) It means “so that in some way….” It therefore shows purpose. Paul wanted these things (3:10) in order that he could be among those whom God would cause to live again after they died. For example:

so that somehow I also may be raised to life (Contemporary English Version)

(2) It means “in the hope of somehow….” It therefore shows hope. Paul wanted these things (3:10) because he hoped and expected that God would cause him to live again after he died. For example:

in the hope that I myself will be raised from the dead (Good News Translation)

(3) It means “that if possible….” It therefore shows doubt about whether Paul would reach the resurrection. For example:

that if possible I might reach the resurrection from the dead (Revised Standard Version)

The first interpretation is recommended (1).

to attain: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to attain refers to reaching a place one was aiming for. Here it is used as a metaphor and it refers to reaching an objective or obtaining something one was working for. In some languages it may be necessary to remove the metaphor. Then this phrase could be translated:

that I may be among those whom God will raise from the dead

the resurrection from the dead: This refers to the time when God will make everyone come alive again.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 4:22

4:22a

All the saints send you greetings: The phrase All the saints apparently represents the larger group of believers in Rome, all those who were followers of Christ in that city.

4:22b

especially those from the household of Caesar: The phrase household of Caesar refers to those believers who in some way worked for the Roman emperor.

those from the household of Caesar: It is not likely that Paul was referring to the emperor’s relatives. He probably meant people who worked in the emperor’s palace as slaves or other servants as well as those who worked for the emperor as scribes, soldiers or administrators throughout the city of Rome.

Caesar: This was originally the proper name of the Roman emperor, but it came to be used as the title of the emperor or leader of the Roman Empire. It is better, therefore, to translate it as “Roman emperor” or “Roman king” than to transliterate it as a proper name.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:9

Paragraph 1:9–11

Paul prayed that the Philippians would love one another more and more, and would be pure and blameless so that other people would honor and praise God.

1:9a

And this is my prayer: In 1:4 Paul said he prayed for the Philippians. Here in 1:9–11 he told them specifically what he was praying. If in your language it is necessary to translate prayer with a verb, use a verb tense that gives the idea of habitual action in the present: “I pray (regularly, habitually, repeatedly)….”

that your love may abound more and more: Some languages have a special way to mark the content of a wish or a prayer. For example, in English we use the auxiliary verb may. If you have such a marker, you should use it here.

love: The Greek text, like most English translations, does not make it clear whom the Philippians were to love. The text could refer to loving one another or it could refer to loving God. Paul was probably including both ideas. Therefore, if possible you should not say in your translation whom the Philippians were to love. Then your readers will understand that it includes both these ideas. However, if you must provide an object, it is recommended that you say that the Philippians were to love one another.

abound more and more: The verb abound here means “grow” or “increase.” In some languages love cannot “grow,” but there may be another idiom for love becoming stronger or more intense. Or, if you cannot use an idiom, you could try expressing this meaning as

You already love each other a little, now love each other a lot.

Paul used the phrase abound more and more to emphasize that he desired the Philippians’ love to grow.

1:9b

knowledge and depth of insight: Commentators understand this phrase in two main ways:

(1) The phrase knowledge and depth of insight refers to two things that Paul wanted to see increase along with the Philippians’ love.

(2) The phrase knowledge and depth of insight shows the way in which their love needed to grow, that is, the Philippians were to grow in love that had knowledge and depth of insight.

Either interpretation is possible. The Display follows the first interpretation (1). However, if you prefer to follow the second (2), you could say:

that you will continue loving more and more in a way that is wise and discerning

knowledge: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as knowledge is related to a verb that means “to know something truly or completely.” Paul did not specify what sort of knowledge he was talking about. It could refer to:

(1) understanding God and how he wants us to behave. For example:

that you will fully know and understand how to make the right choices (1:9b-10a, Contemporary English Version)

(2) knowledge of the truth in general. For example:

true knowledge (Good News Translation)

If you must be explicit, then choose the first option (1), that is, Paul was referring to knowing God and what God wants us to do.

depth of insight: This is literally “all judgment/discernment.” This phrase means to understand all kinds of things in a spiritual sense, to know what is true and right in every situation. This idea continues in 1:10.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2:11

2:11a

every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord: 2:11a repeats the same basic meaning that is in 2:10a but uses a different figure of speech. It means that everyone will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the supreme Lord over all creation. In order to honor Jesus two things will happen: everyone will bow to Jesus Christ as Lord and everyone will say that Jesus Christ is Lord.

In some languages this requires a direct quote. For example:

everybody will say, “Jesus Christ is Lord of all”
-or-
everyone will say, “Jesus Christ is the one who rules us(incl.).”

every tongue: The phrase every tongue is a figure of speech that represents every created being that is able to think and speak. It is parallel to the phrase “every knee” in 2:10a.

confess: Here confess means “to say something openly and publicly.” It means to acknowledge something that is true, or to tell others something you know that is true. The word confess here does not mean to confess sin.

This does not mean that everyone will happily or gladly acknowledge Jesus as Lord. But God will force Satan and all who previously have refused to acknowledge Jesus as Lord to admit that Jesus is Lord.

2:11b

to the glory of God the Father: People will say “Jesus Christ is Lord,” and by saying this they will give glory to God, the Father of Jesus Christ. The statement “Jesus Christ is Lord” will not mean that Jesus is taking glory away from the Father. He has the lordship (authority) that the Father has given him. Jesus will be Lord of all creation but will still be under the authority of his Father, God. This is God’s plan, and so this will glorify God the Father.

There are several possible ways to translate the phrase to the glory of God the Father. For example:

…and therefore all people will praise our(incl.) Father, God.
-or-
…and ⌊this will result in⌋ people saying that God the Father is very, very great.
-or-
…and his Father, God, will receive honor when this happens.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 4:1

Paragraph 4:1

Paul encouraged the believers to be faithful to the Lord.

4:1 is a summary of what Paul talked about in 3:12–21.

4:1a

Therefore: This connecting word indicates that what Paul had been saying in chapter 3, especially in the latter part, was the reason why he then said what he did in 4:1.

my brothers: The term brothers here refers to other Christians, fellow believers, not to literal brothers. You might translate this as “brothers and sisters,” “older and younger siblings” or “relatives.” The term brothers also occurs in 1:12, 3:1, 3:13, 3:17, 4:8. See the note on 1:12a.

whom I love and long for: Once again Paul told the Philippians how much he loved them. The phrase long for means to wish strongly to see someone because you love him very much. See note on “I long for all of you” in 1:8, where the same Greek word is used.

4:1b

my joy: When Paul called the Philippians his joy in this verse, he meant that they caused Paul to be happy. Some possible ways to translate this are:

you give me joy
-or-
you make me happy

and crown: When Paul called the Philippians his crown, he meant they were his reward for the work he had done. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as crown refers to the ring of leaves that was placed on the head of someone who had just won a race or competition. It was his reward/prize for winning. Therefore, it is possible that Paul was thinking of the reward that he would get in heaven because of how he had discipled the Philippians. They were like his reward because they had believed in Christ and were following him. Here is an idea for translating the word crown :

you are the reward for my work

Paul also used the ideas of “joy” and crown together in 1 Thessalonians 2:19.

4:1c

that is how: The Greek word houtōs that the Berean Standard Bible translates as that is how can also be translated as “in this way” or “so.” Paul encouraged the Philippians to stand firm in the way he had just been describing in the previous verses.

stand firm in the Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as stand firm is also used in 1:27c–d. It literally just means “stand,” but Paul used it figuratively to mean “be steadfast.” Paul wanted the Philippians to be strong in their faith no matter what happened to them. A possible rendering for the phrase stand firm in the Lord in this context is:

remain loyal to the Lord

my beloved: The Berean Standard Bible translates this phrase from the same Greek word from which it translates the phrase “whom I love” in 4:1a. Think about whether it is better in your language to repeat the same idea or to use a different expression here in your translation. See also the note on “my beloved” in 2:12a.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:20

1:20a

I eagerly expect and hope: There are two ways to interpret the Greek here:

(1) expect and hope are two related but separate concepts. (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

(2) expect and hope are parts of the same concept, where one part modifies the other. You could translate this as “I eagerly and hopefully expect…” (NET Bible, Revised English Bible)

Interpretation (1) has stronger support in commentaries and English versions and is recommended.

eagerly expect: The Greek term that the Berean Standard Bible translates as eagerly expect can also mean “eagerly desire.” However, most scholars agree that the meaning here is “eagerly expect.”

hope: The word hope here refers not to what Paul wished for but to what he confidently expected.

I will in no way be ashamed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translated as ashamed can mean one of two things:

(1) “put to shame, disgraced.” Paul hoped he would not do anything that would bring him into disgrace. He wanted to be approved by God. Specifically, he trusted that he would continue to please God by glorifying Christ. (New American Standard Bible, Good News Translation, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, Revised English Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

(2) “feel ashamed.” Paul hoped that he would never be ashamed of Christ and the gospel. He expected that he would continue to be bold in proclaiming the gospel of Christ.

The Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version and NET Bible are ambiguous here. But it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Paul did not want to disappoint God. He trusted God would give him courage to keep on doing what was right (see the rest of 1:20). In this way God would protect him from disgrace.

1:20b

will have complete boldness: This is literally “in all boldness.” It may be necessary for you to translate boldness or “courage” with a verb or adjective. For example:

will be brave enough to…

boldness: Most commentators agree that the boldness Paul was concerned about was the boldness to speak about Christ during his trial. You could translate this as:

I will speak boldly/bravely.

1:20c

now as always: This means that Paul hoped to go on speaking as boldly for Christ as he had in the past.

Christ will be exalted: The Greek does not say who would exalt Christ, and there are two ways to understand what Paul was saying here:

(1) God, Christ himself, or the Spirit would bring honor to Christ through Paul. People would praise and honor Christ when they saw how Paul served God while he was alive or by the way he died because he believed in Christ. In this way God would glorify Christ through Paul’s body. (Revised English Bible)

(2) It was Paul himself who would exalt Christ. For example:

with my whole being I shall bring honor to Christ (Good News Translation)

Most translations do not explicitly say who would exalt Christ. If you can use the passive (be exalted), that would be appropriate. But if you must use an active verb with an explicit subject, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with the majority of commentators and say, “God will exalt Christ.”

in my body: The phrase in my body is a figure of speech meaning “through all I do.” Paul wanted to honor Christ whether he lived or died. In many languages it may not be possible to translate literally and give this meaning. If that is true in your language, you could translate this phrase:

in everything I say and do
-or-
with my whole being

1:20d

by life or by death: By this phrase Paul explained what he meant by “in my body.” He included two ideas:

(a) If I continue to live, I want to honor Christ by the way I live.

(b) If I die, I want to honor Christ by the way I die.

General Comment on 1:20

In some languages it may be necessary to reorder the words of 1:20. This can help to clarify what Paul meant here:

I earnestly expect and hope that I will be brave enough to continue to glorify Christ by the way I live and the way I die, as I always have done, so that I will not be ashamed.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 3:1

Section 3:1–4:1

The Philippians should follow Paul’s example and trust Christ to make them righteous

Paul told the believers to watch out for those who were teaching that believers must be circumcised. He also warned them against those who were proud of doing evil. He encouraged them to follow his example instead. Paul tried to be like Christ and depended on him alone in order to become righteous.

In both 3:1 and 4:1, Paul talked about being joyful. Therefore, it is possible to consider that 3:1 is an introduction to this section and 4:1 is a summary of this section. However, some English versions consider that 3:1a is the final statement in the previous section and so attach it to the end of chapter 2 (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version). You may want to follow whatever the national language version in your area does here.

Paragraph 3:1a

3:1a

Finally: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Finally is to loipon, which literally means “[for] the rest.” There are different views about what it means here.

(1) Some commentators say that it indicates a change to a new topic and that it is best translated as “furthermore” or “concerning other matters.” For example:

Now then… (God’s Word)
-or-
Whatever happens… (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
And now… (Revised English Bible) (God’s Word, Revised English Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

(2) Other commentators think that it indicates that Paul meant to end his letter at this point. When he changed his mind and began writing about another topic, he left this word in the middle of his letter. (Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, NET Bible, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1). If in your language you have no way to show such a change in topic, you may need to leave to loipon untranslated (as in New Century Version).

rejoice in the Lord: The following rephrasings of rejoice in the Lord help to show what it means as well as how you might translate it:

rejoice because of ⌊what⌋ the Lord ⌊has done for you⌋
-or-
be very happy because ⌊you belong to⌋ the Lord

rejoice: The Greek word for rejoice here means “be happy.”

Paragraph 3:1b–4a

Paul told the Philippians to be on their guard against people who called themselves Christians but were teaching that Gentile Christians must become like Jews as well as trusting Christ. Paul made it clear that God saves people because of what Jesus has done for them, not because they obey the Jewish laws.

3:1b

It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again: Paul was saying that he was willing to repeat things the Philippians had heard before. He did not mind doing it, because he knew it was helpful.

the same things: This phrase has been understood as referring to

(1) warnings Paul had given the Philippians earlier, in other letters or when he was with them. Translations that begin a new paragraph at 3:1b are following this interpretation. (New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible)

(2) the commands to rejoice that Paul had given in 2:18 and 3:1. Paul had already talked about rejoicing in 1:18; 2:2; and 2:19. These versions put 3:1a and 3:1b in the same paragraph and begin a new paragraph with 3:2. (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, Contemporary English Version, New American Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

The first interpretation is recommended (1). Paul here began to discuss again the warnings he had given them earlier and said they were necessary for the spiritual safety of the Philippian believers.

You could translate the phrase the same things as:

the advice I gave you before

3:1c

it is a safeguard for you: This means that if the Philippians listened attentively to Paul’s repeated warnings, they would be protected from false teachers. Paul did not want other people to deceive the believers. He wanted to prevent the Philippians from being confused about what they believed, and he wanted to help them avoid others who would harm them spiritually.

a safeguard: The Greek here is an adjective meaning “safe.” In your language it may be possible to translate it with an adjective describing the warnings as providing safety, or describing the Philippians:

you will be safer (Good News Translation)

Or it may be better to use a noun:

a protection (New Jerusalem Bible)

Or a verb:

protect

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2002