SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2002

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:8

1:8

In the Greek this verse begins with a connecting word meaning “for.” The Berean Standard Bible does not translate this word, but if it is natural in your language, you may use such a connecting word here.

God is my witness: Paul used this phrase when there was no human witness, and especially when he was referring to his thoughts, feelings and attitudes. He meant that God was his witness and could verify that he was telling the truth. He said this five times in his letters when he was talking about how he felt, or when he was showing that he was dedicated to his Lord (also in Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:5, 2:10). You could translate the phrase God is my witness as “God will tell you” or simply as “God knows.” In some translations this phrase is at the end of the verse. See 1:8 in the Display.

I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus: Just as Jesus cared for the Philippians, so Paul cared for them. He cared so deeply for them that he strongly desired to be with them again.

I long for all of you: This refers mainly to Paul’s desire to see the Philippians again. He wanted to visit them again in order to help them grow in their faith, but this reason is probably not the focus here.

the affection of Christ Jesus: The Greek word splanchna, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as affection, literally means “insides of the body,” that is, heart, liver, lungs, kidneys. Greek people considered that these parts of the body were the source of emotions and feeling. They used splanchna to refer to their emotions, much as English-speaking people use the word “heart.”

The entire Greek phrase used here refers to the deep, sincere love that Jesus Christ had for other people. Christ gave Paul the ability to love others in the same way. Therefore, by saying, “I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus,” Paul was saying, “I long for all of you with the love that Jesus Christ has given me.” Another possible translations is:

I long for you because Christ Jesus has caused me to love you.

© 2002 by SIL International®
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SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2:10

2:10a

that: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word hina here:

(1) It indicates purpose. God gave Christ the highest authority in order that every knee should bow to him. 2:10–11 shows the purpose for 2:9. (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible, God’s Word)

(2) It indicates result. God gave Christ the highest authority with the result that every knee will bow. (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version)

Interpretation (1) has much stronger commentary support, and it is recommended that you follow it.

at the name of Jesus every knee should bow: The name Jesus refers to the person Jesus, who is Christ, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. God desires that everyone should acknowledge that Jesus is Lord of all.

at the name of Jesus: There are at least three ways to interpret this expression. These interpretations depend on two things:

(a) what the Greek word en means (translated as at in the Berean Standard Bible);

(b) whether Paul was referring to the literal name Jesus here, or to the person that the name represents, or to both.

The three main interpretations are:

(1) The phrase means “in honor of Jesus.” People should bow to honor the person Jesus. Jesus himself is the one to whom they show respect.

(2) The phrase means “at the name of Jesus.” When people hear the name Jesus they should bow, because they will know whom it represents.

(3) The phrase means “in the name of Jesus.” People should bow and worship in Jesus’ name on the basis of all that his name implies: he is the person God has exalted above all others.

Most English versions are ambiguous. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The phrase the name of Jesus is probably a figure of speech referring to Jesus himself.

every knee should bow: This is a Hebrew way of saying that everyone should kneel down. It implies that they bow to show that they are submitting to someone or worshiping someone.

every knee: This refers to all people and all beings capable of bowing to someone. God’s desire is that all people willingly bow and submit to Jesus. But willing or not, one day everyone will submit to Jesus. The knee that bows represents the person who submits himself, his whole person, to a greater authority.

should bow: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as should bow is a form of the Greek word which shows purpose. In this context God is the one whose purpose it is that all should bow. So it is certain that it will happen.

In the Old Testament culture, the act of kneeling implied that a person especially needed something or was showing a very humble and respectful attitude. However, in some cultures people do not kneel to show respect. So in some languages it is necessary to say “humble themselves” instead of the literal bow or kneel. In other languages it is necessary to include both the action and the attitude. For example:

kneel down to show respect

Here are two ways to translate this entire clause:

God did this so that everybody will show respect to Jesus.
-or-
God did this so that every person will humble himself before Jesus.

2:10b

in heaven: The literal Greek here means “of ⌊those⌋ in heaven.” The Greek does not say what kind of beings or creatures. The phrase most likely refers to angels and possibly to people who have died and gone to heaven.

on earth: The phrase on earth means “of ⌊those⌋ ] on earth.” This refers mainly to people on earth. But some commentators include also animals and other living things, and evil spirits who have authority in the world.

under the earth: This phrase means “of ⌊those⌋ under the earth.” There are many different suggestions about what this refers to. The most widely supported view is that it refers to people who have died. It may include evil spirits.

This third phrase under the earth is probably the hardest of the three phrases in 2:10b to translate. In some cultures a literal translation is meaningless. Possible translations are:

those in the deep places of the earth
-or-
those who are dead
-or-
spirits of dead people

General Comment on 2:10b

The three groups of beings listed in 2:10b clearly are intended to cover all beings everywhere that God has created. The point is to make it clear that all creatures everywhere will submit to Jesus Christ, not to describe the three different groups in detail. One possible way of making this clear would be:

All created beings, whether in heaven, on the earth or beneath the earth.

General Comment on 2:10

It will not be grammatically possible in all languages to end a sentence with a list, as in 2:10b. So it may be necessary to move 2:10b to the middle or the beginning of 2:10a. For example:

…so that at the name of Jesus everybody—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—will kneel
-or-
…so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus. (Jerusalem Bible)

General Comment on 2:10

Remember that this is a kind of poetry in Greek and is rich in word pictures (knee, tongue, earth, heaven). Try to keep as many of these word pictures as you can, but be sure the meaning remains the same.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 3:21

3:21a

the power that enables Him: This means the ability to be strong and to do great things. The power that Christ has makes it possible for him to take control of everything.

subject all things to Himself: This refers to taking control of all things.

In some languages it will not be possible to talk about controlling or ruling things. If this is true in your language, you could translate this “take control of all people/beings.”

Some other possible translations are:

make everything be under his authority
-or-
cause everything to happen as he commands

all things: That is, all that God has created. This could be translated as “heaven and earth” or “all the world.”

3:21b

transform: This means to change something from what it was into something different.

our lowly bodies: The phrase our lowly bodies refers to the bodies we now have, bodies get sick and die.

to be like His glorious body: When Christ changes these earthly bodies, they will become like his heavenly body—the sort of body Christ had after God raised him from the dead. God not only caused Christ’s body to live again but he made it a different sort of body (see 1 Corinthians 15:35–58), one that was no longer able to die.

His glorious body: This refers to the body Christ had after God raised him from the dead. Through this new body, God showed his power and his glory.

General Comment on 3:21

In some languages it may be helpful to reorder this verse so that 3:21b comes before 3:21a. One way to do this is:

He will change our weak, human bodies to be like his glorious body. He will do this by his power that makes him able to bring all things under his control.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:19

1:19b

through your prayers: This refers to the fact that the Philippians had been praying for Paul. So you could also translate this as:

because you are asking God to help me

the Spirit of Jesus Christ: Commentators agree that the Spirit of Jesus Christ refers to the Holy Spirit. Similar expressions occur in Acts 16:9; Romans 8:9 and 1 Peter 1:11. Your translation should be clear enough that those who read your translation do not think that the Spirit of Jesus Christ is different from the Holy Spirit. They are two names for the same Spirit. You could translate the Spirit of Jesus Christ as “the Spirit who comes from Jesus Christ” or as “the Spirit sent by Jesus Christ.”

1:19c

my distress will turn out for my deliverance: These words are a quotation from Job 13:16 in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament.

my distress: The Greek word touto, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as my distress, literally means “this.” Paul probably had the whole situation in mind. “This” refers to what was happening to Paul at the time he was writing the letter, that is, the fact that he was in prison and waiting for a court trial, and also to the fact that people were preaching about Christ.

will turn out for: This is an idiom meaning “will lead to” or “will result in.”

my deliverance: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates deliverance is sōtēria, the word often translated “salvation.” So there are two ways to interpret sōtēria here:

(1) It means “salvation.” Paul was saying that the result of what was happening would be that God would save him. Paul would persevere in the faith and would be saved from sin, evil, Satan’s attacks and final spiritual death. Whether he lived or died, the enemies of the gospel would not destroy him. Many commentaries follow this option. (King James Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) It means deliverance. Paul was confident that the authorities would release him from prison. So he would be delivered or set free from his imprisonment and would not be put to death (at least at that time). (Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

Interpretation (1) seems to fit better here because of the context of 1:20. Paul was determined to honor Christ, whether it was by the way he lived or the way he died. Paul evidently considered death a genuine possibility, and interpretation (2) does not appear to allow for this. Therefore, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Paul believed that the result of what was happening to him (being in prison and facing a court trial) would be that God would bring him safely through both life and death to complete salvation in the presence of Jesus.

General Comment on 1:19b–c

In some languages it may be better to reorder 1:19 by putting 1:19c before 1:19b. You could translate it as:

a I know that c this will result in God saving me b because of your prayers and the help of the Spirit who comes from Jesus Christ.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2:30

2:30a

because: The Greek word could also be translated “since.” This verse explains why the Philippians should honor Epaphroditus.

for the work of Christ: That is, Epaphroditus was serving Christ when he went to help Paul.

risking his life: This repeats the same idea as “he almost died.” A person is risking his life when he does something that might cause him to die. Paul did not say what this was, but it was probably whatever caused Epaphroditus to become sick.

It may be necessary in some languages to reverse these two phrases. See the second Meaning Line in the Display.

2:30b

to make up for your deficit of service to me: The Philippian believers wanted to help Paul, but they could not all go to Rome. So they had sent Epaphroditus with their gifts to help Paul. He represented them as he helped Paul. One way you could translate this more clearly is:

He helped me as you would have if you had been here.

Be sure your translation does not sound as if Paul were complaining that the Philippians had not done enough for him.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 4:11

4:11a

I am not saying this out of need: By the word this, Paul was referring to what he had just said in 4:10. Paul did not want to imply, by the fact he rejoiced at the gift the Philippians had sent, that he needed or did not need anything.

out of need: This could refer to:

(1) material, financial need—poverty; (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible, King James Version)

(2) a feeling of neglect. For example:

because I feel neglected (Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1).

4:11b

I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances: Paul meant that Christ (4:13) had taught him how to be satisfied no matter what happened to him. In 4:12 he gave specific examples.

I have learned: Paul meant that he had discovered through what he had experienced how to be content whatever the circumstances.

regardless of my circumstances: The Greek is literally “in which [things] I am.” This can be understood in two ways:

(1) It means “in whatever circumstances I am”. (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, NET Bible, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, God’s Word)

(2) It means “with the possessions which I have”. (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). 4:12 makes it clear that Paul had learned to be content in whatever situation God put him.

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.

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.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2002