SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2002 – Page 2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 4:20

4:20

To our God and Father be glory: This phrase is like a prayer. It expresses the desire that people would glorify God, that is, praise him and acknowledge that he is great and glorious. See the note on 1:11c.

our God and Father: The word our modifies both God and Father. It means that God is the God we worship and that he is like a father to us. See the note on 1:2 on “our Father.”

forever and ever: God’s people should praise him forever, without end, for all ages to come.

Amen: This is from a Hebrew word which means to approve and confirm as true what someone has just said. In many languages people will already be familiar with it and so it is possible to transliterate it. Otherwise it can be translated “This is true” or “Let it be so.”

© 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 2:9

Paragraph 2:9–11

After Christ had obediently humbled himself, God exalted Christ and gave him the highest possible honor and authority. By using this example, Paul implied that God would also honor those of his people who obediently humbled themselves.

2:9a

Therefore: In 2:6–8 Christ humbled himself. In 2:9–11 God exalted him. So the main connection between 2:6–8 and 2:9–11 is that 2:9–11 is the result of 2:6–8: Christ obediently humbled himself, and as a result God exalted him.

However, a literal translation of the Greek here is “therefore also.” This is an unusual combination of Greek words that shows that there is also a contrast between 2:6–8 and 2:9–11. This contrast is highly dramatic. Look for a way to make this contrast exciting in your language.

God exalted Him to the highest place: God gave Jesus the highest honor he could give anyone. He gave him the position of the greatest possible honor and authority.

The speakers of some languages have incorrectly imagined that God put Jesus’ dead body in an important position. If the readers of your translation might think this, you will need to make explicit the information that God first caused Jesus to live again. See the Display on 2:9b.

Look for an expression in your language that indicates the greatest possible honor. Other translation ideas are:

God gave him greatness beyond measure.
-or-
God made him very, very great.

In some languages it is necessary to show who or what Jesus is greater than. (2:9b and 2:10 indicate this.) For example:

God made him greater than everything and everyone.

2:9b

and gave Him the name above all names: God gave Jesus the name that has greater honor and authority than all other names. God gave him a title or rank that is greater than that of anyone or anything else. He made him to be Lord of all.

name: This may refer to a specific name or to the reputation or rank that God gave Jesus. But even if name refers to a specific or literal name, the idea of rank or position is also included. See Romans 1:5; 1 Timothy 6:1 and Hebrews 1:4 for other examples of the word name. The position God gave to Jesus was one of lordship, authority, power and dignity.

In some languages a person’s name is not associated with his position or authority. If this is so in your language, you will need to make this clear in another way. See the second Meaning Line in the Display on 2:9b for another suggestion.

General Comment on 2:9

There are two ways to understand how the two clauses in 2:9 (“God exalted Him…and gave Him the name”) relate to each other:

(1) God exalted Jesus to the highest place, that is, he gave him the name that is above every name (see SSA). This also has good support in the commentaries. One way to translate this would be:

God exalted him by giving him the greatest name. (God’s Word)

(2) God exalted Jesus to the highest place, and he also gave him the name that is above every name. “Exalting” and “giving a name” are thus two separate things God did for Jesus. This is not stated explicitly in most translations but is the natural reading. (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004) and Contemporary English Version)

It is likely that the two actions in 2:9 are two ways of speaking about the same thing. So interpretation (1) is preferred here.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 3:20

3:20a

But: In 3:20, Paul contrasted Christians with the people he had just been talking about in 3:18–19. These people were only interested in things affecting life on earth, but Christians do not belong to earth, they are citizens of heaven, and so they focus on things in heaven.

our citizenship is in heaven: This implies that those who believe in Christ really belong to heaven, not earth. The way they act on earth should show that heaven is their homeland, not earth.

our: Paul meant “as for us….” He was contrasting the true believer’s attitude with the attitude of those he described in 3:18–19. The word our includes Paul and those he was writing to.

citizenship: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as citizenship can have several meanings:

(1) It means “citizenship”; (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, Good News Translation, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version)

(2) It means “state,” “commonwealth,” “homeland”; (Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow the first option (1). Paul was reminding the Philippians that all believers were citizens of heaven, not earth. When you translate the word citizenship, think of how you would normally say that you are loyal citizens of your country.

In some languages there may be no word that means “citizen.” If this is true in your language, you could translate this part of the verse:

Heaven is where we(incl.) really belong.

3:20b

we eagerly await: Paul and the Philippians were looking forward to something that they very much wanted and expected to happen. So they were eager and impatient to see it happen.

a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ: This was whom Paul and the Philippians were eagerly awaiting. They were impatiently looking forward to the day when Christ would return from heaven.

Savior: This refers to someone who would come and save God’s people.

from there: That is, from heaven.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:7

1:7a

In Greek this verse begins with a conjunction meaning “just as, for.” The Berean Standard Bible moves it to the beginning of 1:7b to make more natural English, but if it is more natural in your language to use such a connection in 1:7a, you should do so.

It is right: This means “it is proper, it is appropriate, it is good.” In some languages it may be better to put it in the negative; for example, “it is not strange.”

feel this way: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates feel is translated as “think” in most contexts. It refers to the activity of the mind and will, and is not just an emotion. The phrase this way refers back to all the things that Paul had said about why he was thankful for the Philippians in 1:3–6.

I have you in my heart: This Greek idiom means “I love you very much.”

1:7b–c

For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel: The Greek is literally “in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.” Neither the Greek nor the Berean Standard Bible translation means that Paul was in prison at one time and proclaimed the gospel at another time. Even while he was in prison, he was proclaiming the gospel. It is therefore better not to follow the Good News Translation here (“both now that I am in prison and also while I was free to defend…”).

1:7b

in my chains: The phrase in…chains translates a Greek idiom for being in prison. But it also implies that the guards literally tied Paul up or chained him to something so he could not escape.

1:7c

my defense and confirmation of the gospel: It is possible to interpret this phrase two ways:

(1) It refers to a court trial. Paul defended the gospel and proved its truth in a Roman court.

(2) It refers more generally to any time Paul was explaining the gospel and showing why it was true.

Paul may have had both of these in mind, and in some languages the translation can allow for both interpretations. However, if you must choose, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

my defense…of the gospel: This means that Paul was explaining why the gospel was not false. He tried to remove objections and to show that criticisms of the gospel were wrong.

confirmation of the gospel: This means basically the same thing as “defense…of the gospel,” but from a positive angle: Paul was explaining why the gospel was true. In your translation, you may need to combine the ideas “defense” and confirmation into one phrase. For example:

explaining to enemies of the good news why it is true beyond doubt

1:7d

you are all partners in grace with me: In Greek this literally says “sharers of me of grace.” It is therefore not clear how the word meaning “of me” (or “my”) is connected to the rest of the phrase. There are two possibilities:

(1) It is connected to the word “sharers.” This means that Paul and the Philippians shared together in God’s grace. The word grace thus refers to God’s goodness toward Paul and the Philippians, a goodness that he showed in letting them work for him. For example:

We have shared together the blessings of God (New Living Translation (2004))

(2) It is connected to the word grace. In this case “my” grace means the special grace that God gave to Paul as an apostle. The Philippians shared in Paul’s grace by supporting him financially. For example:

All of you have helped in the work that God has given me (Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1). God was kind to both Paul and the Philippians and gave them the privilege of working together to spread the gospel.

General Comment on 1:7b–d

It may be clearer in some languages to alter the order of the phrases in 1:7b–d and to place 1:7d before 1:7b–c. One way to do this would be:

God is kindly allowing us to work together ⌊in telling the good news about Jesus Christ,⌋ whether I am in prison or whether I am defending the good news and proving/showing that the good news is true.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:18

1:18a

What then is the issue?: The Greek here is an idiomatic expression something like the English slang “So what?” It does not expect an answer. In the Berean Standard Bible it is translated as a rhetorical question implying the answer “It doesn’t really matter.” Paul meant that he was not disturbed and troubled (as his rivals expected he would be) because some believers were preaching the gospel out of envy. Instead, he was just glad that they were preaching the good news.

If you have rhetorical questions in your language and you can use one here, make sure the answer is clear to the reader. If it is not clear, you may need to add an explicit answer, such as “It doesn’t matter.” Or, you may need to avoid the rhetorical question (see the third Meaning Line in the Display).

1:18b

that in every way: If your language uses different words to distinguish between two alternatives and more than two alternatives, you should choose the word indicating two alternatives.

whether by false motives or true: Some people were preaching the gospel for the wrong reasons and some for the right reasons.

false motives: The Greek word translated by the Berean Standard Bible as false motives means doing something just for appearance or show, or hiding the real reason for doing something. This refers to the people mentioned in 1:15a and 1:17.

true: The Greek word translated by the Berean Standard Bible as true is literally “in truth.” It refers to doing something for the reason you say you are doing it; that is, genuinely or sincerely. This refers to the people mentioned in 1:15b and 1:16.

1:18c

Christ is preached: In some languages it will be necessary to use an active verb and supply a subject for the verb “preach.” If this is necessary for you, you should choose something that clearly refers back to those about whom Paul had just been speaking. See second and third Meaning lines in the Display.

General Comment on 1:18a–d

In some languages it may be necessary to alter the order of the parts of the verse. Here are two sample translations:

a But this is not important. c What is important is that people are preaching the good news about Christ, b whether they have the right reason or not. d And I am very glad about that.
-or-

a They are doing this, but I am not upset. b Maybe they are preaching because they want to help me, or maybe they are preaching because they don’t want to help me. But either way d I am happy, c because they are preaching the good news about Christ.

Section 1:18e–26

Paul rejoiced because he expected that what was happening would lead to good, whether he lived or died

Paul wanted to bring honor to Christ whether he lived or died. He knew that dying and being with Christ would be the supreme good, but he also wanted to be with the Philippians to help them grow in their faith. And he expected that God would let him continue living and helping others.

Paragraph 1:18e–20

Paul rejoiced because he knew that the result of what was happening to him would be good, whether he continued to live or he died.

1:18e

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice: This phrase connects this section with the previous one. Paul was happy, not only because people were preaching the gospel, but also because he believed that what was happening to him would turn out for good.

Some translations put the phrase Yes, and I will continue to rejoice at the beginning of 1:19 rather than at the end of 1:18 (Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible). You should consider making this adjustment to the verse numbers if this is what your national language version does.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2:29

2:29

In this verse Paul strongly exhorted the Philippians to accept Epaphroditus back happily. It is not clear why Paul had to encourage them to do this. It is possible that he thought that the Philippians might have been angry at Epaphroditus for returning so soon. They had expected him to stay and care for Paul. Thus Paul tried to assure them of how valuable Epaphroditus had been to him, and to convince them that the change of plans was truly what God wanted. Or Paul may simply have been encouraging them to joyfully accept Epaphroditus back, which he expected they would do, as 2:28b implies.

2:29a

Welcome him in the Lord with great joy: The Philippians should receive Epaphroditus back very happily as their Christian brother.

in the Lord: There are several ways to understand this phrase. The two main ones are:

(1) The Philippians should receive Epaphroditus as a brother in the Lord, because he too belonged to the Lord. (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible)

(2) They should welcome Epaphroditus as they should welcome another Christian, in an appropriate manner. (See SSA). (Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version)

Most English versions are ambiguous and it may be possible for you to leave this phrase ambiguous in your translation too. The Display illustrates interpretation (1). If you wish to follow the second interpretation (2), you could say:

Welcome him with great joy in the way you should welcome another believer.

2:29b

honor men like him: The phrase honor men like him means that they should honor him and other men also. Paul reminded the Philippians that they should respect Epaphroditus and other men who were like him.

men like him: This refers to Christians who were faithful to the Lord as Epaphroditus had been. The Greek phrase literally means “such ones.” So you could translate this so as to include women as well as men.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 4:10

Section 4:10–20

Paul thanked the Philippians for their gift

Paul now began to write about the gift that the Philippians had sent him. He reminded them that when he had been preaching the gospel in their area, they were the only group of believers that had sent gifts to him. He made it clear that Christ enabled him to be content in every situation. But their loving gift made him very happy. He also said that God would also supply all they needed. This should cause God’s people to praise him.

Paragraph 4:10–14

Paul had learned to be content whether he had less than he needed or whether he had more than he needed. But he was very happy that the Philippian believers had sent him a gift to help him when he needed it.

4:10

In this verse, Paul wrote that he was extremely happy because of the gift the Philippians had sent him. He rejoiced because by sending him a gift the Philippians had shown him that they still loved him. They were concerned that he should have the things that he needed.

4:10a

Now: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Now (de) implies that Paul was starting to write about something different from what he had been writing about. It is not a time word. Many English versions, including the New International Version, do not translate this Greek word. But your language may have a word or phrase that shows when the speaker or writer changes to a different topic. If so, it may be appropriate to use that word or phrase here.

I rejoice: In Greek the verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I rejoice is in the past tense. That indicates that Paul was happy when he received the gift. However, most English versions use a present tense. This is probably to make it clear that Paul began rejoicing when he first received the gift and was still rejoicing at the time he wrote the letter to the Philippians. You should use the tense in your language that best gives this meaning.

greatly: In the Greek this word is emphasized. Make sure this is an important word in your translation: Paul rejoiced “exceedingly” or “immensely.”

in the Lord: Paul did not rejoice for selfish reasons (that is, because of the gift alone) but in the Lord, that is, because he belonged to the Lord.

the Lord: That is, the Lord Jesus.

4:10b

that: Paul now gave the reason why he was rejoicing. This can also be translated “because.”

at last: It had apparently been a long time since Paul had heard from the Philippians or received a gift from them. The phrase at last means “now, after a long time.” It does not imply that Paul was angry or irritated that he had not heard from the Philippians earlier.

you have revived your concern for me: Paul meant “You have shown again that you are concerned for me.” The Philippians had never stopped being concerned about Paul (4:10c) but by their gift they also showed this concern.

concern: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as concern literally means “to think about someone.” It implies that the Philippians loved Paul and wanted to help him.

4:10c

You were indeed concerned: This phrase clarifies what Paul said in 4:10a–b. He did not want the Philippians to think he was accusing them of neglecting him.

indeed: The Greek idiom that the Berean Standard Bible translates as indeed literally means “for which.” Here it introduces a phrase to clarify a preceding statement and remove a wrong impression. So it can be translated as “indeed,” “actually” or “I know that.”

4:10d

but you had no opportunity to show it: One reason why Paul had not received a gift from the Philippians for a long time was probably that they had no way until then to send a gift to him. Finally, they had sent the money with Epaphroditus, who traveled from Philippi to Rome to take it to Paul.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:29

1:29

For: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For joins the text in 1:29 to what Paul said in 1:27–28. It gives the reason for what Paul had just been saying there.

it has been granted to you: Commentators agree that the word granted implies that God had given the Philippian believers a special privilege or favor. God was being good to them by allowing them to suffer for Christ.

Some languages have different words for giving gifts and giving privileges. The choice of words may also depend on how the status (or importance) of the one who gives relates to the status of the one who receives. Consider how your people view the status of God in relation to the status of people.

on behalf of Christ: The phrase on behalf of Christ may relate to 1:29 in three ways. Therefore, there are three possible interpretations:

(1) The phrase relates primarily to the word “suffer.” This can be expressed, for example, as “It has been granted to you to suffer for Christ, not only to believe in him.” Many commentators hold this view.

(2) The phrase relates to both “believe” and “suffer.” This can be expressed, for example, as “It has been granted to you to believe in Christ and to suffer for him.” This is very close in meaning to the first interpretation. In fact, it is not possible to know which of these views a number of English versions follow. (God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

(3) The phrase relates to the phrase “it has been granted to you.” This can be expressed, for example. as “For Christ’s sake this has been granted to you : to believe in him and to suffer for him.” (New International Version, Revised Standard Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

The first interpretation is recommended (1), but in translation there may be no difference between that and the second.

believe in Him: This means the same as “believe on him” or “put your trust in him.” You could also translate it as “trust him” or “believe what he says.”

suffer for Him: The phrase suffer for Him means that a person is persecuted because he believes in Christ. It means to experience pain (physical or emotional) for Christ’s sake.

It is possible to rephrase the whole sentence (1:29) as:

God not only has allowed you to believe in Christ but also has given you the privilege of suffering for Christ.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2002