SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2002 – Page 9

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 3:4

3:4a

though I myself could have such confidence: It may be helpful in your language to make this a separate sentence. Paul is saying something that is qualifying his previous statement. To show this you may need to begin this clause with a phrase like:

However, it is true that…

I myself: The Greek emphasizes the first person singular pronoun, I. One way of doing this in English is I myself. (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, Revised Standard Version.) If you use emphatic pronouns in your language, you may be able to use one here.

could have such confidence: The text in 3:5–6 lists these reasons. The phrase could have such confidence is one word in Greek. It literally means “grounds/reason for trust.” In some languages it may be necessary to translate it with one or more verbs. For example, the SSA suggests:

could very well rely on them (SSA)

such: The Berean Standard Bible has included this word to connect this verse back to the “confidence in the flesh” that Paul referred to in 3:3c. Paul was referring to why he would have reasons, from a human point of view, to trust in who he was or what he had done, or to depend on human tradition.

Paragraph 3:4b–6b

Paul was saying, “If it would do any good, I could trust in my Jewish background and my custom of strictly following the Jewish laws, in order that God would consider me, more than anyone else, as one who belongs to him.”

Translator’s Notes places a paragraph break here (see also SSA) as do some English versions. Other English versions keep 3:4b together with 3:4a. This is perhaps because it divides up a single Greek sentence.

3:4b

Paul was not saying that he actually depended on his human background. He made it clear in 3:7–11 that it is useless to trust in such things. He was saying the if human background was important, he had a great human background to depend on. In some translations this may need to be made explicit by including a phrase such as the following at the beginning of this paragraph:

Suppose it were true that the things of this world were important….

If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh: This is an “if” clause, but Paul did not intend to express doubt. He knew that some people, those he was criticizing, did rely on the flesh. In some languages a literal translation may suggest that there is doubt about whether there are any such people. So it may be necessary to say something like “Since some people think they can trust….”

he has grounds for confidence: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has grounds for confidence is from the same root as the noun translated as “put…confidence” in 3:3c. See note there. It could be translated as “he can rely/depend on” or “he has grounds for trusting.”

I have more: Paul was saying, “I have more reasons to trust in earthly things than he does.” Another way you could state this is:

I am better qualified than anyone else to depend on physical things and human tradition.

© 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.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 3:15

3:15

In Greek this verse connects to the previous one with a conjunction, oun, that can be translated “so” or “therefore.” It indicates that Paul wanted his readers to do something because of what he had just said. The Berean Standard Bible leaves this connection implicit as do many other English versions (Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible, God’s Word). You should use whatever connection is most natural in your language.

3:15a

mature: The Greek word is teleios, which means “perfect, mature, fully developed or initiated.” This has two main interpretations here:

(1) Those who are spiritually mature. Paul was referring to spiritual growth and strength. He was referring to people whose faith was strong and fully developed. (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Revised English Bible)

(2) Those who thought they were perfect. Paul was being sarcastic. (NET Bible)

The first meaning is recommended (1).

should embrace this point of view: This means thinking in a certain way about something. The way Paul wanted the Philippians to think was explained in 3:12–14. You could translate this as:

should have that attitude
-or-
should think like that

3:15b

if you think differently about some issue: It is not clear whether this implies that some of the Philippians were actually thinking differently than Paul or if it is something that Paul just thought might happen. One way to translate this is:

if ⌊any of⌋ you have an attitude that is different from what I have been talking about….

3:15c

God will reveal this to you as well: What Paul had said in 3:12–14 described the right attitude for a Christian to have. So if anyone disagreed God would make clear to him that what Paul had said was correct.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:2

1:2

Grace and peace to you: In the early days of Christianity many people used this sort of Christian greeting. It was like a prayer or a blessing. You may need to use the verb “pray” or “ask/request God” in your translation. For example:

We pray that God will give you grace and peace.”

Even if in your language you normally translate Grace or peace as a long phrase, you may want to use something shorter in a Christian greeting like this. Here Paul was not actually teaching about Grace and peace, and so it may not be necessary to include all the elements normally associated with these terms.

Grace: The Greek word charis that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Grace here means “favor, goodwill, kindness, blessing.” See “grace” in Key Biblical Terms. Paul wanted God to show kindness and favor to the Philippian Christians. This is an important term in the New Testament, although it appears only three times in Philippians (see also 1:7 and 4:23). In some languages it may be necessary to translate the noun Grace as a verb. So you might translate the phrase “Grace…to you” in the following ways:

I pray that God will be very good to you.
-or-
May God act favorably toward you.

peace: The Greek word eirēnē that the Berean Standard Bible translates as peace means “well-being” or “absence of conflict.” It refers mainly to peace with God but may also have the secondary meanings of peace with man and peace of heart (a person’s own inner peace). See “peace” in Key Biblical Terms.

you: The Greek form here is plural. This pronoun appears frequently throughout the book of Philippians and (except for 4:3) is always plural, because Paul was addressing the letter to all the Philippian Christians.

our Father: God is called our Father because he is the one who gives us both physical and spiritual life. He loves us as a father does and has adopted us as his children. We are to love, trust and obey him as children do their earthly fathers.

our: In this letter Paul almost always includes the Philippian Christians as well as himself when he says “us” or our. See the note on “we” in 3:17b for an exception to this.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2:4

2:4a–b

look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others: This is literally “Look not only to your own [things] but also to the [things] of others.” People are naturally concerned about what they themselves need and want. But believers also should be concerned about the needs of others and how to help others.

look…to: The Greek word means “to watch something,” “to care about something or someone,” “to be concerned for someone.” It means more than just looking with the eyes.

interests: This word is not in the Greek but all translations require some word or words to be supplied. The Berean Standard Bible has chosen to use interests as have most English versions. The English word interests here does not refer to things people are interested in, but to whatever is to their benefit or advantage. Believers should not seek only their own profit or good, but also the good of others.

General Comment on 2:4

In some languages it will be helpful to reverse 2:4a and 2:4b. For example:

Think about how you can be of help to others, not just about how you can help yourself.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 4:5

4:5a

Let your gentleness be apparent to all: That is, Paul wanted the Philippians to display a gentle attitude, to act in a patient way as they related to everyone, including unbelievers.

gentleness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gentleness has a wide meaning. A gentle person means someone who is calm and moderate, who considers what others need and not just what he himself needs. It means someone who does not insist on his own rights or his own way of doing things. It also means someone who is reasonable and fair-minded, and patient when others misunderstand him.

be apparent: In languages with no passives it will be necessary to translate this with an active verb. Some ways to do this are:

Show all people that you are gentle.
-or-
Let everyone see that you are gentle.

to all: This means to all human beings, not just to all believers.

4:5b

The Lord is near: There are two ways to interpret this expression:

(1) It refers to time, that is, Paul expected the Lord to return to earth soon. (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version)

(2) It refers to location. The Lord is close to all his people.

Most English versions are ambiguous, as is the Greek. If it is possible in your language, you could choose a word or phrase that can mean both close in space and close in time. However, if you must make a choice, choose interpretation (1). Paul probably meant that believers should continue to expect the Lord to return at any time. This should cause all believers to act properly as his true disciples.

The Lord: This refers to the Lord Jesus.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 1:13

1:13

As a result: Paul gave a specific example of how the gospel had advanced as a result of what had happened to him (1:12).

the whole palace guard: The palace guard was a group of soldiers who guarded the official houses of governors and other important Roman officials. The term was especially used for those who guarded the palace of the Roman emperor in Rome itself. This suggests that Paul was probably writing from Rome.

everyone else: It is not clear to whom this refers. Paul may have been thinking about other prisoners or other servants in the place where he was imprisoned. Perhaps he was referring to other important people in the palace or even to all the people that he had met in that city. You should not try to make this more explicit.

chains: This is a figurative term referring to Paul’s imprisonment (see note on 1:7b–c).

for Christ: You could translate this phrase several ways. For example:

because I follow Christ
-or-
because I am a servant of Christ
-or-
because I preach about Christ

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2:15

2:15a

so that: The Philippians should not complain and argue. This was in order that they could become blameless. 2:15 gives the purpose for 2:14.

blameless: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as blameless means to behave in such a way that a person cannot be criticized for doing wrong. Paul said that the Philippians should behave in such a way that people could not call them evildoers. A common English expression for blameless is “no one can find fault with you.” Some people might still try to say the Philippian believers had done wrong, but if the believers were blameless, no one could criticize them honestly or justly.

pure: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pure means “sincere, upright.” It means that a person does not intend to do evil.

General Comment on 2:15a

The words “blameless” and “pure” mean almost the same thing and are intended to strengthen each other. If you do not have two words similar in meaning in your language, then use one word or phrase and add extra emphasis. For example:

truly righteous

2:15b

without fault: The Greek literally means “without blemish.” This term was used to describe the sort of animals the priests were commanded to offer as sacrifices to God in the temple in Jerusalem. These animals could not have anything wrong with them or any ugly marks on them. Here the term is used figuratively and means for a person to have nothing morally wrong with him.

The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as without fault here and “blameless” in 2:15a are different, but they have almost exactly the same meaning. Some translators have omitted the phrase without fault because it is awkward to repeat the same idea. But it is better to try to show Paul’s emphasis on the fact that God’s children should be morally upright. One way to do this is to translate the phrase “children of God without fault” using a word such as “perfect”:

God’s perfect children (Good News Translation)
-or-
perfect children of God (Jerusalem Bible)

crooked and perverse generation: This refers to people who did evil continually. The two words crooked and perverse mean basically the same thing. Together they can mean “very evil.” Paul may have quoted this whole phrase from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 32:5). Here he used it to refer to the non-Christians around the Philippian believers.

crooked: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as crooked literally means “twisted, bent.” Here it is used figuratively to refer to people who are crooked, unjust, or dishonest in their behavior.

perverse: This is very similar in meaning to “crooked.” The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as perverse literally means “distorted.” It is used figuratively to mean “perverted, corrupt.” Here it refers to people who are evil, those who are morally corrupt.

generation: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as generation normally refers to people who are alive at the same time. It can also refer to a group of people who all have the same character. In 2:15b generation refers particularly to those who did not believe or obey the good news.

2:15c

in which you shine as lights in the world: This simile compares Christian believers to stars shining in the dark sky at night. They should be good people living for God in a world of evil people. This is a figure of speech comparing good behavior to light and evil to darkness. Jesus also used this comparison (Matthew 5:14–16).

If this is not a common way of speaking in your language, then you may need to make the points of comparison clear. Or you may need to avoid the metaphor altogether. For example:

The way you act should be very different from the way evil people act.

shine: The word shine means “give light.” This is a metaphor for Christians displaying God’s truth and goodness by the way they behave. The form of the verb here can be understood in two ways:

(1) It is a command. Paul was telling the Philippian believers how they were to behave, that is, they were to “shine like stars”. (Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version)

(2) It is a statement. It refers to what the Philippians were already doing. For example:

You shine among them like stars (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, God’s Word, New Century Version)

The context, especially 2:16b, seems to imply a command rather than simply a statement. However, if you wish to follow interpretation (2), you could translate it as:

You give/shed light among them like stars give light in the sky.

lights: The Greek word can refer to

(1) “heavenly lights, bodies, stars”; (New International Version, Good News Translation, New Century Version, God’s Word, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) “lights” in general or “objects that shine.” This could include lamps and beacons as well as the sun and the moon and the stars. (Berean Standard Bible, NET Bible, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New American Standard Bible)

It is recommended that you follow the majority of translations and commentaries and translate this as “stars.”

world: The Greek word kosmos means “the physical universe” or “the world [of people].” If you follow interpretation (1) above and use “stars” rather than “lights,” you should translate this as referring to the physical universe.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 4:16

4:16a

For: This Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For indicates 4:16 is an example and proof of the Philippians’ generosity which Paul had just been talking about.

even: This implies that Paul had been surprised that they sent gifts to him so soon after he left Philippi.

Thessalonica: Thessalonica was another town in Macedonia, not far from Philippi. Paul went there after he had left Philippi. Perhaps that is why Paul seemed surprised to receive a gift from them there. One way you could express 4:16a could be:

You sent help to me…even while I was still in Thessalonica ⌊before I left Macedonia⌋.

4:16b

you provided for my needs: Paul did not specify what sort of help the Philippians had sent him. However, the gifts were probably gifts of money.

again and again: In the Greek this literally means “both once and twice.” Scholars do not know the exact meaning of this idiom. There are three possibilities:

(1) It means “twice.” The Philippians sent gifts to Paul twice. (New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word)

(2) It means “more than once.” They sent gifts more than once, but Paul did not say how many times. (Good News Translation, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version)

(3) It means “repeatedly.” They sent gifts repeatedly, that is, several times. (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Century Version)

The first meaning has stronger commentary support and it is recommended that you follow it in your translation (1).

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 2002