Philippians 2:6

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

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Who	ὃς hos	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — nominative singular masculine
being	ὑπάρχων huparchōn	G5225	to begin under (quietly) · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
form	μορφῇ morphēa	G3444	shape · noun — dative singular feminine
God	θεοῦ theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
it	ἡγήσατο hēgēsato	G2233	to lead · verb — aorist middle deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
not	οὐχ ouch	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
robbery	ἁρπαγμὸν harpagmon	G725	plunder (properly concrete) · noun — accusative singular masculine
be	εἶναι einai	G1511	to exist · verb — present active infinitive
equal	ἴσα isa	G2470	similar (in amount and kind) · adjective — accusative plural neuter
God	θεῷ, theō	G2316	figuratively · noun — dative singular masculine, a title

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making hi…
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the…
Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had b…
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Colossians 1:15-16 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,…
Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of th…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:1-11

The apostle proceeds in this chapter where he left off in the last, with further exhortations to Christian duties. He presses them largely to like-mindedness and lowly-mindedness, in conformity to the example of the Lord Jesus, the great pattern of humility and love. Here we may observe, I. The great gospel precept passed upon us; that is, to love one another. This is the law of Christ's kingdom, the lesson of his school, the livery of his family. This he represents (Phi 2:2) by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. We are of a like mind when we have the same love. Christians should be one in affection, whether they can be one in apprehension or no. This…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:6

Translate, "Who subsisting (or existing, namely, originally: the Greek is not the simple substantive verb, 'to be') in the form of God (the divine essence is not meant: but the external self-manifesting characteristics of God, the form shining forth from His glorious essence). The divine nature had infinite BEAUTY in itself, even without any creature contemplating that beauty: that beauty was 'the form of God'; as 'the form of a servant' (Phi 2:7), which is in contrasted opposition to it, takes for granted the existence of His human nature, so 'the form of God' takes for granted His divine nature [BENGEL], Compare Joh 5:37; Joh 17:5; Col 1:15, 'Who is the IMAGE of the invisible God' at a tim…

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Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:6

Who, being in the form of God - This verse has been the subject of much criticism, and some controversy. Dr. Whitby has, perhaps, on the whole, spoken best on this point; but his arguments are too diffuse to be admitted here. Dr. Macknight has abridged the words of Dr. Whitby, and properly observes that, "As the apostle is speaking of what Christ was before he took the form of a servant, the form of God, of which he divested himself when he became man, cannot be any thing which he possessed during his incarnation or in his divested state; consequently neither the opinion of Erasmus, that the form of God consisted in those sparks of divinity by which Christ, during his incarnation, manifested…

The Church Fathers

He never either compared or opposed himself to God the Father. He remembered [throughout his earthly ministry] that he was from the Father.
— Novatian, ON THE TRINITY 22.5

If therefore he thought it no robbery to assert his equality with God, he demonstrated that he was the true Son of God. No one could be God's equal without being truly God.
— Pseudo-Augustine, QUESTIONS ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS 97.2

This for certain is He "who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." In what form of God? Of course he means in some form, not in none.
— Tertullian, Against Praxeas

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Apphia — Increasing, a female Christian at Colosse (Philemon 1:2), supposed by some to have been the wife of Philemon.
Archippus — Master of the horse, a “fellow-soldier” of Paul’s (Philemon 1:2), whom he exhorts to renewed activity (Col. 4:17). He was a member of Philemon’s family, probably his son.
Covenant — A contract or agreement between two parties. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word berith is always thus translated. Berith is derived from a root which means “to cut,” and hence a covenant is a…
Humility — A prominent Christian grace (Rom. 12:3; 15:17, 18; 1 Cor. 3:5-7; 2 Cor. 3:5; Phil. 4:11-13). It is a state of mind well pleasing to God (1 Pet. 3:4); it preserves the soul in tranquillity (Ps. 69:32,…
Kingly office of Christ — One of the three special relations in which Christ stands to his people. Christ’s office as mediator comprehends three different functions, viz., those of a prophet, priest, and king. These are not…
Philippians, Epistle to — Was written by Paul during the two years when he was “in bonds” in Rome (Phil. 1:7-13), probably early in the year A.D. 62 or in the end of 61. The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus, their messenger,…
Robbery — Practised by the Ishmaelites (Gen. 16:12), the Chaldeans and Sabeans (Job 1:15, 17), and the men of Shechem (Judg. 9:25. See also 1 Sam. 27:6-10; 30; Hos. 4:2; 6:9). Robbers infested Judea in our…
Christ Is God · As Jehovah’s Fellow and Equal — As Jehovah’s Fellow and Equal
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Example · CHRIST, OUR — CHRIST, OUR
Excellency And Glory Of Christ, The

Philippians 2:6

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:1-11

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:6

Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:6

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Philippians 2:6

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:1-11

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:6

Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:6

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Philippians 2:6

John Calvin on Philippians 2:5-11

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Philippians 2:6-11