Meaning of Philippians 2:6- MORFH and hARPAGMOS

Jim West jwest at Highland.Net
Mon Oct 26 13:51:56 EST 1998


At 03:27 PM 10/26/98 -0800, you wrote:
>What exactly is the meaning of Philippians 2:6? The Greek text reads:
>hOS EN MORFHi QEOU hUPARCWN OUC hARPAGMON hHGHSATO TO EINAI ISA QEWi

Kyle,
The stodgy old Robertson said "Morphe means the essential attributes as
shown in the form".  "Originally words in -mos signified the act, not the
result....  That is to say Paul means a prize to be held on to rather than
something to be won".

See his very interesting discussion in vol. 5, p. 444- "Word Pictures in the
New Testament"

I would render the verse something like "who though having the essential
attributes of divinity, [Jesus] did not cling to them; instead he emptied
himself... "  etc.  

Best,


Jim

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
Quartz Hill School of Theology
jwest at highland.net

de mortuis nihil nisi baloni!




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