Philippians 2:10

2:5-11 The example of our Lord Jesus Christ is set before us. We must resemble him in his life, if we would have the benefit of his death. Notice the two natures of Christ; his Divine nature, and human nature. Who being in the form of God, partaking the Divine nature, as the eternal and only-begotten Son of God, Joh 1:1, had not thought it a robbery to be equal with God, and to receive Divine worship from men. His human nature; herein he became like us in all things except sin. Thus low, of his own will, he stooped from the glory he had with the Father before the world was. Christ's two states, of humiliation and exaltation, are noticed. Christ not only took upon him the likeness and fashion, or form of a man, but of one in a low state; not appearing in splendour. His whole life was a life of poverty and suffering. But the lowest step was his dying the death of the cross, the death of a malefactor and a slave; exposed to public hatred and scorn. The exaltation was of Christ's human nature, in union with the Divine. At the name of Jesus, not the mere sound of the word, but the authority of Jesus, all should pay solemn homage. It is to the glory of God the Father, to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; for it is his will, that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father, Joh 5:23. Here we see such motives to self-denying love as nothing else can supply. Do we thus love and obey the Son of God?

At the name of Jesus (ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι) Rev., better, in the name. The name means here the personal name; but as including all that is involved in the name. See on Matthew 28:19. Hence the salutation is not at the name of Jesus, as by bowing when the name is uttered, but, as Ellicott rightly says: "the spiritual sphere, the holy element as it were, in which every prayer is to be offered and every knee to bow." Compare Ephesians 5:20. Things in heaven, etc. Compare Revelation 5:13; Ephesians 1:20, Ephesians 1:22. The words may apply either to all intelligent beings or to all things. The latter is in accord with Paul's treatment of the creation collectively in Romans 8:19-22, and with the Old-Testament passages, in which all nature is represented as praising God, as Psalm 148:1-14; Psalm 65:13.

Php 2:10 . Πᾶν γόνυ — πᾶσα γλῶσσα , every knee—every tongue ) A Synecdoche;[21] i.e. that in every way they may worship and acknowledge Him as Lord; comp. Revelation 5:13 .— κάμψῃ ) may bow , viz. itself , either with [in token of] applause or with trembling.— ἐπουρανίων [supracælestium], of the beings dwelling in the upper heaven ) The heavenly inhabitants bow their knees, for Christ the Lord has taken heaven .— ἐπιγείων , of things on earth ) For He dwelt upon the earth.— καταχθονίων , of beings under the earth ) See Mark 3:11 ; Job 26:5 [ Ephesians 4:9 ; Revelation 5:13 .—V. g.] Afterwards He also presented Himself to them. This division goes further into the height and depth than that, Exodus 20:4 . [21] Bowing the knee , the part put for every kind of worship, the whole.—ED.

10. at the name—rather as Greek, "in the name." bow—rather, "bend," in token of worship. Referring to Isa 45:23; quoted also in Ro 14:11. To worship "in the name of Jesus," is to worship Jesus Himself (compare Php 2:11; Pr 18:10), or God in Christ (Joh 16:23; Eph 3:14). Compare "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord (that is, whosoever shall call on the Lord in His revealed character) shall be saved" (Ro 10:13; 1Co 1:2); "all that call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord" (compare 2Ti 2:22); "call on the Lord"; Ac 7:59, "calling upon … and saying, Lord Jesus" (Ac 9:14, 21; 22:16). of things in heaven—angels. They worship Him not only as God, but as the ascended God-man, "Jesus" (Eph 1:21; Heb 1:6; 1Pe 3:22). in earth—men; among whom He tabernacled for a time. under the earth—the dead; among whom He was numbered once (Ro 14:9, 11; Eph 4:9, 10; Re 5:13). The demons and the lost may be included indirectly, as even they give homage, though one of fear, not love, to Jesus (Mr 3:11; Lu 8:31; Jas 2:19, see on [2385]Php 2:11).

Verse 10. - That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ; translate, in the name , not at (comp. Isaiah 45:23 , quoted in Romans 14:10, 11 ). The words may mean, either that all prayer must be offered to God in the name of Jesus, through his mediation; or that all creation must offer prayer to him. Both alternatives are true, and perhaps both are covered by the words; but the second seems to be principally intended (comp. Psalm 63:4 , "I will lift up my hands in thy Name." Comp. also (in the Greek) Psalm 43:9; 104:3; 1 Kings 8:44 ; also the common Septuagint phrase, Ἐπικαλεῖσθαι ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου ). Observe, the words are, not "the name Jesus," but "the name of Jesus;" the name, that is, which God freely gave to him (Ver. 9), It is the name which is above every name, that is, the majesty, the glory of Jesus, which is to be the object of Christian worship. The end of the whole passage being the exaltation of Jesus, it seems more natural to understand this verse of worship paid to Jesus than of worship offered through him to God the Father. Observe also that the words ( Isaiah 45:23 ) on which this passage is formed are the words of Jehovah: "Unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." They could not be used without impiety of any but God . Of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth . Perhaps the angels, the living, and the dead; or, more probably (comp.

(10) At (properly, in ) the name of Jesus every knee should bow. —This is an instance of the significant practice, by which passages of the Old Testament speaking of God are, as a matter of course, applied in the New to our Lord Jesus Christ. “In the Name” is the phrase constantly used for worship of God. “I will lift up my hands in Thy Name” ( Psalm 63:4 ). It denotes worship to Christ, not through Him. Of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.—For “things” we may better substitute beings, for the reference is properly to personal beings; although in some sense “All the works of the Lord bless the Lord, praise Him and magnify Him for ever.” (Comp. here Revelation 5:13, “Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth . . . heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.” See also Ephesians 1:20-21, and Notes there.)

Php 2:10 . ἐν τῷ ὀνόμ . Ἰ . Perhaps the best explanation is that of Weiffenb. ( op. cit. , p. 51), “On the ground of this name ( κύριος ),” i.e. , because of what it means for every worshipper. Of course, the worship is rendered to Him as Lord. Abbott ( Notes on St. Paul’s Epistles , p. 93) compares Psalm 63:4 , “Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name”. Cf. also Psalm 20:5 ; Psalm 54:1 . This name , which declares the true character and dignity of Jesus Christ, is both the basis and the object of worship. See the somewhat parallel use of εἰς τὸ ὀν . in Inscrr[1] (Dsm[2], BS [3], pp. 144–145). For the history of the phrase and its Semitic basis consult Die biblische “im Namen,” by J. Böhmer (Giessen, 1898).— ἐπουρ . κ . ἐπιγ . κ . καταχθ . Aptly Thdrt[4], ἐπουρανίους καλεῖ τὰς ἀοράτους δυνάμεις , ἐπιγείους δὲ τοὺς ἔτι ζῶντας ἀνθρώπους καὶ καταξθονίους τοὺς τεθνεῶτας .— ἐπουρ . The heavenly spirits. “Paul regards the higher world as divided into a series of ascending spheres” (Beysch., N.T. Th. [E.Tr.], ii., 100).— καταχθ . It is needless to think of these in connexion with the Descent into Hades, although this subject had an extraordinary place in the minds of the early Christians ( cf. Bruston, La Descente du Christ aux Enfers , Paris, 1897). Here simply = a general term for the dead.

Often in sepulchral Inscrr[5] For the division of all beings into three regions Everling compares Ignat. ad Trall. , 9, ἀληθῶς ἐσταυρώθη καὶ ἀπέθανεν , βλεπόντων τῶν ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπ γείων καὶ ὑποχθονίων (see his Paulinische Angelologie u. Dämonologie , Gött., 1888, pp. 83–84). [1]nscrr. Inscriptions. [2] Deissmann ( BS. = Bibelstudien, NBS. = Neue Bibelstudien ). [3] Bibelstudien [4]hdrt. Theodoret. [5]nscrr. Inscriptions.

At the name of Jesus; in the old translation by bishops in Queen Elizabeth’s time, (and some say in the manuscripts of this), it is in the name. However, in ours now, it is not appositively, at the name Jesus; but constructively, of Jesus, intimating, that the power, glory, and majesty of him who hath that name, unto which every knee is bowed, is that name which is above every name; which would not hold true, if the name were taken for the very word Jesus, that (as before) being common to others in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, yea, and English. Besides, neither in letters, nor syllables, nor sound, nor time, hath that word any thing above other words. Every knee should bow: bowing of the knee is meant metonymically, and metaphorically, because some of those hereafter named, from whom the homage is due, have neither knees nor tongues, yet must, either willingly or by constraint, yield subjection and obedience to the sovereign authority of Christ, here and hereafter, Matthew 11:27 28:18 John 5:22,23 Ac 3:15 ; all creatures being made subject to him, Hebrews 2:8 . Some of the papists, searching for their subterraneous, fictitious purgatory, would restrain it to men, but that would straiten and diminish the august glory of Christ, exalted above every name, who had, even here in his humiliation, homage from unclean spirits, Mark 5:6,7,10,12 Lu 8:31 Jam 2:19 ; how much more when at his tribunal his consummate glory shall be manifest to all!

Which the apostle hath ultimately a reference to, according to the evangelist, Matthew 16:27 24:30 . Then shall his equality with his Father, and his superlative glory as Mediator, be manifested to all, good and bad, angels as well as men, who shall be subjected to his sovereign Majesty, as the Lord God omnipotent; the good willingly, and the bad by constraint, Isaiah 45:23 Acts 17:31 Romans 2:16 14:10,11 2 Corinthians 5:10 . Of things in heaven; good angels, from whom he had homage and service here, Psalm 97:7 Matthew 2:13 4:11 Luke 1:30,31 2:13 Hebrews 1:6 at his resurrection, and ascension, Matthew 28:6 Acts 1:11 much more in his glory, Matthew 24:31 25:31 Ephesians 1:21,22 Col 1:16 2:10 2 Thessalonians 1:7 and the spirits of just men made perfect, Hebrews 12:22,23 Re 4:6 , &c.; Revelation 5:9,10 . And things in earth; good men willingly, Psalm 110:3 Acts 10:33 1Jo 5:3 ; and bad by force, Psalm 2:9 Luke 19:27 Hebrews 2:14 . And things under the earth; either the dead, who are hid in the earth, and shall be raised by the power of Christ, in, or upon them, Acts 24:15 : or, devils, and wicked souls; for though devils move in the air by God’s permission, Ephesians 2:2 ; yet hell is the place prepared for them, and the wicked, Matthew 7:23 25:41 Luke 8:31 2 Peter 2:4 Judges 1:6 . Upon Christ’s exaltation, all things above, and in the world, are subjected to his dominion.