that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
Parallel translations
- WEB that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
- KJV That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
- BSB that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
- NASB so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
- NLT that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
At Jesus' name every knee will bow, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. All creation will ultimately submit to Christ.
Overview
Echoing Isaiah 45:23, where every knee bows to Yahweh, Paul applies this universal homage to Jesus, affirming His deity. The three realms encompass all created beings, willingly or not, acknowledging His lordship. Christ's exaltation guarantees that His reign will be universally recognized.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Isa 45:23–25I have sworn by myself. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.
- Matt 28:18Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
- Rev 5:13–14I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!”
- Heb 1:6When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.”
- Rom 14:10–11But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
- Eph 3:14For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
- Rev 4:10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying,
- Eph 1:10to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, in him;
- John 5:28–29Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice,
- Matt 27:29They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
- Rev 20:13The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.
- Matt 12:40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- Rom 11:4But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
- Eph 4:9Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
- Gen 41:43and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, “Bow the knee!” He set him over all the land of Egypt.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The one who, being in the form of God, emptied himself to the point of death on a cross and was exalted to the name above every name — the joy and prize of the believer.
How Philippians 2:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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