But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Parallel translations
- WEB but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
- BSB but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
- NKJV but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
- NASB but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.
- NLT Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,
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
Instead He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant and being made like men. The Son humbled Himself by becoming human.
Overview
The "emptying" does not mean Christ ceased to be God but that He took on the lowliness of human nature and servanthood. He genuinely became man, adding humanity rather than subtracting deity. This voluntary self-lowering is the climax of divine humility for our sake.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 30
- 2 Cor 8:9For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
- Matt 20:28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
- John 1:14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
- Rom 8:3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
- Isa 53:2–3For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
- Gal 4:4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
- Rom 15:3For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
- Heb 4:15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
- Isa 53:11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
- Mark 10:44–45And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
- Heb 12:2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Luke 22:27For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
- Isa 50:5–6The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
- Phil 2:6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
- Isa 52:13–14Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
- Heb 2:9–18But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
- Isa 42:1Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
- Rom 15:8Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
- Zech 9:9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
- Ps 22:6But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
- John 13:3–14Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
- Mark 9:12And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.
- Matt 12:18Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
- Isa 49:6–7And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
- Rom 1:3Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
- Heb 13:3Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
- Ezek 34:23–24And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
- Dan 9:26And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
- Zech 3:8Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
- Isa 49:3And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 2:7 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.
How traditions read this
What Christ set aside in becoming man.
In becoming man the Son did not give up any divine attribute; he "emptied himself" by veiling his glory and refusing to wield his powers independently of the Father. Deity was fully present but restrained.
Key points · No attribute surrendered; glory veiled; powers used only as the Father willed.
Hilary of Poitiers; John Calvin; William Lane Craig
The Son actually set aside the independent exercise of certain non-essential divine prerogatives (such as omnipresence or independent omniscience) for the span of his earthly ministry, without ceasing to be God. The stronger form — that he gave up deity itself — is rejected by all sides as incompatible with biblical theism.
Key points · Non-essential attributes laid aside in the incarnation; full deity retained; "strong" kenoticism rejected.
Gottfried Thomasius; Stephen Davis; C. Stephen Evans · St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology
Each view is stated as that tradition would put it, with representative sources. Limitless Word presents them side by side and endorses none — see the methodology.