Philippians 2:9

διὸ … καί. On account of His great renunciation and obedience. An exemplification of His own maxim: “He that humbleth himself shall be exalted”. καί marks the correspondence between His lowliness and God's exaltation of Him. ὑπερύψ. This goes back beyond the ἐταπείν. to the ἐκέν. (So Kl [1].) It reminds them that Christ has reached a position, in a certain sense, higher than that which He occupied ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ. This has nothing to do with His nature. The Divine glory which he always possessed can never be enhanced. But now, in the eyes of men and as claiming their homage, He is on an equality with God. Cf. the realistic description of the exaltation in Sheph. of Hermas (quoted by Taylor, Sayings of Jew. Fathers, p. 167), Sim., ix., 6, 1, ἀνήρ τις ὑψηλὸς τῷ μεγέθει ὥστε τὸν πύργον ὑπερέχειν. Also Gospel of Peter, 10, with Robinson's notes. ἐχαρίσατο. “Gave as a gift.” This is the Father's prerogative, for undoubtedly the N.T. teaches a certain subordination of the Son. Cf. John 14:28; Romans 1:3-4; 1 Corinthians 8:6, and, most memorable of all, 1 Corinthians 15:28, where the Son, having accomplished His work, seems, according to the Apostle's view, to recede, as it were, into the depths of the Divine Unity. ὄνομα. τὸ ὄν. should be read with the best MSS. It is quite possible that the last syllable of ἐχαρίσατο occasioned the omission of the article. To what does ὄνομα refer? It is only necessary to read on, and the answer presents itself. The universal outburst of worship proclaims that Jesus Christ is Κύριος, Lord, the equiv. of O.T. Jehovah, the highest title that can be uttered. The full significance of the name will only be realised when all the world acknowledges the sovereignty of Christ. As J. Weiss notes (Nachfolge Christi, pp. 63 64), this is not a specially Pauline conception, but belongs to the general faith of the Church. [It is amazing how Alf [2], De W. and Ead. can refer it to “Jesus,” Myr [3] and Vinc. to “Jesus Christ,” while Lft [4] and Hpt [5] regard it as = “dignity,” “title,” without specifying.] On the whole conception cf. Hebrews 1., esp [6] Philippians 2:3-4. Perhaps the Apostle has in his mind the Jewish use of הַשֵׁם, “the Name,” as a reverent substitute for יהוה (LXX Κύριος), Jehovah. Cf. Sayings of Jew. Fathers (ed. Taylor), iv., 7, and Additional Notes, pp. 165 167, where Taylor compares with Philippians 2:7-8 of our chap., Isaiah 53:12 and with Philippians 2:9; Isaiah 52:13. Most appropriate to our passage is his quotation from Jeremy Taylor (Works, vol. ii., p. 72): “He hath changed the ineffable name into a name utterable by man, and desirable by all the world; the majesty is all arrayed in robes of mercy, the tetragrammaton or adorable mystery of the patriarchs is made fit for pronunciation and expression when it becometh the name of the Lord's Christ”. τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα. Cf. 1 Peter 3:22, “Angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him”; Ephesians 1:21.

[1] Klöpper.

[2] Alford's Greek Testament.

[3] Meyer.

[4] Lightfoot.

[5] Haupt.

[6] especially.