Philippians 2:7Christ Hymn
but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
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Interpretation

Paul urges a servant form that is embodied in study and play. Philippians 2:7: trace "emptied" and "himself". Align servant form in small choices no one sees—season power with mercy.

Context

Philippians speaks here as epistle/letter writing, naming servant form. Placed in ch. 2, the nearby lines set its tone. The nearby sentences supply the texture.

Authorship & Historical Background

Early attribution points to Paul for Philippians. Philippians is frequently described this way: widely regarded as Pauline (possibly composite).. Scholars commonly date Philippians AD 60–62. Genre and setting: epistle/letter, in the Christ Hymn. This verse leans into apostolic community.

More details
Traditional:Paul
Modern scholarship:Authentic Pauline (possibly composite).
Date:AD 60–62
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Greek text is preserved in 5,800+ manuscripts, surpassing other ancient works in manuscript count. Early papyri from the 2nd-3rd centuries like P46, P66, P75 provide text within about 100-150 years of its writing. Major uncial codices (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, 4th century) contain complete or near-complete texts. The Byzantine text family represents the majority of later manuscripts. Textual variants exist but are mostly minor: word order, articles, spelling. No central Christian doctrine depends on any disputed text. Modern critical editions compare all manuscript families to determine the best reflects the earliest recoverable text reading.
Sources & witness notes
SinaiticusVaticanusP46