Understanding ἁρπαγμὸν actively in Philippians 2:6
The Greek word ''harpagmon'' is a noun (derived from the verb ''harpazo [1]). BDAG defines ἁρπαγμός as "a violent seizure of property, robbery" [2].
Older English bible translations like the Young's Literal Translation (YLT), King James version (KJV) and the Tyndale Bible of 1526 translated ἁρπαγμὸν as ''robbery'' in Philippians 2:6 [3].
The purpose of writing this article was to scrutinise this definition of ''robbery'' in the context of Philippians 2:6.
Robbery = the act of emptying another of his possessions
There's also an emptying in the act of robbery. When a robber robs someone, he is literally emptying that someone (his victim) of his possessions. This connects robbery to v. 7. There's also a selfish component in robbery because the robber is using both his victims and his victim's possessions for his own interest/benefit. This connects robbery to vv. 3-4. This shows that the meaning ''robbery'' of ἁρπαγμὸν is contextually appropriate.
Paul used the conjunction ἀλλὰ (''but'') [4] for to contrast what Christ thought [5] about being equal with God (''not a robbery'') [6] and to what Christ did (''emptied himself'').
not a robbery ( = not emptying another)
but emptying one's self
The robber is someone who:
(a) empties another (his victim) of his possessions, [7]
(b) for his own benefit [8]
Jesus is someone who:
(a) empties himself of his possessions, giving them to others [9]
(b) for the benefit of others
Notes
[1] The primary sense of the Greek verb ''harpazo'' is the active sense (''to take away by force''). The main idea behind this word is the ''taking away of something or someone violently (with force and suddenly)''. The Greek New Testament always used the active sense of ''harpazo''.
According to the ''New American Standard New Testament Greek Lexicon'', the verb ''harpazo'' was used in the New Testament 14 times (carry off 1, caught 4, snatch 2, snatched...away 1, snatches 1, snatches away 1, snatching 1, take...away...by force 1, take...by force).
Here are some examples of the verb ''harpazo'' from the Greek New Testament.
harpasai = ''take away his belongings'' (Matthew 12:29 GNT)
harpasei = ''steals away'' (Matthew 13:19 NABRE)
harpazein = ''seize'' (GNT), ''take him by force'' (NASB) John 6:15
harpasei = ''will snatch'' (John 10:28 NASB)
harpazein = ''to snatch'' (John 10:29 NASB)
herpasen = ''snatched'' (Acts 8:39 NASB)
harpagesometha = ''caught up'' (1 Thessalonians 4:17 NASB)
harpazontes = ''snatching'' (Jude 1:23 NASB)
''harpazo'' refers to someone taken forcibly out from a place to a new one, violently removing that person from the original place to a new one. This is the frequent Greek New Testament usage of ''harpazo''.
The Greek verb ''harpazo'' in the Greek New Testament always refers to the active sense of ''taking away by force, stealing, snatching, and catching up''.
[2] BDAG, 133.
[3] who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God (YLT)
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God (KJV)
Which beynge in the shape of god and thought it not robbery to be equall with god (Tyndale Bible of 1526)
[4] ''The adverb 'but' is used after a negative for introducing what is true instead''[ ].
Compare the following examples:
''His death was not a tragedy, but a release from pain and suffering.''
''He did not think it a robbery to be equal with God but emptied himself.''
[5] The subject ὃς (who) , its antecedent being Ἰησοῦ (Jesus), did the action of ἡγέομαι (to lead/ to think/consider). This is the only verb in the verse and it was in the aorist (ἡγήσατο) which means that its tense (time) could refer to the past, present or future: [who] thinks, [who] thought, [who] will think. The context determines if what specific tense was used. If there is no main verb in the text, the aorist verb refers to all time (i.e. the action is true, in past, present and future).
[6] The Greek text of Philippians 2:6 translated into English, following exactly the Greek word-order:
Philippians 2:6 (NA27)ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχωνwho, in the form of God existingοὐχ ἁρπαγμὸνnot a robberyἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,considered to be equal with God
1.) ''not a robbery'' (οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν).
This is what Jesus thinks about his being equal with God (τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ) in Phil. 2:6.
2.) The verse did not say ''not equal with God'' (οὐχ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ).
The object τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ deemed ἁρπαγμὸν belongs to the subject in question. The infinitive εἶναι (to be, to exist) in the phrase τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ shows that the subject himself exist as ἴσα θεῷ (equal with God). The subject is doing ἡγήσατο while being/ when he is existing as ἴσα θεῷ (equal with God).
[7] A robber literally empties another person (the victim) of his valuable possessions. The opposite of emptying another person of his things (robbery) is the emptying of one's self of one's own things, giving them to the needy (charity).
Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Eph 4:28 (NRSV)
[8] The robber will use the stolen things (valuable possessions of his victims) for his own benefit. This selfish aspect of robbery connects ''harpagmon'' with vv. 3-4, increasing the evidence that ''robbery'' is the mostly likely the meaning that inhabits ''harpagmon'' in Philippians 2:6.
Typically, a robber will cause physical damages, physical death, poverty, psychological trauma etc. to his victims.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 NRSV).
The robber uses the victims (people) and the victim's possessions (valuable things) for his own interest/benefit.
All of these selfish traits mentioned in Philippians 2:3abc -4d are present in a robber:
(a) kenodoxian - self-conceited
(b) erithea - self-interest, one's personal interest or advantage, especially when pursued without regard for others. Acting for one's own benefit, regardless of the harm it causes.
(c) tapeinophrosyne - thinking of one's self as being better than others
(d) me ta heauton ekastoi skopountes- looking of one's own interest only.
[9] ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν - to empty one's self (of riches).
It's possible that the self-emptying in Phil. 2:7 had a socio-economic meaning. The paradigm for this understanding is Luke 1:53 wherein the Lord sent the rich away with nothing [lit. ''empty'', Grk. ''kenous'']. In Luke 18:22, the Lord asked the rich ruler to empty himself of his possessions (''sell all that you own'', NRSV) and part of this emptying of one's own riches was giving them to the poor. Jesus, as the Lord, owned all things (1 Corinthians 10:26). Jesus was rich and he became poor (i.e. emptied himself of his riches, giving them to others) in 2 Cor 8:9.
''For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.'' (2 Corinthians 8:9 NRSV)
Paul also spoke of supporting the weak, quoting the Lord Jesus' word ''it is more blessed to give than to receive''. Psalm 35:10 spoke of the Lord delivering the weak from those who ''despoil'' (NRSV) or ''rob'' (NASB) them. The Lord saves the weak from robbery and following the Lord's words, Paul spoke of supporting the weak through giving.
''All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him,
And the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?” (Psalm 35:10 NASB)
