Papyrus 46 (𝔓46) — Philippians & the Christ Hymn
Every Knee Shall Bow
The short answerWhat is this leaf?
This is a leaf of Papyrus 46 — the earliest substantial copy of the letters of the Apostle Paul, written around AD 200 — carrying the heart of Philippians 1 and 2. The front runs through Paul’s words from prison; the back holds the Christ Hymn (Philippians 2:6–11), the great early poem that says Christ “emptied himself,” humbled himself “to the point of death, even the death of the cross,” and was exalted so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
The two sides of this leaf are not quite continuous: the recto ends in Philippians 1:28 and the verso resumes at 1:30, so verse 1:29 is lost between them. What survives is remarkably legible, so most of what you see is real ink; this page shows you exactly which letters survive and which are supplied, and marks two places where an ancient corrector adjusted the first scribe’s pen.
The featureThe oldest copy of the Christ Hymn
“He emptied himself.” In Philippians 2:6–11 Paul sets down a compact, rhythmic hymn about Christ — one many scholars think he was quoting rather than composing, a piece of very early Christian worship. It moves from Christ “in the form of God” (ΕΝ ΜΟΡΦΗ ΘΥ) down to the lowest point, “the death of the cross,” and up to the highest, the name above every name. This leaf of Papyrus 46 is the earliest copy of that hymn that survives anywhere.
A corrector at work. On the front the first scribe’s pen twice needed adjusting — once over a single letter (ΖΩΣ → ΖΩΗΣ, “by life”), and once over a whole word, where ΕΝ ΧΩ (“in Christ”) was reworked to ΕΧΩΝ (“having”). You can see both on your replica — small, human moments of an early Christian scribe reading back over his own copy.
Line by lineThe Greek exactly as it sits on the leaf
Transcribed from the surviving text of 𝔓46 folio 87 and shown in the majuscule capitals the scribe used, with the original line breaks. Sacred names keep their overline; grey bracketed letters are supplied where the papyrus is torn.
Recto — Philippians 1:17–28 (from prison; “Christ will be magnified”)
Verso — Philippians 1:30–2:12 (the Christ Hymn, 2:6–11)
Word by wordThe whole leaf, letter by letter
The entire surviving passage — Philippians 1:17–28 on the front and 1:30–2:12 on the back — word by word: the Greek on the leaf, a transliteration to sound it out, and a word-for-word English gloss. The theological centerpiece, the Christ Hymn (2:6–11), is marked in its headings. Sacred names carry the scribe’s overline. Words in a gold box appear (at least partly) on the fragment; grey words in [brackets] are supplied from the known text.
Christ is proclaimed — Philippians 1:17–18
16 The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News. 18 What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice.
This will turn out to salvation — Philippians 1:19
19 For I know that this will turn out to my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
Christ will be magnified — Philippians 1:20
20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
To live is Christ — Philippians 1:21
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Fruit from my work — Philippians 1:22
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose.
To depart and be with Christ — Philippians 1:23
23 But I am hard pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
To remain for your sake — Philippians 1:24
24 Yet to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.
I will remain with you — Philippians 1:25
25 Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,
That your rejoicing may abound — Philippians 1:26
26 that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.
Worthy of the Good News — Philippians 1:27
27 Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;
Not frightened by adversaries — Philippians 1:28
28 and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
The same conflict — Philippians 1:30
30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.
If any exhortation in Christ — Philippians 2:1
2:1 If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,
Make my joy full — Philippians 2:2
2 make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;
In humility count others better — Philippians 2:3
3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
Look to the things of others — Philippians 2:4
4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
Have this mind — Philippians 2:5
5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
In the form of God — Philippians 2:6 · the Christ Hymn
6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
He emptied himself — Philippians 2:7 · the Christ Hymn
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
Obedient to the death of the cross — Philippians 2:8 · the Christ Hymn
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.
God highly exalted him — Philippians 2:9 · the Christ Hymn
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
Every knee shall bow — Philippians 2:10 · the Christ Hymn
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
Every tongue confess — Philippians 2:11 · the Christ Hymn
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Work out your own salvation — Philippians 2:12
12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Reading the detailsTextual notes
A note on 1:16–17. The leaf opens partway through Paul’s sentence, at “to my chains.” This transcription follows the versification of the modern critical editions, which place that clause at the end of verse 17; some English Bibles — including the World English Bible used for the smooth translation here — number the same two clauses in the reverse order, so the Greek line marked 1:17 corresponds to the end of the English verse 16.
The corrector’s notes. This leaf preserves two places on the front where an ancient corrector went back over the first scribe’s work. In the phrase “whether by life or by death” (recto line 10) the scribe first wrote ΖΩΣ and the corrector supplied the missing eta to give ΖΩΗΣ (“by life”). A few lines later, in 1:23 (recto line 14), the first hand wrote ΕΝ ΧΩ — which as written reads “in Christ” — where the sense requires ΕΧΩΝ (“having”); the same letters were reworked into the correct word. We show the surviving ink as the scribe left it and note the corrected reading here.
The sacred names. Surviving as overlined ink are ΧΣ/ΧΡΣ/ΧΡΥ/ΧΡΩ (Christ), ΙΗΥ (Jesus), ΠΝΣ (Spirit), ΘΥ/ΘΩ/ΘΣ (God), and ΠΡΣ (Father). In 2:11 the opening “Lord Jesus,” ΚΣ ΙΗΣ, is supplied from the torn edge. Strikingly, the scribe also contracts and overlines ΣΤΡΟΥ (“cross,” 2:8) as though it, too, were a sacred name.
Everyday spellings. The scribe writes as he spoke — ΥΜΕΙΝ and ΗΜΕΙΝ for ΥΜΙΝ/ΗΜΙΝ, ΠΑΡΗΣΙΑ for ΠΑΡΡΗΣΙΑ, ΚΡΙΣΣΟΝ for ΚΡΕΙΣΣΟΝ, ΟΙΚΤΕΙΡΜΟΙ for ΟΙΚΤΙΡΜΟΙ — the ordinary phonetic spellings of the period.
The manuscriptAt a glance
| This leaf | Folio 87: Philippians 1:17–28 (recto) · 1:30–2:12 (verso); 1:29 not preserved |
|---|---|
| Whole codex | The letters of Paul as one book (Romans, Hebrews, 1–2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians) |
| Date | AD 175–225 (about the year 200) — a scholarly estimate, not a fixed year |
| Discovered | Egypt (the Fayum region); acquired in the 1930s |
| Held at | Chester Beatty Library, Dublin (P. Chester Beatty II); other leaves at the University of Michigan |
| Gregory–Aland no. | 𝔓46 |
| Format | Single-quire papyrus codex; single column, ~26–28 lines per page here |
| Text type | An early Alexandrian-type text of the Pauline letters |
Why it mattersThe Christ Hymn, at the source
Philippians 2:6–11 is one of the most important passages in the New Testament for what the earliest Christians believed about Jesus. In a few compact lines it moves from Christ “in the form of God” to “the death of the cross” and on to the name above every name, at which “every knee should bow” and “every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Many scholars think Paul was quoting an even older piece of Christian worship — which would make these words older than the letter that carries them.
Papyrus 46 lets us read that hymn in the oldest copy that survives, written within about a century and a half of Paul himself. For a passage this central to Christian belief, there is no earlier continuous witness.
Own this leaf
Manuscript Shop produces a museum-grade facsimile of this leaf of Papyrus 46 on real Egyptian papyrus, reproducing both sides — Paul from prison and the Christ Hymn — at its true size.
ReferencesSources
- Transcription (surviving text): 𝔓46 folio 87 (Philippians 1–2), from the manuscript images of P. Chester Beatty II.
- Manuscript images: Chester Beatty Library, Dublin (P. Chester Beatty II); other leaves at the University of Michigan.
- Editio princeps: F. G. Kenyon, The Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri, Fasciculus III: Pauline Epistles (London, 1936–37).
- Text & significance: Nestle–Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece; K. Aland & B. Aland, The Text of the New Testament.
- Word-for-word glosses follow standard tagged Greek New Testament data (STEP Bible, Tyndale House; Berean Interlinear).
- Smooth translation: World English Bible (public domain), ebible.org.