At Philippians 2:6 the New World Translation reads “did not even consider the idea of trying to be equal to God”, a rendering from which its own study note draws the conclusion: “If Jesus ‘did not even consider the idea of trying to be equal to God,’ it must be that he was never equal to God.”
Claim ID claim-bible-phil-2-6-never-equalConcerns 2013Explicit statement
The organisation’s position or later explanation: The organisation argues that ἁρπαγμός derives from ἁρπάζω, “to seize; to snatch”, and that “the Scriptures never use the Greek term to mean the holding on to something already in one’s possession”; it offers “did not regard equality with God as something to be seized (grasped)” as an alternative rendering.
2013 · Philippians 2:6 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“although he was existing in God’s form … did not even consider the idea of trying to be equal to God”
The 2013 rendering, quoted from the study-note headwords, which reproduce the main text. The 1984 Reference Bible read: 'who, although he was existing in God’s form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God.'
Provenance and verification note for New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), Philippians 2:6
Confidence note. Study note headwords and the 1984 running text both opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026 and read directly. The 2013 wording is quoted from the study-note lemmas rather than from a continuous reading of the main text.
2013 · study notes, Philippians 2:6 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“The Greek noun used here (har·pag·mosʹ; lit., “a thing to be seized”) is derived from the verb har·paʹzo, which has the basic meaning “to seize; to snatch.” Some have suggested that this term refers to retaining something already possessed. However, the Scriptures never use the Greek term to mean the holding on to something already in one’s possession. … If Jesus “did not even consider the idea of trying to be equal to God,” it must be that he was never equal to God.”
The organisation's argument, and its conclusion, drawn explicitly from its own rendering. The note also gives 'did not regard equality with God as something to be seized (grasped)' as an alternative rendering.
1985 · Philippians 2:6 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“6 ὃς who ἐν in μορφῇ form θεοῦ of God ὑπάρχων existing οὐχ not ἁρπαγμὸν snatching ἡγήσατο he considered τὸ the εἶναι to be ἴσα equal (things) θεῷ, to God,”
The Society's own word-for-word line reads 'not snatching he considered the to be equal (things) to God'. The disputed word is ἁρπαγμός, which occurs only here in the New Testament.
Provenance and verification note for The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, Philippians 2:6 (word-for-word English under the Greek)
Confidence note. Interlinear text for Philippians 2 opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026 and the Greek and gloss read directly.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID.src-nwtv-int-phil-2-6
19 September 2026 · Bible Hub (reproducing the named copyright translations)
“English Standard Version: “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped”; New Revised Standard Version: “did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited”; New American Standard Bible: “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped”; King James Bible: “thought it not robbery to be equal with God”; Young’s Literal Translation: “thought it not robbery to be equal to God”.”
Mainstream versions are themselves divided over what ἁρπαγμός means here; 'grasped', 'exploited' and 'robbery' carry quite different implications. None, however, states that the subject never possessed equality.
Provenance and verification note for Bible Hub parallel translations, Philippians 2:6 in the parallel English versions
Confidence note. Page opened and every rendering read on 19 September 2026 on Bible Hub's reproduction.
Notes. This quote field compiles renderings quoted separately from one Bible Hub parallel page; it is not a continuous passage. Each rendering was checked word for word against the page, which carries over forty versions.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID.src-nwtv-bh-phil-2-6
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