Philippians 1:20-24

1:20 My confident hope ¹  is that I will in no way be ashamed ²  but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die. ³  1:21 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 1:22 Now if I am to go on living in the body, ⁴  this will mean productive work ⁵  for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: ⁶  1:23 I feel torn between the two, ⁷  because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, 1:24 but it is more vital for your sake that I remain ⁸  in the body. ⁹ 

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¹ tn Grk “according to my eager expectation and hope.” The κατά (kata) phrase is taken as governing the following ὅτι (Joti) clause (“that I will not be ashamed…”); the idea could be expressed more verbally as “I confidently hope that I will not be ashamed…”

² tn Or possibly, “be intimidated, be put to shame.”

³ tn Grk “whether by life or by death.”

⁴ tn Grk “flesh.”

⁵ tn Grk “fruit of work”; the genitive ἔργου (ergou) is taken as an attributed genitive in which the head noun, καρπός (karpos), functions attributively (cf. ExSyn 89-91).

⁶ tn Grk “what I shall prefer.” The Greek verb αἱρέω (Jairew) could also mean “choose,” but in this context such a translation is problematic for it suggests that Paul could perhaps choose suicide (cf. L&N 30.86).

sn I don’t know what I prefer. Paul is here struggling with what would be most beneficial for both him and the church. He resolves this issue in vv. 24-25.

⁷ tn Grk “I am hard-pressed between the two.” Cf. L&N 30.18.

⁸ tn Grk “But to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.”

⁹ tn Grk “the flesh.”