Philippians 1:19-23
Context1:19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance 1 through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 1:20 My confident hope 2 is that I will in no way be ashamed 3 but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die. 4 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, 5 this will mean productive work 6 for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: 7 1:23 I feel torn between the two, 8 because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far,
1 tn Or “salvation.” Deliverance from prison (i.e., release) is probably what Paul has in view here, although some take this as a reference to his ultimate release from the body, i.e., dying and being with Christ (v. 23).
sn The phrase this will turn out for my deliverance may be an echo of Job 13:16 (LXX).
2 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…”
3 tn Or possibly, “be intimidated, be put to shame.”
4 tn Grk “whether by life or by death.”
5 tn Grk “flesh.”
6 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).
7 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.
8 tn Grk “I am hard-pressed between the two.” Cf. L&N 30.18.