Phil. 2.5-11 (ISV)
The ISV translators obviously love this ancient hymn of the church and so worded it as an English hymn. The poetic style is dated, including use of the inversions, "existed he" and "did he possess". The ISV team tells me that they chose this older style to reflect the antiquity of this hymn:
"The poem's 2000 years old! That's why we deliberately used the inversion technique! ... This was a deliberate choice of the translation team."
It makes great sense to me. Well done!
I grew up on traditional evangelical hymns and so I enjoy the allusion to the "matchless name of Jesus", from the hymn "That Beautiful Name," in verse 9 of the following:
⁵Have the same attitude among yourselves that was also in Christ Jesus:
⁶In God's own form existed he,
And shared with God equality,
Deemed nothing needed grasping.
⁷Instead, poured out in emptiness,
A servant's form did he possess,
In human form he chose to be,
⁸And lived in all humility,
Death on a cross obeying.
⁹Now lifted up by God to heaven,
A name above all others given,
This matchless name possessing.
¹⁰And so, when Jesus' name is called,
The knees of everyone will fall,
Where'er they are residing.
¹¹Then every tongue in one accord,
Will say that Jesus Christ is Lord,
While God the Father praising.










