PHP 3:13 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Brothers and sisters, I’m not under the illusion that I’ve already grabbed it, but I do do this one thing: forgetting what’s behind me, and taking long strides towards what’s ahead of me,

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object, magenta:vocative, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Brothers, I do not consider myself to have grasped it. But one thing: forgetting what is behind and straining for what is ahead,

UST My fellow believers, I certainly do not think that I have already become completely like Jesus. Nor have fully known him. Rather, I have determined to forget about the things that are in the past and to work hard for the things that are in front of me.

BSB Brothers, I {do} not consider myself yet to have taken hold [of it]. But one thing [I do]: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what [is] ahead,

MSB Brothers, I {do} not consider myself {yet}[fn] to have taken hold [of it]. But one thing [I do]: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what [is] ahead,

3:13 Literally consider myself; GOC, ALT, F35, and WH consider myself yet

BLB Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing indeed: Forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things ahead,

AICNT Brothers, I do {not}[fn] consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

3:13, not: Some manuscripts read “not yet.” N(01) A(02)

OEB For I, friends, do not regard myself as having yet laid hold of it. But this one thing I do – forgetting what lies behind, and straining every nerve for that which lies in front,

2DT Siblings, I don’t calculate myself to have prevailed. But one thing [I do is] forgetting the matters behind and stretching out to those matters in front,

WEBBE Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before,

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead,

LSV brothers, I do not reckon myself to have laid hold [of it], but one thing [I do]—indeed forgetting the things behind, and stretching forth to the things before—

FBV My friends, I don't consider that I've already won, but this is my one objective: disregarding what is behind me, I strain forward to what is in front of me.

TCNT Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of [fn]it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead,

3:13 it ¦ it yet 𝔐^pt ANT PCK WH

T4T My fellow believers, I certainly do not consider that I have already become completely like Christ. But I am like a runner. A runner does not look backward [MET]. Instead, he leans/stretches forward as he runs straight toward the goal in order that he might win the race and get the prize. Similarly, I do not think about what I have already done.

LEB Brothers, I do not consider myself to have laid hold of it.[fn] But I do one thing, forgetting the things behind and straining toward the things ahead,

3:13 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation

BBE Brothers, it is clear to me that I have not come to that knowledge; but one thing I do, letting go those things which are past, and stretching out to the things which are before,

Moff Brothers, I for one do not consider myself to have appropriated this; my one thought is, by forgetting what lies behind me and straining to what lies before me,

Wymth Brethren, I do not imagine that I have yet laid hold of it. But this one thing I do—forgetting everything which is past and stretching forward to what lies in front of me,

ASV Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,

DRA Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do: forgetting the things that are behind, and stretching forth myself to those that are before,

YLT brethren, I do not reckon myself to have laid hold; and one thing — the things behind indeed forgetting, and to the things before stretching forth —

Drby Brethren, I do not count to have got possession myself; but one thing — forgetting the things behind, and stretching out to the things before,

RV Brethren, I count not myself yet to have apprehended: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,

SLT Brethren, I reckon not myself to have been overtaken: but one, truly forgetting things behind, and stretching still farther to things before,

Wbstr Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do , forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are before,

KJB-1769 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

KJB-1611 Brethren, I count not my selfe to haue apprehended: but this one thing I doe, forgetting those things which are behinde, and reaching forth vnto those things which are before,
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from marking of added words (and possibly capitalisation and punctuation))

Bshps Brethren I count not my selfe as yet that I haue attained: but this one thing I say I forget those thinges which are behynde, and endeuour my selfe vnto those thynges which are before,
(Brethren I count not myself as yet that I have attained: but this one thing I say I forget those things which are behind, and endeavour myself unto those things which are before,)

Gnva Brethren, I count not my selfe, that I haue attained to it, but one thing I doe: I forget that which is behinde, and endeuour my selfe vnto that which is before,
(Brethren, I count not myself, that I have attained to it, but one thing I do: I forget that which is behind, and endeavour myself unto that which is before, )

Cvdl Brethren, I counte not my selfe yet that I haue gotten it: but one thinge I saye: I forget that which is behynde, and stretch my selfe vnto that which is before,
(Brethren, I count not myself yet that I have gotten it: but one thing I say: I forget that which is behind, and stretch myself unto that which is before,)

TNT Brethren I counte not my silfe that I have gotten it: but one thynge I saye: I forget that which is behynde and stretche my silfe vnto that which is before
(Brethren I count not myself that I have gotten it: but one thing I say: I forget that which is behind and stretch myself unto that which is before )

Wycl Bretheren, Y deme me not that Y haue comprehendid; but o thing, Y foryete tho thingis that ben bihyndis, and stretche forth my silf to tho thingis that ben bifore,
(Bretheren, I judge/judgement me not that I have comprehendid; but o thing, I forget those things that been bihyndis, and stretch forth myself to those things that been before,)

Luth Meine Brüder, ich schätze mich selbst noch nicht, daß ich‘s ergriffen habe. Eines aber sage ich: Ich vergesse, was dahinten ist, und strecke mich zu dem, das da vorne ist,
(My brothers, I schätze me himself/itself still not, that I...it seized have. Eines but said I: I forget, what/which goneten is, and route me to/for to_him, the there in_front is,)

ClVg Fratres, ego me non arbitror comprehendisse. Unum autem, quæ quidem retro sunt obliviscens, ad ea vero quæ sunt priora, extendens meipsum,[fn]
(Brothers, I me not/no arbitror comprehendisse. Unum however, which indeed back are obliviscens, to them indeed/however which are previous, extending meipsum, )

3.13 Quæ quidem retro. Priora acta non quia mala, sed parva ad meritum, sed ad potiora extensus, ut semper proficiat in melius.

3.13 Which indeed back. Priora acta not/no because evil, but small to merit/reason, but to potiora extensus, as always proficiat in/into/on better.

UGNT ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν οὐ λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι, ἓν δέ: τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος, τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος,
(adelfoi, egō emauton ou logizomai kateilaʸfenai, hen de: ta men opisō epilanthanomenos, tois de emprosthen epekteinomenos,)

SBL-GNT ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν ⸀οὐ λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι· ἓν δέ, τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος,
(adelfoi, egō emauton ⸀ou logizomai kateilaʸfenai; hen de, ta men opisō epilanthanomenos tois de emprosthen epekteinomenos,)

RP-GNT Ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν οὐ λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι· ἓν δέ, τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος, τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος,
(Adelfoi, egō emauton ou logizomai kateilaʸfenai; hen de, ta men opisō epilanthanomenos, tois de emprosthen epekteinomenos,)

TC-GNT Ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν [fn]οὐ λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι· ἓν δέ, τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος, τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος,
(Adelfoi, egō emauton ou logizomai kateilaʸfenai; hen de, ta men opisō epilanthanomenos, tois de emprosthen epekteinomenos, )

3:13 ου ¦ ουπω 𝔐^pt ANT PCK WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–4:1: The Philippians should follow Paul’s example and trust Christ to make them righteous

Paul told the believers to watch out for those who were teaching that believers must be circumcised. He also warned them against those who were proud of doing evil. He encouraged them to follow his example instead. Paul tried to be like Christ and depended on him alone in order to become righteous.

In both 3:1 and 4:1, Paul talked about being joyful. Therefore, it is possible to consider that 3:1 is an introduction to this section and 4:1 is a summary of this section. However, some English versions consider that 3:1a is the final statement in the previous section and so attach it to the end of chapter 2 (REB, NJB, NRSV). You may want to follow whatever the national language version in your area does here.

Paragraph 3:12–16

Paul wanted the Philippians to have the same attitude as he did, the attitude he had as he earnestly tried to become all that God wanted him to be.

3:13a

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

I am not claiming, brothers, that I already have achieved this.
My Christian brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet done this completely.

Brothers: The term Brothers here refers to other Christians, fellow believers, not to literal Brothers. You might translate this as “brothers and sisters,” “older and younger siblings” or “relatives.” The term Brothers also occurs in 1:12, 3:1, 3:17, 4:1, 4:8. See the note on 1:12a.

I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it: Paul was saying in other words what he had already said in 3:12a. He had not yet become all that God wanted him to be.

consider: This means “to regard, believe, say.” But here Paul referred to more than just his opinion of himself. He knew that he had not yet achieved what God wanted him to be.

taken hold of it: See the note on 3:12c.

3:13b

But one thing I do:

But there is one thing that I aim to do above all else:
But I am doing one thing that is the most important:

one thing I do: Paul was introducing the main thing that he wanted to do. He was about to explain what he wanted more than anything else. He did this by comparing himself to a man running a race to win a prize.

3:13c

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

Just as one who runs in a race does not look back but runs forward as hard/fast as he can, so I forget about what has already happened and continue to work hard to be what Christ wants me to be.
I no longer think about the past but I concentrate on the future,

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead: The phrase what is behind refers to Paul’s past, particularly to the things he used to boast about (3:5–6). This would include what happened before he became a Christian, and perhaps even some of what happened after he became a Christian.

Forgetting: Paul did not want to concentrate on his past. This does not mean he would completely forget but that it would not be the main thing he thought about. He compared this to a man running a race and not looking back to see who was close behind him or how far he had run. Make sure that your translation clearly means that Paul intended to forget these things. You might need to use a word meaning “ignoring,” or you might need to use a negative like “not concentrating on” or “not paying any attention to.”

straining toward what is ahead: This also is using the metaphor of a race. The runner pushes himself forward as fast as he can. He tries to be the first to reach the finish line. The meaning here is that Paul was disciplining himself to become more like Christ, trying hard and doing his best to be what Christ wanted him to be.

If people run races in your culture, then it may be possible to use this metaphor. But if people in your culture do not know about racing, you may need to explain that in your translation. See the first meaning line of 3:13c in the Display. Or you may need to leave out the metaphor and translate only the meaning. For an example, see the second meaning line of 3:13c in the Display.

behind…ahead: Because Paul was using the metaphor of a race here, these words can be understood in two ways:

position in space: That is, within Paul’s metaphor of the race, the word behind means “in back of” or “at the rear of,” and the word ahead means “in front of.”
position in time: When Paul used the metaphor of a race, he was referring to his life. In this case, the word behind means “in the past, what happened before now,” and the word ahead means “in the future, what will happen later.”

Consider the following when you translate these words:

In some languages, there may be words meaning “behind” and “ahead” which have the same dual meaning of space and time as the words do in Greek and English. If you have such words in your language, you should use them here.
If you must decide which words to use, you should use sense (a) above, if you have used the metaphor of a race. Use sense (b) if you have not been able to retain the metaphor.

In some cultures the people think of the past as figuratively in front of them or “ahead,” because they can visualize what has already happened. They then think of the future as “behind,” something unknown that they cannot visualize. If this is true in your language, you need to be careful to use the correct terms so people understand what Paul was saying.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἀδελφοί

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀδελφοί ἐγώ ἐμαυτόν οὒ λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι ἕν δέ τά μέν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος τοῖς δέ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος)

See how you translated the word Brothers in [Philippians 1:12](../01/12.md) and [3:1](../03/01.md).

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / extrainfo

ἐγὼ ἐμαυτὸν οὐ λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι

Paul does not explicitly state what it is that he has not yet grasped. He is probably referring to becoming perfectly like Jesus and to fully knowing Jesus. You may choose to state this in your translation, as the UST does, or you may leave it ambiguous, as the ULT does.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἓν δέ

In the phrase But one thing, Paul is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If it would be clearer in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: [But take note of this one thing]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὰ μὲν ὀπίσω ἐπιλανθανόμενος, τοῖς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος

In the phrase forgetting what is behind and straining for what is ahead, Paul is using the imagery of a person who is in a race to win a prize. Paul portrays himself as a runner in this metaphor, and he continues using this metaphor until the end of [Philippians 3:14](../03/14.md). If this metaphor is unfamiliar in your culture, consider using another metaphor that would be familiar to your readers, or you may state this in plain language, as the UST does. Alternate translation: [like a runner, I forget what is behind me and put all of my effort into running toward the finish line in front of me] or [like a runner, I have one focus, and therefore I do not look backward as I run, but only look forward as I strain with all my might so that I will reach the finish line]

Parallel PHP 3:13

Section 3:1–4:1: The Philippians should follow Paul’s example and trust Christ to make them righteous

Paragraph 3:12–16

3:13a

3:13b

3:13c