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Philippians 4:4–9, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
Philippians 4:4–9
Rejoice, Pray, Think Carefully, and Practice What Is Good
Joy, prayer, and practiced attention make room for peace.
They are to rejoice in the Lord always, let their gentleness be known to all, and remember that the Lord is near. They are not to be dominated by anxious care, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, to make requests known to God. The peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Be careful for nothing is not a ban on planning, medical care, or naming real danger. It is a turn from anxious domination toward asked-for help. They are then to practice attention to what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable, and to do what they have learned and seen in Paul.
How this should shape us
When a real worry arrives, name it to God with thanks instead of pretending it is not there. Keep your plans, your doctor, and your honest warning; then practice one true and lovely thing you already know.
Teach it back
Explain Philippians 4:4–9 in your own words. State its main movement, why it appears here, and one boundary on application.
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Go deeper
The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.
Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties
Does 'the Lord is at hand' mean spatial presence or imminent return?
Why it fits: Nearness directly reassures prayer and peace.
Difficulty: Philippians repeatedly looks toward Christ's future day and coming.
Why it fits: The letter's eschatological horizon makes temporal nearness natural.
Difficulty: The phrase can also carry immediate relational assurance.
Best judgment: Both resonances are plausible and compatible: the present Lord is not remote, and the community lives toward his coming. The phrase grounds gentleness and prayer rather than supplying a date.
How certain? plausibleResearch trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section
Supports: The KJV wording and immediate English context for Philippians 4:4–9.
eBible/CrossWire eng-kjv2006 USFM, source files dated 2026-08-19, Philippians 4; archive and normalized-corpus SHA-256 values are recorded in the library policy.
Supports: The critically edited Greek wording and punctuation used as the base text for this passage.
Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Phil.txt, Philippians 4, verses within Philippians 4:4–9.
Supports: Material English translation choices, syntax notes, and textual variants identified for this passage.
NET Bible, Philippians 4, translator and textual notes attached to the verses in Philippians 4:4–9.
Supports: Passage structure, historical setting, Greek analysis, and interpretive alternatives tested against the primary text.
Paul A. Holloway, Philippians: A Commentary (Hermeneia), pp. 181–184.
Supports: A cross-check of the Greek forms and reasonable lexical range for words surfaced to readers.
STEP Bible Data repository, Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Greek lexical records, Philippians 4, verses within Philippians 4:4–9.
Supports: The particular Roman-colony, economic, travel, or gift setting named in the reader explanation; the cited subsection varies with the claim.
Laura Salah Nasrallah, Archaeology and the Letters of Paul, Chapter 4, 'Roman Philippi,' pp. 113–121.
Sources for This Section
These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: The KJV wording and immediate English context for Philippians 4:4–9.
Exact location: eBible/CrossWire eng-kjv2006 USFM, source files dated 2026-08-19, Philippians 4; archive and normalized-corpus SHA-256 values are recorded in the library policy.
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: The critically edited Greek wording and punctuation used as the base text for this passage.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Phil.txt, Philippians 4, verses within Philippians 4:4–9.
Open the Philippians Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Philippians with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Material English translation choices, syntax notes, and textual variants identified for this passage.
Exact location: NET Bible, Philippians 4, translator and textual notes attached to the verses in Philippians 4:4–9.
Open NET Philippians 4 ↗A major interpretive source
Philippians: A Commentary
Paul A. Holloway
Fortress Press, Hermeneia, 2017
Supports: Passage structure, historical setting, Greek analysis, and interpretive alternatives tested against the primary text.
Exact location: Paul A. Holloway, Philippians: A Commentary (Hermeneia), pp. 181–184.
Open the book record ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: A cross-check of the Greek forms and reasonable lexical range for words surfaced to readers.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data repository, Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Greek lexical records, Philippians 4, verses within Philippians 4:4–9.
Open source ↗Historical and archaeological evidence
Archaeology and the Letters of Paul
Laura Salah Nasrallah
Oxford University Press, 2019
Supports: The particular Roman-colony, economic, travel, or gift setting named in the reader explanation; the cited subsection varies with the claim.
Exact location: Laura Salah Nasrallah, Archaeology and the Letters of Paul, Chapter 4, 'Roman Philippi,' pp. 113–121.
Open source ↗