Philippians 4 · Verse 5

Philippians 4:5

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Philippians 4:5, King James Version

Philippians 4:5 in other translations

BSBLet your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near.
WEBLet your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
ASVLet your forbearance be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
YLTlet your forbearance be known to all men; the Lord is near;
DARBYLet your gentleness be known of all men. The Lord is near.
BBELet your gentle behaviour be clear to all men. The Lord is near.
WebsterLet your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

What does Philippians 4:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. moderation--from a Greek root, "to yield," whence yieldingness [Trench]; or from a root, "it is fitting," whence "reasonableness of dealing" [Alford], that considerateness for others, not urging one's own rights to the uttermost, but waiving a part, and thereby rectifying the injustices of justice. The archetype of this grace is God, who presses not the strictness of His law against us as we deserve (Psa 130:3, 4); though having exacted the fullest payment for us from our Divine Surety. There are included in "moderation," candor and kindliness. Joy in the Lord raises us above rigorism towards others (Php 4:5), and carefulness (Php 4:6) as to one's own affairs. Sadness produces morose harshness towards others, and a troublesome spirit in ourselves. Let ... be known--that is, in your conduct to others, let nothing inconsistent with "moderation" be seen. Not a precept to make a display of moderation. Let this grace "be known" to men in acts; let "your requests be made to God" in word (Php 4:6). unto all men--even to the "perverse" (Php 2:15), that so ye may win them. Exercise "forbearance" even to your persecutors. None is so ungracious as not to be kindly to someone, from some motive or another, on some occasion; the believer is to be so "unto all men" at all times. The Lord is at hand--The Lord's coming again speedily is the grand motive to every Christian grace (Jas 5:8, 9). Harshness to others (the opposite of "moderation") would be taking into our own hands prematurely the prerogatives of judging, which belongs to the Lord alone (1Co 4:5); and so provoking God to judge us by the strict letter of the law (Jas 2:12, 13).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 5. Let your moderation be known unto all men. That is, let it be such that others may see it. This does not mean that they were to make an ostentatious display of it, but that it should be such a characteristic of their lives that it would be constantly visible to others. The word moderation επιεικες--refers to restraint on the passions, general soberness of living, being free from all excesses. The word properly means that which is fit or suitable, and then propriety, gentleness, mildness.--They were to indulge in no excess of passion, or dress, or eating, or drinking. They were to govern their appetites, restrain their temper, and to be examples of what was proper for men in view of the expectation that the Lord would soon appear.

The Lord is at hand. Is near. Php 3:20; 1Cor 16:22. This has the appearance of being a phrase in common use among the early Christians, and as being designed to keep before their minds a lively impression of an event which ought, by its anticipation, to produce an important effect. Whether, by this phrase, they commonly understood the coming of the Lord to destroy Jerusalem, or to remove them by death, or to judge the world, or to reign personally on the earth, it is impossible now to determine, and is not very material to a proper understanding of its use here. The idea is, that the expectation that the Lord Jesus will "come" ought to be allowed to produce moderation of our passions, in our manner of living, in our expectations of what this world can furnish, and in our desires of earthly good. On him who feels that he is soon to die, and to stand at the bar of God-- on him who expects soon to see the Lord Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven, it cannot fail to have this effect. Men indulge their passions--are extravagant in their plans of life, and in their expectations of earthly good for themselves and for their families, because they have no realizing sense of the truth that there is before them a vast eternity. He that has a lively expectation that heaven will soon be his, will form very moderate expectations of what this world can furnish.

(b) "moderation be known" 1Cor 9:25 (c) "Lord is at hand" Rev 22:7,20

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 Let your moderation be known - The word επιεικες is of very extensive signification; it means the same as επιεικεια, mildness, patience, yieldingness, gentleness, clemency, moderation, unwillingness to litigate or contend; but moderation is expressive enough as a general term. "Moderation," says Dr. Macknight, "means meekness under provocation, readiness to forgive injuries, equity in the management of business, candour in judging of the characters and actions of others, sweetness of disposition, and the entire government of the passions." The Lord is at hand - A phrase something similar to the Maranatha of 1Cor 16:22 : The Lord is Judge, and is at hand to punish. Schoettgen supposes, from this verse, taken in connection with the preceding, that Euodias and Syntyche were of a quarrelsome disposition; and hence the exhortation and threatening in the third and fifth verses.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Philippians 4:2-9

Let believers be of one mind, and ready to help each other. As the apostle had found the benefit of their assistance, he knew how comfortable it would be to his fellow-labourers to have the help of others. Let us seek to give assurance that our names are written in the book of life. Joy in God is of great consequence in the Christian life; and Christians need to be again and again called to it. It more than…

Read the full comment on Philippians 4:2-9 →

Philippians 4:5 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

τὸtoTheG3588
ἐπιεικὲςepieikesgentlenessG1933
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
γνωσθήτωgnōsthētōshould be knownG1097
πᾶσινpasinto allG3956
ἀνθρώποις.anthrōpoismen.G444
ὁhoTheG3588
κύριοςkuriosLordG2962
ἐγγύς.engus[is] near.G1451

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Philippians 4:5

  • James 5:8-9

    Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

  • Matthew 6:25

    Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

  • Titus 3:2

    To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

  • Hebrews 10:37

    For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

  • 1 Peter 4:7

    But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

  • Revelation 22:7

    Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:7

    Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

  • Hebrews 10:25

    Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

  • 2 Peter 3:8-14

    But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, …

  • 1 Corinthians 8:13

    Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

  • Luke 12:22-30

    And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? …

  • Matthew 6:34

    Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
your.
Mt 5:39-42; 6:25,34; Lu 6:29-35; 12:22-30; 21:34; 1Co 6:7; 7:29-31
1Co 8:13; 9:25; Tit 3:2; Heb 13:5,6; 1Pe 1:11
The.
Mt 24:48-50; 1Th 5:2-4; 2Th 2:2; Heb 10:25; Jas 5:8,9; 1Pe 4:7
2Pe 3:8-14; Re 22:7,20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Philippians 4:4

    Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

  • Philippians 4:5

    Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

  • Philippians 4:6

    Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Read all of Philippians 4

Philippians 4:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Vuestra modestia sea conocida de todos los hombres. El Señor está cerca.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Que votre douceur soit connue de tous les hommes; le Seigneur est proche;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Laßt eure Gelindigkeit kundwerden allen Menschen; der Herr ist nahe.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus: Dominus prope est.