Philippians 4:4-9 annotated (“Be anxious for nothing...”)

This version is from the New Jerusalem Bible. Other translations are available here. The hyperlinks will take you to explanations of original Greek words.

4Always be joyful, then, in the Lord; I repeat, be joyful. 5Let your good sense  be obvious to everybody. The Lord is near. 6Never worry about anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude, 7and the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brothers, let your minds be filled with everything that is true, everything that is honourable, everything that is upright and pure, everything that we love and admire -- with whatever is good and praiseworthy.9Keep doing everything you learnt from me and were told by me and have heard or seen me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

be joyful=χαίρω =chairō

"to joy, rejoice, be glad"

"rejoicing, being glad"

to rejoice exceedingly

to be well, thrive

good sense =ἐπιεικής=epieikēs

"forbearance," "moderation," "gentleness," "sweet reasonableness"

denotes "seemly, fitting;" hence, "equitable, fair, moderate, forbearing, not insisting on the letter of the law;" it expresses that considerateness that looks "humanely and reasonably at the facts of a case;" it is rendered "gentle" in 1Ti 3:3, RV (AV, "patient"), in contrast to contentiousness;

a quality of the wisdom from above

seeming, suitable

equitable, fair, mild, gentle

moderation, patient

obvious= γινώσκω=ginōskō

represents knowledge as the effect of experience

"to know, perceive"

"to become known"

to be taking in knowledge, to come to know, recognize, understand," or "to understand completely,"

frequently indicates a relation between the person "knowing" and the object known; in this respect, what is "known" is of value or importance to the one who knows, and hence the establishment of the relationship

to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel

to become known

to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of

to become acquainted with

near= ἐγγύς= eggys

"at hand,"

"nigh"

worry= μεριμνάω =merimnaō

to be anxious about, to have a distracting care, e.g., Mat 6:25, 28,

to be troubled with cares

of every kind =  πᾶς = pas

radically means "all."

Used without the article it means "every," every kind or variety.

Used with the article, it means the whole of one object. 

In the plural it signifies "the totality of the persons or things referred to."

may signify "the highest degree," the maximum of what is referred to,

In the plural with a noun it means "all."

preceded by the article it denotes "all things," as constituting a whole

"any and every, of every kind, all manner of,"

often rendered "whatsoever;"

each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything

petition= δέησις =deēsis

"an asking, entreaty, supplication,"

"request"

gratitude=εὐχαριστία= eucharistia

"thankfulness,"

"giving of thanks, thanksgiving,"

peace= εἰρήνη= eirēnē

The sense of rest and contentment

"quietness"

The corresponding Heb. word shalom primarily signifies "wholeness:"

guard= φρουρέω = phroureō

providing protection against the enemy, as a garrison does

that security that is his when he puts all his matters into the hand of God

the idea is not merely that of protection, but of inward garrisoning as by the Holy Spirit

a benevolent custody and watchful guardianship

to guard, protect by a military guard, either to prevent hostile invasion, or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from flight