Humiliation and exaltation: Intertextuality and the influence of Daniel 4 on Philippians 2:6-11

Abstract

The thesis of this study is that the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4 lies behind Philippians 2:6-11 as its primary background and literary framework. Chapter 1 provides a brief survey of the debate concerning the background of Philippians 2:6-11 in recent NT scholarship, and articulates the proposed thesis and method.

Chapter 2 provides a general interpretation of Daniel 4 with a focus on numerous exegetical features, such as some significant words, phrases, syntactical structure, themes, and other literary and theological characteristics, which can be utilized to identify intertexuality between Daniel 4 and Philippians 2:6-11.

Chapter 3 delves into the interpretation of Philippians 2:6-11. This chapter places the text in the broader context of Philippians 1:27-2:18 where Paul deals with the Philippian two-fold situation, that is, external opposition and internal disunity. On this basis, it examines many significant and enigmatic exegetical issues in its own context.

Chapter 4 identifies an intertextual relationship between Daniel 4 and Philippians 2:6-11, on the basis of the exegeses provided in the previous two chapters. For this purpose, this chapter utilizes the six criteria introduced in the first chapter to distinguish the intertextual relationship between the two passages.

Chapter 5 reveals Paul's indebtedness to Danielic and Isaianic OT traditions for his composition of Philippians 2:6-11, and explains how such OT traditions function in the Danielic framework. In addition, it explores some hermeneutical, Christological, and ethical implications that the claimed intertextual reading of Philippians 2:6-11 suggests.