Philippians 1:9
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;”
King James Version (KJV)
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This verse begins Paul's prayer for the Philippians, expressing what he most desires for them as they live out their faith together.
What Does Philippians 1:9 Mean?
Paul prays that the Philippians' love would keep increasing, but not as mere sentiment -- it is to abound "in knowledge and in all judgment." Love here is not left vague or undirected; it is to grow alongside understanding and discernment so that it acts wisely rather than blindly. The phrase "yet more and more" shows that love is never static; even a mature, loving community is called to keep growing. Paul does not assume the Philippians have reached a ceiling -- he asks God to expand their love continually.
The pairing of love with "knowledge" and "judgment" is deliberate. Love without discernment can be misdirected or easily deceived; knowledge without love grows cold. Paul prays for both together: a love that is informed, perceptive, and able to tell what truly matters. The word for "judgment" suggests moral insight, the ability to perceive and weigh things rightly. This prayer shapes how the reader should pursue love -- not as a feeling cut loose from truth, but as an active devotion that grows in understanding, so that the believer learns to love in ways that are genuinely good and wise.
In the Original Language
The word "perisseuō" (abound) means to overflow or increase, while "aisthēsis" (judgment) denotes moral perception and discernment -- love joined to the capacity to perceive what is truly good.
Cross References
“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;”
- Colossians 1:9
“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:2
“That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;”
- Philippians 1:10
Application
Pursue a love that grows in wisdom -- ask God not only to deepen your affection for others but to give you the discernment to express it rightly.