For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names:

“Let us wait for Him, beloved brethren, our Judge and Avenger, who shall equally avenge with Himself the congregation of His Church, and the number of all the righteous from the beginning of the world. Let him who hurries, and is too impatient for his revenge, consider that even He Himself is not yet avenged who is the Avenger. God the Father ordained His Son to be adored; and the Apostle Paul, mindful of the divine command, lays it down, and says: "God hath exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things heavenly, and things earthly, and things beneath." And in the Apocalypse the angel withstands John, who wishes to worship him, and says: "See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren. Worship Jesus the Lord." How great is the Lord Jesus, and how great is His patience, that He who is adored in heaven is not yet avenged on earth! Let us, beloved brethren, consider His patience in our persecutions and sufferings; let us give an obedience full of expectation to His advent; and let us not hasten, servants as we are, to be defended before our Lord with irreligious and immodest eagerness. Let us rather press onward and labour, and, watching with our whole heart, and stedfast to all endurance, let us keep the Lord's precepts; so that when that day of anger and vengeance shall come, we may not be punished with the impious and sinners, but may be honoured with the righteous and those that fear God.”

“For that Jesus represented Christ: for when he was at first called Auses, Moses, foreseeing the future, ordered that he should be called Jesus; that since he had been chosen as the leader of the warfare against Amalek, who was the enemy of the children of Israel, he might both subdue the adversary by the emblem of the name, and lead the people into the land of promise. And for this reason he was also successor to Moses, to show that the new law given by Christ Jesus was about to succeed to the old law which was given by Moses.”

“That "God has highly exalted him" does not imply that the essential nature of the Word at long last became exalted. For God the Son is and always was equal to God the Father. The exaltation is of the humanity.… The text says "he humbled himself" with reference to the assumption of the flesh. So too it says "he exalted him" with reference to the flesh. It was the human race that needed this, because of the humiliation of its flesh and because of its consequent death. Thus the Word who is immortal and the image of the Father "has taken the form of a slave" and suffered death on the cross as a man for our sake. He did this in order that he might thus present himself as an offering to the Father. It is thus as a man that he is said to have been exalted for our sake. Hence all of us die in Christ and through his death may again be exalted in Christ himself.”

“"Wherefore also God highly exalted Him, and gave Him the Name which is above every name: that in the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Let us say against the heretics, If this is spoken of one who was not incarnate, if of God the Word, how did He highly exalt Him? Was it as if He gave Him something more than He had before? He would then have been imperfect in this point, and would have been made perfect for our sakes. For if He had not done good deeds to us, He would not have obtained that honor! "And gave Him the Name." See, He had not even a name, as you say! But how, if He received it as His due, is He found here to have received it by grace, and as a gift? And that "the Name which is above every name": and of what kind, let us see, is the Name? "That at the Name of Jesus," saith He, "every knee should bow." They (the heretics) explain name by glory. This glory then is above all glory, and this glory is in short that all worship Him! But ye hold yourselves far off from the greatness of God, who think that ye know God, as He knoweth Himself, and from this it is plain, how far off ye are from right thoughts of God. And this is plain from hence. Is this, tell me, glory? Therefore before men were created, before the angels or the archangels, He was not in glory. If this be the glory which is above every glory, for this is the name that is "above every name," though He were in glory before, yet was He in glory inferior to this. It was for this then that He made the things that are, that He might be raised to glory, not from His own goodness, but because He required glory from us! See ye not their folly? see ye not their impiety?”

“Above he commended the humility of Christ; here he commends his reward, which is exaltation and glory. Lk. 14:11 and 18:14: *everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.* Job 22:29: *he who has been humbled will be in glory.* Note the threefold exaltation of Christ: namely as to the glory of the one rising, there "wherefore," etc.; as to the making known of his divinity, there "and he gave," etc.; and as to the reverence of the whole creature, there "that in the name," etc. He says therefore *wherefore God also exalted him*, namely that he might rise from death. Likewise, from mortality to immortality. Rom. 6:9: *Christ rising from the dead now dies no more, death will no longer have dominion over him.* Ps. 117:16f: *the right hand of the Lord has exalted me, I shall not die, but live.* Likewise, he exalted him by establishing him at his right hand. Eph. 1:20f: *establishing him at his right hand in the heavens above every principality, and power, and virtue, and dominion, and every name*, etc. But it is true that others are exalted in glory and in immortality; but he more so, because *he gave him a name*, etc. Now a name is imposed to signify some thing, and a name is the higher, the higher the thing signified by it is; and therefore the name of divinity is the higher. Ps. 8:2: *O Lord our Lord, how admirable is your name*, etc. Therefore this name, that he might be called and be God, the Father gave to this one, namely to Christ, as to the true God. But Photinus says that this is set down here as the reward of Christ's humility, and says that he is not true God, but that a certain eminence of a creature, and a likeness of divinity, was given to him — which is not true, because it was said above: *when he was in the form of God*, etc. It must therefore be said that in Christ there is a twofold nature, and one supposit. For this one person is God and man; and therefore this can be expounded in two ways. In one way, that the Father gave him this name insofar as he is the Son of God, and this from eternity through eternal generation; which giving is nothing other than his eternal generation. Jn. 5:26: *as the Father has life in himself, so he has given to the Son also to have life in himself*, etc. In another way, concerning Christ as man: and thus the Father gave to that man a name, that he might be God — not through nature, since the nature of God is one thing and that of man another, but that he might be God through grace, not of adoption but of union, by which he was at once God and man. Rom. 1:4: *predestined the Son of God in power*, he namely who was made to him from the seed of David according to the flesh. And this is the exposition of Augustine according to the intention of the apostle. Likewise it is found in Acts 2:36: *let all the house know most certainly*, etc. But the first is that of Ambrose. But you ask, objecting as to both expositions, why, after he said *he humbled himself*, etc., there follows here *wherefore*, etc., since a reward does not precede merit. Therefore neither the eternal generation nor the incarnation is the reward of Christ's passion, since they precede it. But it must be said that in sacred Scripture something is said to happen when it becomes known. *He gave* therefore, that is, he made manifest to the world, that he had this name. For this was made manifest in the resurrection, since before, the divinity of Christ was not so known. And the following text agrees with this — as though he did not give what he did not have, but that all might venerate this. And a twofold veneration is set down: namely in the subjection of work, and in the confession of mouth, there *and every tongue*, etc. He says therefore *and he gave him a name that is above every name*, even according as he is man. Therefore he adds *that in the name of Jesus*, which is the name of the man, *every knee should bow*. Phil. 2:10 and Isa. 45:24: *to me every knee shall bow*, etc. But here Origen erred: for when he heard that every knee should bow, which is to show reverence, he took it as a future event that at some time every rational creature — whether Angels, or men, or Demons — would be subjected to Christ by the subjection of charity. But against this stands Matt. 25:41: *depart, you cursed, into eternal fire*, etc. But it must be said that there is a twofold subjection: one voluntary, the other involuntary. And it is a future event that all the holy Angels will be subjected to Christ voluntarily; and therefore he says: *every knee should bow*. And the sign is put for the thing signified. Ps. 96:7: *adore him, all you his Angels.* Likewise, blessed men, and saints and the just, will be subjected in this manner. Ps. 85:9: *all the nations, whatsoever you have made, shall come, and shall adore before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.* But Demons and the damned not so, but are subjected involuntarily. Jas. 2:19: *the Demons believe, and tremble*, etc. Then when he says *and every tongue should confess*, etc., the showing of reverence in the confession of mouth is set down. *Every tongue* — namely of the heavenly, the earthly, and those of the lower regions. This is not said of the confession of praise with respect to those of the lower regions, but of a forced confession, which comes about through the recognition of God. Isa. 40:5: *all flesh together shall see, that the mouth of the Lord has spoken*, etc. Ps. 98:3: *let it confess to your great name, because it is terrible and holy*, etc. And this, *because the Lord Jesus Christ*, etc. — this one, namely the man — *in glory*, etc. He does not say "in a like glory," because in the same glory. Jn. 5:23: *let all honor the Son, as they honor the Father.* And it must be noted that at the beginning he says *who, when in the form*, etc., here he says *in glory*, because it was to be that what he had from eternity would become known to all, as in Jn. 17:5: *glorify me, you, Father, with yourself, with the glory which I had before the world was made, with you.* Then when he says *therefore, brethren*, etc., the exhortation is concluded. And concerning this he does three things: for first he exhorts to doing well; second he shows how they ought to act, there *but all things*, etc.; third, with what fruit, there *that you may be*, etc. Likewise the first divides into three: for first he recalls their past obedience; second he shows what they ought to do, there *not in presence*, etc.; third he gives confidence of fulfilling it, there *for God*, etc. He says therefore: therefore, since Christ so humbled himself and for this is exalted, you ought to know that if you humble yourselves you will also be exalted; and you ought to do this, because you have always obeyed. And he makes mention of obedience, commending their good deeds, and this for the reason that by obedience is understood every virtue — since it is from this that a man is just, that he keeps the commandments of God. Rom. 6:16: *you are the servants of him whom you obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto justice*, etc. Likewise, every good, however good it is in itself, is rendered better through obedience. Prov. 21:28: *an obedient man shall speak of victories.* Likewise, because obedience among the others is the greatest. For to offer of exterior things is great, but greater if of the body, but greatest if of the soul and your will — which is done through obedience. 1 Kgs. 15:22: *obedience is better than sacrifices, and to hearken rather than to offer the fat of rams*, etc. But if you have done thus, I exhort that you still do thus henceforth. Then when he says *not in presence*, etc., he shows what they ought to do. And first he admonishes them to act faithfully, because an unfaithful servant does not serve except when the master sees, since he cares for nothing but to please; but a faithful one always works well. And therefore he says *not in my presence only*, because otherwise it would seem that you were not acting from the instinct of good will. Eph. 6:6f: *not serving to the eye, as pleasing men, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God: from the soul, with good will, serving the Lord, and not men.* Second, that they act humbly, there *with fear and trembling*, etc. For a proud man does not fear, but a humble one does. 1 Cor. 10:12: *he who thinks himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall.* Prov. 28:14: *blessed is the man who is always fearful.* Ps. 2:11: *serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice unto him with trembling.* Third, that they act salutarily, there *work out your salvation.* Matt. 24:13: *he who shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.* Then when he says *for God*, etc., he confirms this confidence and excludes four false opinions. One, of men believing that man through free will can be saved without divine help. Against this he says *God*, etc. Jn. 14:10: *the Father abiding in me, he does the works*: and 15:5: *without me you can do nothing.* Others altogether deny free will, saying that man is necessitated by fate, or by divine providence. And this he excludes, when he says *in you*, because inwardly, through instinct, he moves the will to work well. Isa. 26:12: *for you have wrought all our works in us.* The third, of the Pelagians, as also the first, saying that the choosing is in us, but the carrying out of the works in God, since to will is from us but to accomplish is from God. And this he excludes, saying *both to will and to accomplish*. Rom. 9:16: *it is not of him that wills* — namely to will — *without the help of God, nor of him that runs* — namely to run — *but of God that shows mercy.* The fourth, that God does every good in us, and this through our merits. This he excludes, when he says *for good will* — namely his own, not for our merits — since before the grace of God there is no good merit in us. Ps. 50:20: *deal kindly, O Lord, in your good will*, etc.”

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,.... The apostle proceeds to observe the exaltation of Christ, for the encouragement of meek and humble souls; that whereas Christ, who so exceedingly demeaned himself, was afterwards highly exalted by God, so all such who, in imitation of him, behave to one another in lowliness of mind, shall be exalted in God's due time; for whoso humbleth himself, shall be exalted. The first step of Christ's exaltation was his resurrection from the dead, when he had a glory given him as man; his body was raised in incorruption, in glory, in power, and a spiritual one; it became a glorious body, and the pledge and exemplar of the saints at the general resurrection, of which his transfiguration on the mount was an emblem and prelude; and he was also glorified then as Mediator, he was then justified in the Spirit, and acquitted and discharged from all the sins of his people, he took upon him and bore, having satisfied for them; and all God's elect were justified in him, for he rose as a public person, as their head, for their justification; yea, in some sense he was then glorified, as a divine person; not that any new additional glory was, or could be made to him as such; but there was an illustrious manifestation of his natural, essential, and original glory; he was declared to be the Son of God with power, by his resurrection from the dead: the next step of his high exaltation was his ascending on high up to the third heaven, where he is made higher than the heavens; when he was accompanied by an innumerable company of angels, and by those saints whose bodies rose out of their graves after his resurrection; and was received and carried up in a bright glorious cloud; and passing through the air, the seat of the devils, he led captivity captive, and triumphed over principalities and powers, having before spoiled them on his cross; and then entering into heaven, he sat down at the right hand of God, which is another branch of his exaltation; and shows that he had done his work, and that it was approved and accepted of; and had that glory and honour bestowed on him, which never was on any mere creature, angels or men, to sit down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; which as it is the highest pitch of the exaltation of the human nature of Christ, so by it there is a most illustrious display of the glory of his divine person as the Son of God; who was with God, as one brought up with him from all eternity; and was so likewise when here on earth, but not so manifestly; but now he is openly and manifestly glorified with himself, with that glory he had with him before the world began: moreover, Christ's exaltation lies in his having the gifts of the Spirit without measure, to bestow on his ministers and churches, in all succeeding generations, for the carrying on of his interest, and the enlargement of his kingdom; in having all power in heaven and in earth, to complete his work and great designs; in having dominion and authority over all creatures and things, which are made to be subservient to the execution of his mediatorial office; and in having the right and power of judging the world at the last day, when there will still be a more glorious display of his eternal deity and divine sonship; for he will come in his Father's glory, and in his own, and with his holy angels: now the causes of Christ's exaltation are these: the efficient cause is God; though he made himself of no reputation, and humbled himself, these were voluntary acts of his own; yet he did not exalt himself, but God exalted him, even God the Father; with him the covenant of grace and redemption was made, in which glory was promised Christ, in consideration of his obedience, sufferings, and death; and which he prayed to him for, and pleaded for with him, having done his work; and which exaltation of Christ is always ascribed to God, even the Father; see Act 2:33; the impulsive or moving cause, and indeed the meritorious cause, were the humiliation of Christ; because he, though he was originally so great and glorious, yet made himself as it were nothing, humbled himself to become man, and was contented to be accounted a mere man, and went up and down in the form of a servant; and because he became so cheerfully obedient to the whole law, and to death itself, for the sake of his people, and out of love to them, "therefore" God exalted him: the exaltation of Christ was not only a consequence of his obedience and death, and his humiliation merely the way to his glory; but his high and exalted estate were the reward of all this; it was what was promised him in covenant, what was then agreed upon, what he expected and pleaded, and had as a recompense of reward, in consideration of his having glorified God on earth, and finished the work he undertook to do: it follows as an instance of the exaltation of Christ, and hath given him a name which is above every name. The Syriac version renders it, "which is more excellent than every name"; and the Arabic version translates it, "which is more eminent than every name"; and the Ethiopic version thus, "which is greater than every name": by which is meant, not any particular and peculiar name by which he is called; not the name of God, for though this is his name, the mighty God, and so is even the incommunicable name Jehovah, and which may be truly said to be every name; but neither of these are given him, but what he has by nature; and besides were what he had before his exaltation in human nature: it is true indeed, upon that this name of his became more illustrious and manifest unto men; it is a more clear point, that he is God over all blessed for evermore; and it will still be more manifest at his glorious appearing, that he is the great God, as well as our Saviour: to which may be added, that the name Jehovah in the plate of gold on the high priest's forehead, was set above the other word; so says Maimonides (m), "the plate of gold was two fingers broad, and it reached from ear to ear; and there was written upon it two lines, "holiness to the Lord"; "holiness", was written below, and , "to the Lord", or "to Jehovah", above: whether here may not be an allusion to this, I leave to be considered: nor do I think that the name of the Son of God is meant; this is indeed a name of Christ, and a more excellent one than either angels or men have; for he is in such sense the Son of God, as neither of them are; but this is a name also which he has by nature, and is what he had before his exaltation; and was before this attested by his Father, and confessed by angels, men, and devils; though indeed upon his exaltation, he was declared more manifestly to be the Son of God, as he will be yet more clearly in his kingdom and glory: much less is the name Jesus intended, which was given him by the angel before his conception and birth, and was a name common to men among the Jews; but it seems to design such fame and renown, honour, glory, and dignity, as were never given unto, and bestowed upon creatures; as his rising from the dead as a public person, his ascending on high in the manner he did, his session at the right hand of God, his investiture with all gifts, power, dominion, authority, and with the judgment of the world; and whatever name of greatness there is among men or angels, Christ has that which is superior to it. Was a priest a name of honour and dignity among the Jews? Christ is not only a priest, and an high priest, but a great high priest; a priest not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek, Heb 7:11, and a greater than he himself. Is a king a great name among men? Christ has on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords. Is a deliverer of a nation a title of great honour? Christ is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour of men of all nations; nor is there any other name but his, that is given among men, whereby we must be saved. Is a mediator between warring princes and kingdoms accounted a name of greatness and glory? Christ is the one only Mediator between God and man, and of a new and better covenant. Are angels, seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, great names in the other world? Christ is the Angel of God's presence, an eternal one, the Angel of the covenant, the head of all principality and power. These are all subject to him, and he is set at God's right hand far above them, (m) Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, c. 9. sect. 1.”

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him - If by his humiliation he has merited pardon and final salvation for the whole world, is it to be wondered that the human body, in which this fullness of the Godhead dwelt, and in which the punishment due to our sins was borne upon the tree, should be exalted above all human and all created beings? And this is the fact; for he hath given him a name, το ονομα, the name, which is above every name: το is prefixed to ονομα here by ABC, 17, Origen, Dionysius Alexandrinus, Eusebius, Cyril, and Procopius. This makes it much more emphatic. According to Eph 1:20, Eph 1:21, the man Christ Jesus is exalted to the right hand of God, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. From which it appears that no creature of God is so far exalted and so glorious as the man Christ Jesus, human nature being in him dignified infinitely beyond the angelic nature; and that this nature has an authority and pre-eminence which no being, either in heaven or earth, enjoys. In a word, as man was in the beginning at the head of all the creatures of God, Jesus Christ, by assuming human nature, suffering and dying in it, has raised it to its pristine state. And this is probably what is here meant by this high exaltation of Christ, and giving him a name which is above every name. But if we refer to any particular epithet, then the name Jesus or Savior must be that which is intended; as no being either in heaven or earth can possess this name as he who is the Redeemer of the world does, for he is the only Savior; none has or could redeem us to God but he; and throughout eternity he will ever appear as the sole Savior of the human race. Hence, before his birth, Gabriel stated that his name should be called Jesus; giving for reason, he shall Save his people from their sins. The qualifications of the Savior of the world were so extraordinary, the redeeming acts so stupendous, and the result of all so glorious both to God and man, that it is impossible to conceive a higher name or title than that of Jesus, or Savior of the world.”

“God….hath given him a name, &c. The name or word Jesus represents the dignity of him who is signified by the name, and who is exalted even as man, above all creatures in heaven, earth, and hell; all which creatures either piously reverence him, or are made subject to him against their will, that every tongue may confess our Lord Jesus to be now, and to have been always, in the glory of his Father, equal to him in substance and in all perfections. (Witham)”

“Wherefore--as the just consequence of His self-humiliation and obedience (Psa 8:5-6; Psa 110:1, Psa 110:7; Mat 28:18; Luk 24:26; Joh 5:27; Joh 10:17; Rom 14:9; Eph 1:20-22; Heb 2:9). An intimation, that if we would hereafter be exalted, we too must, after His example, now humble ourselves (Phi 2:3, Phi 2:5; Phi 3:21; Pe1 5:5-6). Christ emptied Christ; God exalted Christ as man to equality with God [BENGEL]. highly exalted--Greek, "super-eminently exalted" (Eph 4:10). given him--Greek, "bestowed on Him." a name--along with the corresponding reality, glory and majesty. which--Translate, namely, "that which is above every name." The name "JESUS" (Phi 2:10), which is even now in glory His name of honor (Act 9:5). "Above" not only men, but angels (Eph 1:21).”

“None of the faithful doubt that the Son of God was begotten in perfect reception of all that belongs to the character of God. The Son received all the attributes of divinity in being born from God the Father. It was then that he received "the name that is above all names," that is, that he should be called what the Father is called. Nothing different is predicated of him with regard to the future, since he has all things before him. So he was born for the re-creation and restoration of all these. Seeing that order and reason demand that every knee should bow to the name of the Father, the Father bestowed this name upon the Son because of the salvation he was to perform. This name was bestowed when he begot the Son. The Father begot him that he might enjoy the same honor as the Father himself.”