Lexical Summary skubalon: Refuse, rubbish, dung, garbage Original Word: σκύβαλον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance garbage, dung. Neuter of a presumed derivative of eis and kuon and ballo; what is thrown to the dogs, i.e. Refuse (ordure) -- dung. see GREEK eis see GREEK kuon see GREEK ballo HELPS Word-studies 4657 skýbalon (from 2965 /kýōn, "dog" and 906 /bállō, "throw") – properly, waste thrown to dogs, like filthy scraps of garbage (table-scraps, dung, muck, sweepings); (figuratively) refuse, what is good-for-nothing except to be discarded (used only in Phil 3:8). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin Definition refuse NASB Translation rubbish (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4657: σκύβαλονσκύβαλον, σκυβαλου, τό (κυσιβαλον τί ὄν, τό τοῖς κυσί βαλλόμενον, Suidas (p. 3347 c.; to the same effect Etym. Magn., p. 719, 53 cf. 125, 44; others connect it with σκῶρ (cf. scoria, Latinstercus), others with a root meaning 'to shiver', 'shred'; Fick, Part i., p. 244)), any refuse, as the excrement of animals, offscouring, rubbish, dregs, etc.: (A. V. dung) i. e. worthless and detestable, Philippians 3:8. (Sir. 27:4; Philo; Josephus, b. j. 5, 13, 7; Plutarch; Strabo; often in the Anthol.) (See on the word, Lightfoot on Philippians, the passage cited; Gataker, Advers. Miscell. Posth., c. xliii, p. 868ff.) Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery The term σκύβαλα evokes the strongest possible picture of what is fit only for the refuse heap—scraps swept from the table, manure hauled outside the city, rotting garbage cast to dogs. First-century hearers would instinctively think of malodorous waste that carries no future usefulness and must be removed lest it contaminate what is clean. Context in Philippians 3:8 In Philippians 3, Paul stacks up his impressive spiritual résumé—circumcised on the eighth day, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, blameless according to the Law—only to sweep it all away with one shocking word: σκύβαλα. “I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). By choosing this coarse image, Paul breaks the polished cadence of verses 5–6 and drives home the total worthlessness of any ground of boasting apart from Christ. Theological Significance 1. Radical Revaluation of Human Merit Every conceivable credential—religious, ethnic, moral, or intellectual—falls under the same verdict: refuse. The gospel dismantles any system that places confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). Paul’s “gain” is not accumulated achievements but a Person. Christ’s righteousness, received through faith, renders former grounds of standing before God not merely insufficient but contaminating if trusted (Philippians 3:9). The vocabulary of waste and gain presses believers to a continuing assessment of values. Whatever competes with knowing Christ is to be hauled outside the camp and left on the rubbish pile (Hebrews 13:13; compare Matthew 16:24–26). Historical Background Ancient cities maintained designated dumps beyond their walls. Rotting offal mingled with animal dung, attracting dogs—the very beasts Jews labeled “unclean” (Exodus 22:31). The mental association of filth, disease, and exclusion sharpened Paul’s contrast between ceremonial externals and the inner reality of union with Christ. Stoic philosophers occasionally used σκύβαλα figuratively for the disdain of material things, yet Paul goes further: even the best of moral capital is sewage before the surpassing worth of knowing the risen Lord. Links to Old Testament Imagery Isaiah laments “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Jeremiah labels the idolatrous people “detestable like that which they love” (Jeremiah 2:5). Paul’s single New Testament use gathers such prophetic indictments into one pungent word. Pastoral and Missional Application • Gospel Counseling: When addressing cultural Christianity that rests on pedigree or performance, Philippians 3:8 exposes the emptiness of self-righteousness and points to the sufficiency of Christ. Conclusion σκύβαλα shocks the reader into a decisive, lifelong valuation: everything outside of Christ belongs on the rubbish heap; everything in Christ is surpassing gain. The word endures as a sharp instrument, slicing away confidence in the flesh and opening wide the treasure of union with the crucified and risen Lord. Forms and Transliterations σκυβαλα σκύβαλα skubala skybala skýbalaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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