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All His attributes He veiled and hid; His infinity, to abide, like other unborn babes, within the virgin's womb; His eternity, to receive birth in time, younger than His creatures; His unchangeableness, to grow in stature, and (as it would seem) for His earthly form to decay, and be worn by His sufferings; His wisdom, "for our sake and among us to be ignorant, as man," "of that which, as Lord, He knew"; His self-sufficingness, that He, who had all things, became as though He had nothing. He forewent not things without Him only; He forewent Himself He, the Creator, not only made Himself to need the creatures which He had formed, and was without them — He was hungry and thirsty, and wearied — but even in the things which He wrought, He depended not alone on the Godhead within Him but on the Father. His works were not His own works but His Father's. He came not to do His own will, but His Father's. He prayed, and praying was heard, though He Himself was God. He was strengthened as man, by the angel, whom, as God, He created. Again, how must He have "emptied Himself" of His majesty, who, when, with a word, He could have destroyed the ungodly, and "with the breath of His mouth" have "slain the wicked," was Himself sold into their hands for the price of a bondslave. He "hid not His face from shame and spitting," before whom angels veil their faces. He "emptied Himself" of His immortality, and the immortal died. He became subject to death, the penalty of sin. But what seems yet more amazing, He was content to veil even that, in Himself, wherein, so to say, God is most God, the glory of the divinity, His holy being, whereby He hateth all iniquity. He who is "the Truth," was contented to be called "that deceiver." He hid His holiness, so that His apostate angel shrank not from approaching Him, to tempt Him. He veiled the very humility wherewith He humbled Himself to be obedient, so that Satan thought that He might be tempted through pride. He was content to he thought able to covet the creatures which He had made, and, like us, to prefer them to the Father; yea, and the very lowest of the creatures, which even man can despise. They called Him "a gluttonous man, and a wine bibber." "We know," say they, "that this man is a sinner." They reproached Him for disobedience to the Father, and breaking the law which He gave. So wholly was He made like unto us in all things, sin only excepted, that man could not discern that He, the holy God, was not (shocking to say) unholy man.

(E. B. Pusey, D. D.)

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KJV: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

WEB: but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.