EPH 5:21-33

Wives and Husbands

21— submitting to one another in reverence of Christ.

22Wives, to your own husbands as to the Lord,

23because the husband is head of the wife as Christ is head of the assembly — he himself being savior of the body.

24But as the assembly submits to Christ, so also wives to their husbands in everything.

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the assembly and gave himself up for her,

26so that he might set her apart, cleansing her by the washing of water with the word,

27so that he might present the assembly to himself in glory — without blemish, without wrinkle or any such thing — but holy and unblemished.

28In the same way husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. The one who loves his own wife loves himself.

29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and tends it — just as Christ does the assembly,

30because we are members of his body.

31For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

32This mystery is great — and I am speaking with reference to Christ and the assembly.

33Nevertheless, each of you is to love his own wife as himself, and the wife is to revere her husband.

In the world it was spoken into

In the Greco-Roman household structure, the paterfamilias (male head of the household) held absolute authority over his wife, children, and slaves. This hierarchy was deeply ingrained in societal norms, with wives expected to submit to their husbands as a matter of social order. The term (hypotassō) in the middle voice implies a voluntary submission, not coercion, which would have been a countercultural idea in a society where submission was often enforced. The metaphor of Christ as the (kephalē, 'head') of the church draws on the Jewish understanding of headship as both authority and source, emphasizing Christ’s role as the origin and sustainer of the church. The call for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church would have been striking, as Greco-Roman marital love was often transactional, focused on producing heirs and maintaining social status. The mention of cleansing by 'the washing of water' likely evokes baptism, a ritual of purification and initiation into the Christian community.

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How other translations render this

EPH 5:21

KJV: Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
BSB: Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Koinōnos: — submitting to one another in reverence of Christ.

EPH 5:22

KJV: Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
BSB: Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
Koinōnos: Wives, to your own husbands as to the Lord,

EPH 5:23

KJV: For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
BSB: For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.
Koinōnos: because the husband is head of the wife as Christ is head of the assembly — he himself being savior of the body.

EPH 5:24

KJV: Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
BSB: Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Koinōnos: But as the assembly submits to Christ, so also wives to their husbands in everything.

EPH 5:25

KJV: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
BSB: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her
Koinōnos: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the assembly and gave himself up for her,

EPH 5:26

KJV: That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
BSB: to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
Koinōnos: so that he might set her apart, cleansing her by the washing of water with the word,

EPH 5:27

KJV: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
BSB: and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.
Koinōnos: so that he might present the assembly to himself in glory — without blemish, without wrinkle or any such thing — but holy and unblemished.

EPH 5:28

KJV: So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
BSB: In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Koinōnos: In the same way husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. The one who loves his own wife loves himself.

EPH 5:29

KJV: For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
BSB: Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.
Koinōnos: For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and tends it — just as Christ does the assembly,

EPH 5:30

KJV: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
BSB: For we are members of His body.
Koinōnos: because we are members of his body.

EPH 5:31

KJV: For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
BSB: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
Koinōnos: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

EPH 5:32

KJV: This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
BSB: This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.
Koinōnos: This mystery is great — and I am speaking with reference to Christ and the assembly.

EPH 5:33

KJV: Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
BSB: Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Koinōnos: Nevertheless, each of you is to love his own wife as himself, and the wife is to revere her husband.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

EPH 5:21

Be submitting yourselves:The word translated 'Be submitting yourselves' implies a voluntary act of aligning oneself under the authority of another, often in an orderly or cooperative manner, rather than forced subjugation.
reverence:The term translated 'reverence' here carries a sense of awe, respect, and a healthy fear of offending, rather than terror or fright.

EPH 5:22

wives,:The word translated 'wives' is the common term for 'woman' and can refer to a female person of any age, but in this context, it specifically denotes a married woman.

EPH 5:23

is:The word translated 'head' can refer to the literal head of a body, but it also metaphorically signifies source, origin, or authority, much like the 'head' of a river or a 'head' of state.