Ephesians 5:22
in Ephesians 5Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
KJV
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
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This verse in Ephesians 5
Commentary
13 notes on this verseWives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands - As the Lord, viz. Christ, is the head or governor of the Church, and the head of the man, so is the man the head or governor of the woman. This is God’s ordinance, and should not be transgressed. The husband should not be a tyrant, and the wife should not be the governor.
This site's exposition
submit to your husbands as to the Lord
on Ephesians 5:22-24
Interpreters divide over how the command to submit to your husbands as to the Lord fits verse 21: a distinct headship, or the same mutual submission applied to the wife. The husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior, so headship is measured by self giving care. The wife's submission in everything in verse 24 stays inside that frame, as to the Lord.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Now, when I find to what God belong these precepts, whether in their germ or their development, I have no difficulty in knowing to whom the apostle also belongs. But he declares that "wives ought to be in subjection to their husbands: " what reason does he give for this? "Because," says he, "the husband is the head of the wife.
The union of Christ and the church is holy. So is the proper union of husband and wife holy. Just as a congregation of heretics, however, cannot rightly be called the church of Christ and cannot have Christ as its head, so it is that a union between husband and wife cannot be truly called holy if there is a disregard for the way of life taught by Christ.
A commentator
Ignatius of AntiochEpistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians · Written before 108.
proposed
It behoves you also, therefore, as "a peculiar people, and a holy nation," to perform all things with harmony in Christ. Wives, be ye subject to your husbands in the fear of God; and ye virgins, to Christ in purity, not counting marriage an abomination, but desiring that which is better, not for the reproach of wedlock, but for the sake of meditating on the law.
A Certain wise man, setting down a number of things in the rank of blessings, set down this also in the rank of a blessing, "A wife agreeing with her husband." And elsewhere again he sets it down among blessings, that a woman should dwell in harmony with her husband. And indeed from the beginning, God appears to have made special provision for this union; and discoursing of the twain as one, He said thus, "Male and female created He them"; and again, "There is neither male nor female." For there is no relationship between man and man so close as that between man and wife, if they be joined together as they should be. And therefore a certain blessed man too, when he would express surpassing love, and was mourning for one that was dear to him, and of one soul with him, did not mention father, nor mother, nor child, nor brother, nor friend, but what? "Thy love to me was wonderful," saith he, "passing the love of women." (2 Sam. i. 26) For indeed, in very deed, this love is more despotic than any despotism: for others indeed may be strong, but this passion is not only strong, but unfading. For there is a certain love deeply seated in our nature, which imperceptibly to ourselves knits together these bodies of ours. Thus even from the very beginning woman sprang from man, and afterwards from man and woman sprang both man and woman. Perceivest thou the close bond and connection? And how that God suffered not a different kind of nature to enter in from without? And mark, how many providential arrangements He made. He permitted the man to marry his own sister; or rather not his sister, but his daughter; nay, nor yet his daughter, but something more than his daughter, even his own flesh. And thus the whole He framed from one beginning, gathering all together, like stones in a building, into one. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
Not without reason and not in vain does Paul devote great care to marriage, for God too from the beginning was especially concerned with it. For He joined with Adam his sister — no, more than that — his daughter; but what am I saying? …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Up until now the Apostle has set down general precepts applicable to everyone (4:17), at this point he expresses those which pertain to particular persons or classes. According to the Philosopher in his Politics, a home must possess three relationships if it is to be …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands - Unless where God forbids. Otherwise, in all indifferent things, the will of the husband is a law to the wife. As unto the Lord - The obedience a wife pays to her husband is at the same time paid to Christ himself; he being head of the wife, as Christ is head of the church.
to the end he speaks of the duties of husbands and wives; and he speaks of these in a Christian manner, setting the church as an example of the wife's subjection, and Christ as an example of love in husbands. The duty prescribed to wives is submission to their husbands in the Lord (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Those subject ought to submit themselves, of whatever kind their superiors are. "Submit" is the term used of wives: "obey," of children (Eph 6:1), as there is a greater equality between wives and husbands, than between children and parents. as unto the Lord--Submissiveness is rendered by the wife to the husband under the eye of Christ, and so is rendered to Christ Himself.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands - On this passage, compare notes on 1Co 11:3-9. The duty of the submission of the wife to her husband is everywhere enjoined in the Scriptures; see 1Pe 3:1; Col 3:18; Tit 2:5. While Christianity designed to elevate the character of the wife, and to make her a fit companion of an intelligent and pious husband, it did not intend to destroy all subordination and authority. Man, by the fact that he was first created; that the woman was taken from him; that he is better qualified for ruling than she is, is evidently designed to be at the head of the little community that constitutes a family. In many other things, woman may be his equal; in loveliness, and grace, and beauty, and tenderness, and gentleness, she is far his superior; but these are not the qualities adapted for government. Their place is in another sphere; and “there,” man should be as cautious about invading her prerogative, or abridging her liberty, as “she” should be about invading the prerogative that belongs to him. In every family there should be a head - someone who is to be looked up to as the counselor and the ruler; someone to whom all should be subordinate. God has given that prerogative to man; and no family prospers where that arrangement is violated. Within proper metes and limits, therefore, it is the duty of the wife to obey, or to submit herself to her husband. Those limits are such as the following: 1. In domestic arrangements, the husband is to be regarded as the head of the family; and he has a right to direct as to the style of living, the expenses of the family, the clothing, etc. 2. In regard to the laws which are to regulate the family, he is the head. It is his to say what is to be done; in what way the children are to employ themselves, and to give directions in regard to their education, etc. 3. […]
The words behind it
8 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Αἱ | hai | you who [are] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γυναῖκες, | gunaikes | wives, | G1135 → | 211 times |
| τοῖς | tois | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἰδίοις | idiois | to [your] own | G2398 → | |
| ἀνδράσιν | andrasin | husbands | G435 → | 216 times |
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| τῷ | to | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κυρίῳ· | kurio | Lord; | G2962 → | 711 times |
Αἱyou who [are]
haiG3588 →19766 times
γυναῖκες,wives,
gunaikesG1135 →211 times
τοῖς<the>
toisG3588 →19766 times
ἰδίοιςto [your] own
idioisG2398 →
ἀνδράσινhusbands
andrasinG435 →216 times
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
τῷto the
toG3588 →19766 times
κυρίῳ·Lord;
kurioG2962 →711 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Titus 2:5to be self-controlled, pure, managers of their households, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited.
it leads to
- Colossians 3:18
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 31:10–31
A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.
- 1 Timothy 5:13–14
At the same time they will also learn to be idle, going from house to house and being not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, discussing things they should not mention.
- Colossians 3:18
Through
Genesis 3:16To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Titus 2:5
to be self-controlled, pure, managers of their households, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited.
- Ephesians 5:22–24
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
- 1 Timothy 2:15
Women, however, will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.
- 1 Corinthians 11:3
Through
Colossians 3:18Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
it leads to
- Titus 2:4–5
In this way they can train the young women to love their husbands and children,
- Titus 2:4–5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ephesians
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ephesians 5:22-23; John Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 20; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Ephesians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Ephesians.