Ephesians 5:23
in Ephesians 5For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.
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.
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This verse in Ephesians 5
Commentary
16 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For the husband is the head of the wife - see the notes on 1Co 11:3. As Christ is the head of the church - As Christ rules over the church, and has a right to direct and control it. And he is the Saviour of the body - That is, of the church, represented as “his body;” see notes, Eph 1:
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. Some read a distinct headship, others the same mutual submission applied to the wife.
This site's exposition
of which He is the Savior
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown mark where the comparison stops. Savior belongs to Christ alone here, so verse 24 opens with a word of contrast. Chrysostom explains the title by the way a head keeps its body in health, and Clarke applies the pattern to a husband's protection and provision.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Further, the broad gold mitre indicates the regal power of the Lord, "since the Head of the Church" is the Saviour. The mitre that is on it [i.e., the head] is, then, a sign of most princely rule; and otherwise we have heard it said, "The Head of Christ is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
A commentator
Dionysius of AlexandriaA Commentary on the Beginning of Ecclesiastes · Written before 264.
proposed
That man always inclines earthward, he means, and has the ruling faculty darkened. It is true, indeed, that we men have all of us our eyes in our head, if we speak of the mere disposition of the body. But he speaks here of the …
Note that the church is never called the flesh but always the body of Christ. Whatever lives according to the flesh must necessarily be embodied. That is true. But it is not true that whatever is body is consequently living according to the flesh.
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." Pray tell me, Marcion, does your god build up the authority of his law on the work of the Creator? This, however, is a comparative trifle; for he actually derives from the same source the condition of his Christ and his Church; for he says: "even as Christ is the head of the Church; " and again, in like manner: "He who loveth his wife, loveth his own flesh, even as Christ loved the Church.
Pray tell me, Marcion, does your god build up the authority of his law on the work of the Creator? This, however, is a comparative trifle; for he actually derives from the same source the condition of his Christ and his Church; for he says: "even as Christ is the head of the Church; " and again, in like manner: "He who loveth his wife, loveth his own flesh, even as Christ loved the Church.
8 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusInterpretation of the Epistle to the Ephesians 5.22-23 · Written before 458.
proposed
The apostle has been very constrained in setting forth this analogy [of the husband as the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, his body]. Its purpose is to encourage women to respect men and to implant in men an …
Then, he proceeds with arguments and says that "the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the Church, being Himself the Saviour of the body. But as the Church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their husbands in everything." Then after saying, "The husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is of the Church," he further adds, "and He is the Saviour of the body." For indeed the head is the saving health of the body. He had already laid down beforehand for man and wife, the ground and provision of their love, assigning to each their proper place, to the one that of authority and forethought, to the other that of submission. As then "the Church," that is, both husbands and wives, "is subject unto Christ, so also ye wives submit yourselves to your husbands, as unto God."
The Medieval Church2 voices
He presents the reason that wives must obey, and places the reason and cause of love in the fact that the husband occupies the position of ruler and guardian (for he is the head, in his words, and savior), while the wife occupies the position …
The reason for this subjection is that the husband is the head of the wife, and the sense of sight is localized in the head—"The eyes of a wise man are in his head" (Eccl. 2:14)—and hence a husband ought to govern his wife as …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Whatever there is of uneasiness in this, it is an effect of sin coming into the world. Generally, too, the man has (what he ought to have) a superiority in wisdom and knowledge. He is therefore the head, even as Christ is the head of the church.
For the husband is the head of the wife,.... See Gill on 1Co 11:3. Even as Christ is the head of the church; all the elect; See Gill on Eph 1:
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The husband is not saviour of the wife, in which particular Christ excels; hence, "But" (Eph 5:24) follows [BENGEL].
For the husband is the head of the wife - This is the reason which the apostle gives for his injunctions. See above. He is the Savior of the body - As Christ exercises authority over the Church so as to save and protect it, so let the husband exercise authority over his wife by protecting, comforting, and providing her with every necessary and comfort of life, according to his power.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὅτι | hoti | for | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ἀνήρ | aner | husband | G435 → | 216 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| κεφαλὴ | kephale | head | G2776 → | 75 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γυναικὸς | gunaikos | wife | G1135 → | 211 times |
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Χριστὸς | christos | Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| κεφαλὴ | kephale | [is the] head | G2776 → | 75 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκκλησίας, | ekklesias | church, | G1577 → | 113 times |
| αὐτὸς | autos | He Himself | G846 → | 5565 times |
| σωτὴρ | soter | Savior | G4990 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σώματος· | somatos | body; | G4983 → | 142 times |
ὅτιfor
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἀνήρhusband
anerG435 →216 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
κεφαλὴhead
kephaleG2776 →75 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
γυναικὸςwife
gunaikosG1135 →211 times
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ΧριστὸςChrist
christosG5547 →523 times
κεφαλὴ[is the] head
kephaleG2776 →75 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἐκκλησίας,church,
ekklesiasG1577 →113 times
αὐτὸςHe Himself
autosG846 →5565 times
σωτὴρSavior
soterG4990 →
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
σώματος·body;
somatosG4983 →142 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
Colossians 1:18And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.
it leads to
- Ephesians 1:22–23
And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church,
- Revelation 1:5
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by…
- Ephesians 4:15–16
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
- Ephesians 1:22–23
Through
Ephesians 4:15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
it leads to
- 1 John 3:18
Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
- Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
- Zechariah 8:16
These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates,
- 1 Peter 1:22
Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.
- 2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
- 1 John 3:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies16
About Ephesians
This page draws on 14 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); Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 5; Dionysius of Alexandria, A Commentary on the Beginning of Ecclesiastes; 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; Theodoret of Cyrus, Interpretation of the Epistle to the Ephesians 5.22-23; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Ephesians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Ephesians.