Ephesians 5:24
in Ephesians 5Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their husbands in everything.
KJV
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
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This verse in Ephesians 5
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Theodoret of CyrusInterpretation of the Epistle to the Ephesians 5.24 · Written before 458.
As one who is giving instruction to the pious, Paul here adds the words "subject in all things." It is evident from this analogy that he is speaking essentially to the pious, to those well trained in religious life. None of those reared in piety …
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
submit to their husbands in everything
Clarke, Barnes and Henry all limit in everything to what is lawful and consistent with duty to God. Clarke names the cases. A husband who is profligate, or who uses his authority to keep his wife from the means of grace, is refused obedience in those things.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
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."
Here is Paul's analogy: As the church takes its beginning from Christ and therefore is subject to him, so too does woman take hers from the man and is subject to him. There is a crucial difference, however, between Christ and the church as opposed …
The Medieval Church2 voices
From this he draws the conclusion he intended, saying Therefore, as the church is subject to Christ. As though he said: It is not proper for an organ to rebel against its head in any situation; but as Christ is head of the church in …
From this you will understand more clearly what he said above: "submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." Since wives must submit to their husbands as the Church to Christ, and the Church and wives constitute this, then as to Christ, the wife …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
), with cheerfulness, with fidelity, with humility, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing --in every thing to which their authority justly extends itself, in every thing lawful and consistent with duty to God. The duty of husbands (on the other hand), is to love their wives (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
In every thing - That is, every lawful thing; for it is not intimated that they should obey their husbands in any thing criminal, or in any thing detrimental to the interests of their souls. The husband may be profligate, and may wish his wife to become such also; he may be an enemy to true religion, and use his authority to prevent his wife from those means of grace which she finds salutary to her soul; in none of these things should she obey him.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
In everything - In everything which is not contrary to the will of God; see the notes on Eph 5:23.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | But | G235 → | 635 times |
| ὡς | hos | even as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκκλησία | ekklesia | church | G1577 → | 113 times |
| ὑποτάσσεται | hupotassetai | is subjected | G5293 → | 38 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Χριστῷ | christo | to Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| οὕτως | houtos | so | G3779 → | 208 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| αἱ | hai | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γυναῖκες | gunaikes | wives | G1135 → | 211 times |
| τοῖς | tois | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνδράσιν | andrasin | husbands | G435 → | 216 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| παντί.¶ | panti | everything. | G3956 → | 1235 times |
ἀλλ᾽But
all᾽G235 →635 times
ὡςeven as
hosG5613 →500 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
ἐκκλησίαchurch
ekklesiaG1577 →113 times
ὑποτάσσεταιis subjected
hupotassetaiG5293 →38 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
Χριστῷto Christ
christoG5547 →523 times
οὕτωςso
houtosG3779 →208 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
αἱ<the>
haiG3588 →19766 times
γυναῖκεςwives
gunaikesG1135 →211 times
τοῖς<the>
toisG3588 →19766 times
ἀνδράσινhusbands
andrasinG435 →216 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
παντί.¶everything.
pantiG3956 →1235 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 3:20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
it leads to
- Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
- Ephesians 6:1–3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
- Proverbs 6:20
My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
- Exodus 20:12
Through
Titus 2:7In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity,
it leads to
- 1 Peter 5:3
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
- 1 Timothy 4:12
Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2
Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to…
- 1 Peter 5:3
Through
Colossians 3:22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 6:1–2
All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Timothy 6:1–2
Through
Ephesians 5:33Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:2–7
when they see your pure and reverent demeanor.
- 1 Peter 3:2–7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies16
About Ephesians
This page draws on 11 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); Ambrosiaster, EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 5.24; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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; Theodoret of Cyrus, Interpretation of the Epistle to the Ephesians 5.24; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Ephesians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Ephesians.