Ephesians 5:22 kjv
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Ephesians 5:22 nkjv
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:22 niv
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:22 esv
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:22 nlt
For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
Ephesians 5 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eph 5:23 | For the husband is the head of the wife | Marital Headship |
| Eph 5:24 | Therefore, as the church is subject to Christ | Church's Submission to Christ |
| Col 3:18 | Wives, submit to your own husbands | Similar Instruction |
| Titus 2:5 | To be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and subject to their own husbands | Character of Wives |
| 1 Pet 3:1 | Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands | Parallel Command |
| 1 Pet 3:2 | so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without any word by the conduct of their wives | Impact of Conduct |
| Gen 3:16 | Your desire shall be contrary toward your husband, but he shall rule over you | God's Pronouncement on Marriage |
| 1 Cor 11:3 | But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God | Divine Order |
| Eph 5:21 | Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ | Mutual Submission |
| Eph 5:33 | However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband | Mutual Respect |
| Col 3:19 | Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them | Marital Love |
| John 13:34 | A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another | Love Commandment |
| Heb 12:9 | have respect for them even when they are fathers, shall I not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits and live? | Respect for Authority |
| Ruth 1:16 | But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. | Devotion in Relationship |
| Prov 31:10-31 | Description of a Virtuous Wife | Model of a Virtuous Wife |
| Acts 5:29 | We must obey God rather than men | Ultimate Obedience |
| Matt 6:24 | No one can serve two masters | Singleness of Allegiance |
| Gal 5:22-23 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control | Fruit of the Spirit |
| Eph 4:2 | with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love | Christian Character |
| Col 1:10 | so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him | Walking Worthily |
| Phil 2:3 | Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves | Humility |
| 1 Tim 2:11-12 | Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. | Further Instruction on Women's Role |
Ephesians 5 verses
Ephesians 5 22 Meaning
This verse instructs wives to be subject to their own husbands as to the Lord. It establishes a foundational principle for marital relationships, emphasizing respect and submission.
Ephesians 5 22 Context
This verse is part of a larger section in Ephesians 5 (verses 21-33) that deals with relationships within the household. Specifically, it addresses the roles of wives, husbands, children, and parents. The immediate context before this verse is mutual submission out of reverence for Christ, setting the tone for all Christian relationships. Following this verse, Paul will elaborate on the husband's role and then discuss the reciprocal relationship with parents and children. Culturally, societal norms at the time expected wives to be submissive to their husbands. However, Paul reframes this submission within the Christian covenant, grounding it in a relationship with Christ. There are no direct polemics against contemporary beliefs, but rather a Christian reinterpretation of existing structures.
Ephesians 5 22 Word Analysis
- Wives (Greek: Gynai - γυναῖκες) - Plural form of the word for woman or wife. Refers to females in their marital role.
- Submit (Greek: Hypotassō - ὑποτάσσω) - Literally, "to place under." It conveys a voluntary yielding, a placing oneself in order or under the authority of another, not in a sense of inferiority but of functional order. It implies willing obedience and deference. It is a military term meaning to arrange troops in subordination.
- Your own (Greek: Heautōn - ἑαυτῶν) - Reflexive pronoun, emphasizing the personal responsibility of each wife to her own husband.
- Husbands (Greek: Andrasin - ἀνδράσιν) - Dative plural of anēr (ἀνήρ), meaning man or husband. Refers to males in their marital role.
- As (Greek: Hōs - ὡς) - Comparative particle, indicating similarity or proportion.
- To the Lord (Greek: Tou Kyriou - τοῦ Κυρίου) - The Lord (Jesus Christ). The submission is framed as an act of obedience and reverence to the Lord, not merely to the husband as an individual.
Word Group Analysis:
- "Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord." This phrase establishes a specific direction of submission within marriage. The submission is to their own husbands, highlighting the distinct covenant within the marriage unit. The qualifier "as to the Lord" is crucial, indicating that the ultimate authority and model for this submission is Christ's relationship to the church, and the motive is reverence for Christ. This submission is not absolute or slavish, but ordered and covenantal, flowing from a heart dedicated to Christ.
Ephesians 5 22 Bonus Section
The Greek word hypotassō (submit) carries connotations of willing cooperation and arrangement, rather than forceful subjugation. It reflects the concept of a hierarchical structure established by God for order and functioning, much like military ranks or the arrangement of parts within a body. While this verse directs wives in their submission, it's vital to remember the preceding verse (Eph 5:21) calling for mutual submission out of reverence for Christ. This sets the overarching context that Christian submission is always relational, mutual, and Christ-centered, never an endorsement of oppression or abuse. The ultimate goal is to reflect the loving, submissive relationship between Christ and the Church.
Ephesians 5 22 Commentary
The instruction for wives to submit to their husbands as to the Lord emphasizes that this submission is rooted in a spiritual reality. It is not a submission to mere human authority, but to the role God has ordained within marriage, understood through the lens of Christ's Lordship. This implies a willing, respectful, and ordered deference, motivated by a desire to please Christ and honor the marriage covenant. This principle, when applied correctly, fosters a stable and godly household.
- Practical Example: A wife may respectfully disagree with a husband's suggestion, but in accordance with this principle, she yields to his final decision if it does not compromise her faith or essential principles of Scripture, seeing this yielding as an act of worship.