Ephesians 5:24 kjv
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Ephesians 5:24 nkjv
Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Ephesians 5:24 niv
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Ephesians 5:24 esv
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Ephesians 5:24 nlt
As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.
Ephesians 5 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eph 5:22 | "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as you do to the Lord." | Basis for the analogy |
| Col 3:18 | "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord." | Parallel instruction |
| 1 Pet 3:1 | "Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your own husbands..." | Reinforces the marital submission |
| 1 Cor 11:3 | "But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man..." | Establishes Christ's headship |
| Eph 1:22 | "and placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church," | Christ's supremacy over the church |
| Eph 4:15 | "but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow in every way into him who is the head, that is, Christ." | Growth directed by Christ |
| Eph 4:25 | "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body." | Unity in Christ |
| Gen 2:24 | "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." | Original institution of marriage |
| Matt 19:5 | "and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'?" | Jesus affirms Gen 2:24 |
| John 13:34 | "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." | Christ's example of love |
| Gal 3:28 | "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." | Unity and equality in Christ |
| Rom 12:5 | "so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." | Members of one body |
| Col 1:18 | "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." | Christ as head of the church |
| 1 Cor 14:33 | "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the saints." | Order in the church |
| Prov 3:5 | "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;" | Importance of submission to God |
| Heb 13:17 | "Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account." | Submission to spiritual leaders |
| Phil 2:5 | "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:" | Christ's example of humility |
| 1 Cor 1:10 | "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought." | Plea for unity |
| Titus 2:5 | "...to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their own husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." | Context of wifely submission |
| Eph 5:21 | "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." | General principle of submission |
Ephesians 5 verses
Ephesians 5 24 Meaning
As the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. This highlights Christ's headship over the church and calls for a similar model of willing submission within marriage, reflecting the church's devoted relationship to Christ.
Ephesians 5 24 Context
This verse is part of a larger section in Ephesians (chapters 4-6) that deals with Christian conduct and relationships. Specifically, Ephesians 5:21-33 provides instruction on how believers should relate to one another and within the family unit. The preceding verse, Ephesians 5:21, establishes the principle of mutual submission out of reverence for Christ. This verse then narrows the focus to the relationship between wives and husbands, drawing a parallel between their submission and the church's submission to Christ. The cultural context of the time involved patriarchal structures, and Paul's teaching, while operating within this framework, redefines authority based on Christ's model of sacrificial love and service.
Ephesians 5 24 Word Analysis
- Ὡς (Hōs): "As" or "just as." This is a comparative particle introducing the analogy.
- καὶ (kai): "and" or "also." This connective word links the first clause (the church's submission) with the second (wives' submission).
- αἱ (hai): "the" (feminine plural nominative definite article). Refers to the subject, "wives."
- γυναῖκες (gunaikes): "wives" (feminine plural nominative noun). The subject of the clause.
- τοῖς (tois): "to the" (masculine plural dative definite article). Refers to the object, "husbands."
- ἰδίοις (idiosis): "own" or "respective" (masculine plural dative adjective). Emphasizes a personal and unique relationship.
- ἀνδράσιν (andrasin): "husbands" (masculine plural dative noun). The object of submission.
- κατὰ (kata): "in" or "according to" or "throughout." It denotes manner or extent.
- πάντα (panta): "all" or "everything" (neuter plural accusative adjective). Implies a comprehensive submission within the marital context, not absolute or to the exclusion of God's higher commands.
Group Analysis:
"Ὡς καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν": "As also the wives to their own husbands." This phrase sets up the core comparison. The inclusion of "as also" ("Hōs kai") indicates a direct correspondence to the preceding concept of submission to Christ. "Idiois andrasin" ("own husbands") personalizes the submission within the marital covenant.
"κατὰ πάντα": "in everything" or "in all things." This adverbial phrase modifies the nature of the wives' submission, emphasizing its breadth. However, it is universally understood by scholars to be understood within the overarching framework of godly principles and Christ's ultimate authority. This submission is not blind obedience but a willing cooperation that aligns with divine commands and is motivated by love and respect for the husband as representing Christ's leadership.
Ephesians 5 24 Bonus Section
The term "in everything" (kata panta) does not imply absolute or blind obedience that would violate one's conscience or God's clear commands. Christian wives are to obey God rather than men, and this principle applies to the marital relationship as well. Scholars note that this passage is meant to establish a harmonious relationship rooted in mutual love and respect, with defined roles that mirror Christ's relationship with the church. The analogy highlights Christ's authority, protection, and sustenance of the church, which should guide the husband's leadership and the wife's willing partnership. This teaching also stands in contrast to contemporary pagan practices that often involved subjugation and lack of respect for wives.
Ephesians 5 24 Commentary
This verse establishes a parallel between the church's relationship to Christ and the wife's relationship to her husband within marriage. The submission of wives to their husbands is presented not as an inferiority of person, but as a functional analogy reflecting the organic order of the relationship between Christ and the church. This submission is to be comprehensive ("in everything") but always within the bounds of biblical righteousness and Christ's supreme authority. It is a reciprocal dynamic, stemming from mutual submission (v. 21) and Christ's exemplary sacrificial love for the church. The husband's leadership role is to be modeled after Christ's, which is characterized by love and care for his wife. Therefore, a wife's submission is an act of reverence for God and an expression of the covenantal bond, not a subjugation to tyrannical will.