Ephesians 5:24

Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Therefore	ἀλλ᾽ all᾽	G235	properly · conjunction
as	ὥσπερ hṓsper	G5618	just as
church	ἐκκλησία ekklēsia	G1577	a calling out · noun — nominative singular feminine
unto	ὑποτάσσεται hupotassetai	G5293	to subordinate · verb — present passive indicative, 3rd person singular
Christ	Χριστῷ Christō	G5547	anointed · noun — dative singular masculine, a title
so	οὕτως houtōs	G3779	in this way (referring to what precedes or follows) · adverb
wives	γυναῖκες gunaikes	G1135	a woman · noun — nominative plural feminine
own	ἰδίοις idiois	G2398	pertaining to self · adjective — dative plural masculine
husbands	ἀνδράσιν andrasin	G435	a man (properly as an individual male) · noun — dative plural masculine
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
thing	παντί.¶ panti	G3956	all · adjective — dative singular neuter

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Titus 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
Titus 2:9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing G…
Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of th…
Exodus 29:35 And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate th…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ephesians 5:21–end

Here the apostle begins his exhortation to the discharge of relative duties. As a general foundation for these duties, he lays down that rule Eph 5:21. There is a mutual submission that Christians owe one to another, condescending to bear one another's burdens: not advancing themselves above others, nor domineering over one another and giving laws to one another. Paul was an example of this truly Christian temper, for he became all things to all men. We must be of a yielding and of a submissive spirit, and ready to all the duties of the respective places and stations that God has allotted to us in the world. In the fear of God, that is, so far as is consistent with the fear of God, for his s…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ephesians 5:24

Therefore--Translate, as Greek, "But," or "Nevertheless," that is, though there be the difference of headships mentioned in Eph 5:23, nevertheless, thus far they are one, namely, in the subjection or submission (the same Greek stands for "is subject," as for "submit," Eph 5:21-22) of the Church to Christ, being the prototype of that of the wife to the husband. their own--not in most of the oldest manuscripts, and not needed by the argument. in every thing--appertaining to a husband's legitimate authority; "in the Lord" (Col 3:18); everything not contrary to God.

Adam Clarke on Ephesians 5:24

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.

John Gill on Ephesians 5:24

Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ,.... Her head, being wholly dependent upon him, and entirely resigned to him, and receiving all from him; from whom alone is all her expectation of provision, protection, comfort, and happiness; wherefore she has respect to all his commands, and esteems all his precepts concerning all things to be right; and yields a cheerful, voluntary, sincere, and hearty obedience to them; arising from a principle of love to him, and joined with honour, fear, and reverence of him: so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything: political, domestic, and ecclesiastic; that is consistent with the laws of God, and the Gospel of Christ.

The Church Fathers

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 would think of putting their own affairs before God.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, Interpretation of the Epistle to the Ephesians 5.24

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 to man and woman. The essential difference is that the woman is of the same nature as the man. The church, on the other hand, can participate in Christ in name but not in nature.
— Ambrosiaster, EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 5.24

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Marriage — Was instituted in Paradise when man was in innocence (Gen. 2:18-24). Here we have its original charter, which was confirmed by our Lord, as the basis on which all regulations are to be framed (Matt.…
Wife — The ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6). Monogamy was the original law under which man lived, but polygamy early commenced (Gen. 4:19), and continued to prevail…
Church, The · Subject to Christ — Subject to Christ
Family · GOVERNMENT OF — GOVERNMENT OF
Husband · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Love Of Christ, The · To his church — — To his church —
Marriage · Illustrative of: Christ’s union with his church — Illustrative of: Christ’s union with his church
Wife · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Wives · Duties of, to their husbands: To be subject to them — Duties of, to their husbands: To be subject to them

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Ephesians 5:24

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ephesians 5:21–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ephesians 5:24

Adam Clarke on Ephesians 5:24

John Gill on Ephesians 5:24

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Ephesians 5:24

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ephesians 5:21–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ephesians 5:24

Adam Clarke on Ephesians 5:24

John Gill on Ephesians 5:24

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Ephesians 5:21-27

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Ephesians 5:23-24