Ephesians 5:25

Ephesians 5:25 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
• New International Version (NIV)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
• English Standard Version (ESV)Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

Context of Ephesians 5:25

23For the husband is head of the wife, as Christ is head of the church, Himself being the Savior of the body. 24But as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives should be subject to their husbands in everything [respecting both their position as protector and their responsibility to God as head of the house]. Husbands, love your wives [seek the highest good for her and surround her with a caring, unselfish love], just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify the church, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [of God], 27so that [in turn] He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy [set apart for God] and blameless.

Ephesians 5:25 word by word

Οἱ ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἑαυτὸν παρέδωκεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆςRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Husbandsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Husbandsἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435
• loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
• yourἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• wivesγυνήgunē · woman: wifeG1135
• even asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• gaveπαραδίδωμιparadidōmi · to deliverG3860
• forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Ephesians 5:25

• Ephesians 5:28Even so husbands should and are morally obligated to love their own wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
• Genesis 2:24For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
• Genesis 24:67Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah [in marriage], and she became his wife, and he loved her; therefore Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
• 2 Samuel 12:3But the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb Which he had purchased and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It ate his food, drank from his cup, it lay in his arms, And was like a daughter to him.
• Proverbs 5:18Let your fountain (wife) be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity], And rejoice in the wife of your youth.
• Colossians 3:19Husbands, love your wives [with an affectionate, sympathetic, selfless love that always seeks the best for them] and do not be embittered or resentful toward them [because of the responsibilities of marriage].
• 1 Peter 3:7In the same way, you husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way [with great gentleness and tact, and with an intelligent regard for the marriage relationship], as with someone physically weaker, since she is a woman. Show her honor and respect as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered or ineffective.
• Ephesians 5:2and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
• Matthew 20:28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin].”
• Luke 22:19And when He had taken bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
• John 6:51I am the Living Bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior], he will live forever. And the Bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh (body).”
• Acts 20:28Take care and be on guard for yourselves and for the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd (tend, feed, guide) the church of God which He bought with His own blood.
• Galatians 1:4who gave Himself [as a sacrifice to atone] for our sins [to save and sanctify us] so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father—
• Galatians 2:20I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
• 1 Timothy 2:6who gave Himself as a ransom [a substitutionary sacrifice to atone] for all, the testimony given at the right and proper time.
• 1 Peter 1:18For you know that you were not redeemed from your useless [spiritually unproductive] way of life inherited [by tradition] from your forefathers with perishable things like silver and gold,

Commentaries on Ephesians 5:25

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25Husbands, love your wives - Here is a grand rule, according to which every husband is called to act: Love your wife as Christ loved the Church. But how did Christ love the Church? He gave himself for it - he laid down his life for it. So then husbands should, if necessary, lay down their lives for their wives: and there is more implied in the words than mere protection and support; for, as Christ gave himself for the Church to save it, so husbands should…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25Husbands, love your wives - The duty of the wife is to obey; the right of the husband is to command. But the apostle would guard against the abuse of that right by enjoining the manifestation of such a spirit on the husband as would secure obedience on the part of the wife. He proceeds, therefore, to show, that the husband, in all his conversation with the wife, should manifest the same spirit which the Lord Jesus did toward the church; or, in other…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-33Verses 22-33 The duty of wives is, submission to their husbands in the Lord, which includes honouring and obeying them, from a principle of love to them. The duty of husbands is to love their wives. The love of Christ to the church is an example, which is sincere, pure, and constant, notwithstanding her failures. Christ gave himself for the church, that he might sanctify it in this world, and glorify it in the next, that he might bestow on all his members…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25-33Christian husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the church. This means loving sacrificially, for Christ gave up his life for the church (5:2; compare Colossians 3:19; 1 Peter 3:7).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2525. "Thou hast seen the measure of obedience; now hear also the measure of love. Do you wish your wife to obey you, as the Church is to obey Christ? Then have a solicitude for her as Christ had for the Church (Ep 5:23, "Himself the Saviour of the body"); and "if it be necessary to give thy life for her, or to be cut in ten thousand pieces, or to endure any other suffering whatever, do not refuse it; and if you suffer thus, not even so do you do what…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 5:25

• Atonement
• Church
• Husband
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Sanctification
• Suffering
• Wife

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Arise
• Awake
• Church
• Dear
• Ephesians, Epistle to
• Fellowship
• Flesh
• Fruit

Commentaries on Ephesians 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings