Ephesians 5:29

Ephesians 5:29 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
• New International Version (NIV)After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—
• English Standard Version (ESV)For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
• New King James Version (NKJV)For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

Context of Ephesians 5:29

27Christ himself did this to bring us to himself as a beautiful group of his people. His church would belong to him completely. It would be pure, without anything bad to spoil it. 28So husbands should love their wives, just as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife shows that he loves himself. There is nobody who hates his own body. Everyone feeds his body and he takes care of it. In the same way, the church is like Christ's body that he takes care of. 30We are like the parts of Christ's body. 31The Bible says this: ‘When a man marries, he leaves his father and his mother. Instead, God joins the man and his wife together. The two people become like one body.’

Ephesians 5:29 word by word

οὐδεὶς γάρ ποτε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σάρκα ἐμίσησεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκτρέφει καὶ θάλπει αὐτὴν καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• no manοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• ever yetποτέpote · once/whenG4218
• hatedμισέωmiseō · to hateG3404
• his ownἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• nourishethἐκτρέφωektrephō · to nourish/rearG1625
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• cherishethθάλπωthalpō · to care forG2282
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577

Cross-references for Ephesians 5:29

• Ephesians 5:31The Bible says this: ‘When a man marries, he leaves his father and his mother. Instead, God joins the man and his wife together. The two people become like one body.’
• Proverbs 11:17A faithful person helps himself with good things, but a cruel person brings trouble on himself.
• Ecclesiastes 4:5Foolish people refuse to work. They sit and they do nothing. So they become hungry and they die.
• Romans 1:31They do not understand what is right. They do not do what they have promised to do. They do not love anyone and they are not kind to anyone.
• Isaiah 40:11He takes care of his people, like a shepherd who takes care of his sheep. He picks up the young lambs and he carries them near to his heart. He carefully leads the mother sheep that have lambs.
• Ezekiel 34:14I will feed them in fields on Israel's mountains where grass grows. They will lie down in the good fields. They will eat the green grass that grows on the mountains.
• Matthew 23:37Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed God's prophets. They have thrown stones to kill other people that God has sent to you. Many times, I have wanted to bring all of your people near to me. A female bird covers her babies with her body to make them safe. But you would not let me keep you from danger like that.
• John 6:50This bread that comes down from heaven is different. Anyone who eats this bread will not die.

Commentaries on Ephesians 5:29

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 29No man ever yet hated his own flesh - And this is a natural reason why he should love his wife, and nourish and cherish her.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh - This is urged as an argument why a man should love his wife and show kindness to her. As no man disregards the happiness of his own body, or himself, so he should show equal care to promote the happiness of his wife. A sentiment similar to this is found in the classic writers. Thus, Curtius (lib. vii.) says, “Corporibus nostris quoe utique non odimus” - “We do not hate those things that pertain to our own bodies.”…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. 28-29Husbands should value and care for their wives as they do themselves. In marriage, the two become one (see 5:31). This means that caring for one’s wife is like caring for one’s own body.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2929. For--Supply, and we all love ourselves: "For no man," &c. his own flesh--(Ep 5:31, end). nourisheth--Greek, "nourisheth it up," namely, to maturity. "Nourisheth," refers to food and internal sustenance; "cherisheth," to clothing and external fostering. even as--Translate, "even as also." the Lord--The oldest manuscripts read, "Christ." Ex 21:10 prescribes three duties to the husband. The two former (food and raiment) are here alluded to in a spiritual…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 5:29

• Church
• Husband
• Jesus, the Christ

In the dictionaries

• Arise
• Awake
• Church
• Dear
• Ephesians, Epistle to
• Fellowship
• Flesh
• Fruit
• Light
• Marriage

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