God’s Word Translation
Ephesians 5:21
21Place yourselves under each other’s authority out of respect for Christ.
Ephesians 5:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
- New International Version (NIV)Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
- English Standard Version (ESV)submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
- New King James Version (NKJV)submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Context of Ephesians 5:21
19by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts. 20Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Place yourselves under each other’s authority out of respect for Christ. 22Wives, place yourselves under your husbands’ authority as you have placed yourselves under the Lord’s authority. 23The husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. It is his body, and he is its Savior.
Read all of Ephesians 5Ephesians 5:21 word by word
ὑποτασσόμενοι ἀλλήλοις ἐν φόβῳ Χριστοῦ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ephesians 5:21
- Ephesians 5:22Wives, place yourselves under your husbands’ authority as you have placed yourselves under the Lord’s authority.
- Genesis 16:9The Messenger of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your owner, and place yourself under her authority.”
- 1 Chronicles 29:24All the leaders and soldiers and all of King David’s sons pledged their loyalty to King Solomon.
- Romans 13:1Every person should obey the government in power. No government would exist if it hadn’t been established by God. The governments which exist have been put in place by God.
- 1 Corinthians 16:16to follow the example of people like these and anyone else who shares their labor and hard work.
- Philippians 2:3Don’t act out of selfish ambition or be conceited. Instead, humbly think of others as being better than yourselves.
- 1 Timothy 2:11A woman must learn in silence, in keeping with her position.
- 1 Timothy 3:4He must manage his own family well. His children should respectfully obey him.
- Hebrews 13:17Obey your leaders, and accept their authority. They take care of you because they are responsible for you. Obey them so that they may do this work joyfully and not complain about you. (Causing them to complain would not be to your advantage.)
- 1 Peter 2:13Place yourselves under the authority of human governments to please the Lord. Obey the emperor. He holds the highest position of authority.
- 1 Peter 5:5Young people, in a similar way, place yourselves under the authority of spiritual leaders. Furthermore, all of you must serve each other with humility, because God opposes the arrogant but favors the humble.
- 2 Chronicles 19:7May you have the fear of the Lord in you. Be careful about what you do. The Lord our God is never unjust. He is impartial and never takes bribes.”
- Nehemiah 5:9I added, “What you’re doing is wrong. Shouldn’t you live in the fear of our God to keep our enemies from ridiculing us?
- Proverbs 24:21Fear the Lord, my son. Fear the king as well. Do not associate with those who always insist upon change,
- 2 Corinthians 7:1Since we have these promises, dear friends, we need to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit and live a holy life in the fear of God.
- 1 Peter 2:17Honor everyone. Love your brothers and sisters in the faith. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Commentaries on Ephesians 5:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Submitting - one to another - Let no man be so tenacious of his own will or his opinion in matters indifferent, as to disturb the peace of the Church; in all such matters give way to each other, and let love rule. In the fear of God - Setting him always before your eyes, and considering that he has commanded you to love one another, and to bear each other's burdens; and that what you do in this or any other commanded case, you do as unto the Lord. Instead…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Submitting yourselves one to another - Maintaining due subordination in the various relations of life. This general principle of religion, the apostle proceeds now to illustrate in reference to wives Ephesians 5:22-24; to children Ephesians 6:1-3; and to servants, Ephesians 6:5-8. At the same time that he enforces this duty of submission, however, he enjoins on others to use their authority in a proper manner, and gives solemn injunctions that there…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-21Verses 15-21 Another remedy against sin, is care, or caution, it being impossible else to maintain purity of heart and life. Time is a talent given us by God, and it is misspent and lost when not employed according to his design. If we have lost our time heretofore, we must double our diligence for the future. Of that time which thousands on a dying bed would gladly redeem at the price of the whole world, how little do men think, and to what trifles they…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21Submit to one another: The verb form connects it with the command to be filled (5:18). This general instruction (compare Philippians 2:3) applies to all three relationships Paul discusses: wives and husbands (Ephesians 5:22–33), children and parents (6:1–4), and slaves and masters (6:5–9). Believers express submission not out of fear or personal gain, but out of respect for Christ.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. (Php 2:3; 1Pe 5:5.) Here he passes from our relations to God, to those which concern our fellow men. in the fear of God--All the oldest manuscripts and authorities read, "in the fear of Christ." The believer passes from under the bondage of the law as a letter, to be "the servant of Christ" (1Co 7:22), which, through the instinct of love to Him, is really to be "the Lord's freeman"; for he is "under the law to Christ" (1Co 9:21; compare Joh 8:36)…Read the comment
Topics related to Ephesians 5:21
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries