Ephesians 5:32

Ephesians 5:32 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
• New International Version (NIV)This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
• English Standard Version (ESV)This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
• New King James Version (NKJV)This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Context of Ephesians 5:32

30We are parts of his body. 31That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will be one. This is a great mystery. (I’m talking about Christ’s relationship to the church.) 33But every husband must love his wife as he loves himself, and wives should respect their husbands.

Ephesians 5:32 word by word

τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστίν, ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• a greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• mysteryὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• mysteryμυστήριονmustērion · mysteryG3466
• butδέde · thenG1161
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• speakλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• concerningεἰςeis · towardG1519
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577

Cross-references for Ephesians 5:32

• Ephesians 6:19Also pray that God will give me the right words to say. Then I will speak boldly when I reveal the mystery of the Good News.
• Colossians 2:2Because they are united in love, I work so that they may be encouraged by all the riches that come from a complete understanding of Christ. He is the mystery of God.
• 1 Timothy 3:8Deacons must also be of good character. They must not be two-faced or addicted to alcohol. They must not use shameful ways to make money.
• Psalms 45:9The daughters of kings are among your noble ladies. The queen takes her place at your right hand and wears gold from Ophir.
• Isaiah 54:5Your husband is your maker. His name is the Lord of Armies. Your defender is the Holy One of Israel. He is called the God of the whole earth.
• Isaiah 62:4You will no longer be called Deserted, and your land will no longer be called Destroyed. But you will be named My Delight, and your land will be named Married. The Lord is delighted with you, and your land will be married.
• John 3:29“The groom is the person to whom the bride belongs. The best man, who stands and listens to him, is overjoyed when the groom speaks. This is the joy that I feel.
• 2 Corinthians 11:2I’m as protective of you as God is. After all, you’re a virgin whom I promised in marriage to one man—Christ.
• Revelation 19:7Let us rejoice, be happy, and give him glory because it’s time for the marriage of the lamb. His bride has made herself ready.
• Revelation 21:2Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, dressed like a bride ready for her husband.

Commentaries on Ephesians 5:32

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 32This is a great mystery - · This mystery is great. Sacramentum hoc magnum est; this sacrament is great. - Vulgate. And on the evidence of this version the Church of Rome has made matrimony a sacrament, which, as they use it, is no meaning of the original. By mystery, here, we may understand a natural thing by which some spiritual matter is signified, which signification the Spirit of God alone can give. So, here, the creation and union of Adam and Eve…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 32This is a great mystery - The Latin Vulgate translates this, “sacramentum hoc magnum est” - “this is a great sacrament” - and this is the proof, I suppose, and the only proof adduced by the papists that marriage is a “sacrament.” But the original here conveys no such idea. The word “mystery” - ́ mustērion- means something which is concealed, hidden, before unknown; something into which one must be “initiated” or instructed before he can understand it. It…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. 32This mystery is profound: Both the unity of husband and wife and the unity of Christ and the church are a great mystery(see study note on 1:8–10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3232. Rather, "This mystery is a great one." This profound truth, beyond man's power of discovering, but now revealed, namely, of the spiritual union of Christ and the Church, represented by the marriage union, is a great one, of deep import. See on Ep 5:30. So "mystery" is used of a divine truth not to be discovered save by revelation of God (Ro 11:25; 1Co 15:51). The Vulgate wrongly translates, "This is a great sacrament," which is made the plea by the…Read the comment

Topics related to Ephesians 5:32

• Church
• Fellowship
• Husband
• Marriage
• Righteous

In the dictionaries

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

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