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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.

Context of Ephesians 5:32

30for we are members of his body. 31“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

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 6:19Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
• Colossians 2:2My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,
• 1 Timothy 3:8In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.
• Psalms 45:9Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
• Isaiah 54:5For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.
• Isaiah 62:4No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married.
• John 3:29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
• 2 Corinthians 11:2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.
• Revelation 19:7Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
• Revelation 21:2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed 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