Ephesians 5:23
New International Version
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

New Living Translation
For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.

English Standard Version
For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

Berean Standard Bible
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.

Berean Literal Bible
for the husband is head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church, He Himself Savior of the body.

King James Bible
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

New King James Version
For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

New American Standard Bible
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

NASB 1995
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

NASB 1977
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

Legacy Standard Bible
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

Amplified Bible
For the husband is head of the wife, as Christ is head of the church, Himself being the Savior of the body.

Christian Standard Bible
because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body.

American Standard Version
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because the man is the head of the woman just as The Messiah is also The Head of the church and he is The Savior of the body.

Contemporary English Version
A husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head and the Savior of the church, which is his own body.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the saviour of his body.

English Revised Version
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. It is his body, and he is its Savior.

Good News Translation
For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body.

International Standard Version
For the husband is the head of his wife as the Messiah is the head of the church. It is he who is the Savior of the body.

Literal Standard Version
because the husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ [is] head of the Assembly, and He is Savior of the body,

Majority Standard Bible
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.

New American Bible
For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body.

NET Bible
because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church--he himself being the savior of the body.

New Revised Standard Version
For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior.

New Heart English Bible
For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the savior of the body.

Webster's Bible Translation
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Savior of the body.

Weymouth New Testament
because a husband is the Head of his wife as Christ also is the Head of the Church, being indeed the Saviour of this His Body.

World English Bible
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body.

Young's Literal Translation
because the husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ is head of the assembly, and he is saviour of the body,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wives and Husbands
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.…

Cross References
1 Corinthians 6:13
"Food for the stomach and the stomach for food," but God will destroy them both. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

1 Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Ephesians 1:22
And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church,

Ephesians 5:24
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Revelation 19:7
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.


Treasury of Scripture

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.

husband.

1 Corinthians 11:3-10
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God…

even.

Ephesians 1:22,23
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, …

Ephesians 4:15
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Colossians 1:18
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

he.

Ephesians 5:25,26
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; …

Acts 20:28
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

1 Thessalonians 1:10
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

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Ephesians 5
1. After general exhortations to love;
3. to flee sexual immorality;
4. and all uncleanness;
7. not to converse with the wicked;
15. to walk carefully;
18. and to be filled with the Spirit;
22. he descends to the particular duties, how wives ought to obey their husbands;
25. and husbands ought to love their wives,
32. even as Christ does his church.














(23) For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church.--It is instructive to compare this with the partly similar passage in 1Corinthians 11:3. There "the head of the woman is the man," as here; but "the head of every man (individually) is Christ," considered in His human nature; and finally, "the Head of Christ," as the Son of Man, "is God." There, accordingly, "headship" is simple lordship; the woman is subject to the man, the man is subject to Christ alone; Christ as the Son is subject to the Father. Here, on the other hand, we note, first, that in accordance with the general idea of the Epistle, the headship of Christ over the Church at large takes the place of His headship over the individual; next, that from the idea of His headship so conceived is derived the further idea of a spiritual unity, involving self-sacrifice in the head, as well as obedience to the head; and, lastly, that since the very idea of unity in Christ is unity with God, there is nothing to correspond to the third clause in the former Epistle.

(23, 24) And he is the saviour of the body. Therefore . . .--The words "and" and "is" are wrongly inserted, and the word "therefore" is absolutely an error, evading the difficulty of the passage. It should be, He Himself being the Saviour of the Body. But . . . This clause, in which the words "He Himself" are emphatic, notes (as if in order to guard against too literal acceptation of the comparison) that "Christ" (and He alone) is not only Head, but "Saviour of the Body," i.e., "of His body the Church," not only teaching and ruling it, but by His unity infusing into it the new life of justification and sanctification. Here no husband can be like Him, and therefore none can claim the absolute dependence of faith which is His of right. Accordingly St. Paul adds the word "But." Though "this is so," yet "still let the wives," &c.

As the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.--The subjection of the Church of Christ is a free subjection, arising out of faith in His absolute wisdom and goodness, and of love for His unspeakable love. Hence we gather (1) that the subordination of the wife is not that of the slave, by. compulsion and fear, but one which arises from and preserves freedom; next (2), that it can exist, or at any rate can endure, only on condition of superior wisdom and goodness and love in the husband; thirdly (3), that while it is like the higher subordination in kind, it cannot be equally perfect in degree--while it is real "in everything," it can be absolute in nothing. The antitype is, as usual, greater than the type.

Verse 23. - For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the Head of the Church. The woman was made for the man (Genesis 2:18; 1 Timothy 2:13), showing the Divine purpose that the man should be the head and center of the household, and that the position of the wife, as wife, should be one of subordination. Parallel to this arrangement is the relation of Christ to the Church. In words, at least, all admit the headship of Christ, and the subordination of the Church to him. The Christian household, on a much lower level, should exemplify the same relation. Being himself savior of the body. This is not said by way of contrast, but still by way of parallel. The very saviorship of Christ should find an analogy in the Christian husband. The husband should be the ever-vigilant and self-denying protector, guardian, deliverer, of his family, though his saving power can never come near the high level of Christ's A husband reckless of these obligations virtually ceases to have any claim on the subjection of the wife and the family. The very comparison of the husband to the Savior implies that, while there is a certain analogy, there is a still greater contrast. This is implied in the first word of the following verse. Between the lines we read this thought: "Not that the parallel between Christ's saving function and the husband's extends to the highest things."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

[the] husband
ἀνήρ (anēr)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 435: A male human being; a man, husband. A primary word; a man.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

head
κεφαλὴ (kephalē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2776: From the primary kapto; the head, literally or figuratively.

of the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

wife,
γυναικὸς (gynaikos)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1135: A woman, wife, my lady. Probably from the base of ginomai; a woman; specially, a wife.

just
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

as
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

Christ
Χριστὸς (Christos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

[is the] head
κεφαλὴ (kephalē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2776: From the primary kapto; the head, literally or figuratively.

of the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

church,
ἐκκλησίας (ekklēsias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1577: From a compound of ek and a derivative of kaleo; a calling out, i.e. a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation.

[His]
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

body,
σώματος (sōmatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 4983: Body, flesh; the body of the Church. From sozo; the body, used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively.

[of which] He
αὐτὸς (autos)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

[is the] Savior.
σωτὴρ (sōtēr)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4990: A savior, deliverer, preserver. From sozo; a deliverer, i.e. God or Christ.


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NT Letters: Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head (Ephes. Eph. Ep)
Ephesians 5:22
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