Ephesians 5:25 ►
Parallel Verses
New International Version
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
New Living Translation
For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her
English Standard Version
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
New American Standard Bible
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
King James Bible
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her
International Standard Version
Husbands, love your wives as the Messiah loved the church and gave himself for it,
NET Bible
Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Husbands, love your wives, as The Messiah also loves his church and gave himself up for her sake,
GOD'S WORD® Translation
Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.
Jubilee Bible 2000
Husbands, love your wives even as the Christ also loved the congregation {Gr. ekklesia � called out ones} and gave himself for her,
King James 2000 Bible
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
American King James Version
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
American Standard Version
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it:
Darby Bible Translation
Husbands, love your own wives, even as the Christ also loved the assembly, and has delivered himself up for it,
English Revised Version
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;
Webster's Bible Translation
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Weymouth New Testament
Married men, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself up to death for her;
World English Bible
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;
Young's Literal Translation
The husbands! love your own wives, as also the Christ did love the assembly, and did give himself for it,
Parallel Commentaries
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
5:22-33 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 a principle of holiness, and deliver them from the guilt, the pollution, and the dominion of sin, by those influences of the Holy Spirit, of which baptismal water was the outward sign. The church and believers will not be without spot or wrinkle till they come to glory. But those only who are sanctified now, shall be glorified hereafter. The words of Adam, mentioned by the apostle, are spoken literally of marriage; but they have also a hidden sense in them, relating to the union between Christ and his church. It was a kind of type, as having resemblance. There will be failures and defects on both sides, in the present state of human nature, yet this does not alter the relation. All the duties of marriage are included in unity and love. And while we adore and rejoice in the condescending love of Christ, let husbands and wives learn hence their duties to each other. Thus the worst evils would be prevented, and many painful effects would be avoided.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 25. - Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for her. The husband's duty to the wife is enforced by another parallel - it ought to correspond to Christ's love for the Church. This parallel restores the balance; if it should seem hard for the wife to be in subjection, the spirit of love, Christ-like love, on the part of the husband makes the duty easy. Christ did not merely pity the Church, or merely desire her good, but loved her; her image was stamped on his heart and her name graven on his hands; he desired to have her for his companion, longing for a return of her affection, for the establishment of sympathy between her and him. And he gave himself for her (comp. ver. 2), showing that her happiness and welfare were dearer to him than his own - the true test of deep, real love.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Husbands, love your wives,.... Which consists in a strong and cordial affection for them; in a real delight and pleasure in them; in showing respect, and doing honour to them; in seeking their contentment, satisfaction, and pleasure; in a quiet, constant, and comfortable dwelling with them; in providing all things necessary for them; in protecting them from all injuries and abuses; in concealing their faults, and covering their infirmities; in entertaining the best opinion of their persons and actions; and in endeavouring to promote their spiritual good and welfare: this love ought to be hearty and sincere, and not feigned and selfish; it should be shown in private, as well as in public: it should be chaste and single, constant and perpetual; it should exceed that which is bore to neighbours, or even to parents, and should be equal to that a man bears to himself; though not so as to hinder, and break in upon love to God and Christ: many are the reasons why husbands should love their wives; they are given to be helps unto them; they are companions of them; they are wives of covenant; they are their own wives, yea, their own bodies, their own flesh, nay, as themselves; they are their image and their glory; and especially the example of Christ, in his love to his church and people, should engage to it:
even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it: See Gill on Ephesians 5:2; the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, "his own church"; his bride and spouse, whom he betrothed to himself from all eternity, the Father having given her to him; and is no other than the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, even all the elect of God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
25. "Thou hast seen the measure of obedience; now hear also the measure of love. Do you wish your wife to obey you, as the Church is to obey Christ? Then have a solicitude for her as Christ had for the Church (Eph 5:23, "Himself the Saviour of the body"); and "if it be necessary to give thy life for her, or to be cut in ten thousand pieces, or to endure any other suffering whatever, do not refuse it; and if you suffer thus, not even so do you do what Christ has done; for you indeed do so being already united to her, but He did so for one that treated Him with aversion and hatred. As, therefore, He brought to His feet one that so treated Him, and that even wantonly spurned Him, by much tenderness of regard, not by threats, insults, and terror: so also do you act towards your wife, and though you see her disdainful and wantonly wayward, you will be able to bring her to your feet by much thoughtfulness for her, by love, by kindness. For no bound is more sovereign in binding than such bonds, especially in the case of husband and wife. For one may constrain a servant by fear, though not even he is so to be bound to you; for he may readily run away. But the companion of your life, the mother of your children, the basis of all your joy, you ought to bind to you, not by fear and threats, but by love and attachment" [Chrysostom].
gave himself—Greek, "gave Himself up."
for it—Translate, "for her." The relation of the Church to Christ is the ground of Christianity's having raised woman to her due place in the social scale, from which she was, and is, excluded in heathen lands.
Ephesians 5:25
Context
Wives and Husbands
Â…24But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,Â…