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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.
Literal Translations
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,

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.

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,

Smith's Literal Translation
For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Catholic Translations
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church. He is the Savior of his body.

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.

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.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa 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 its 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.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
for the husband is the head of the wife, as the Christ also is the head of the church; and he is the savior of the body.

Godbey New Testament
because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is also the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.

Haweis New Testament
For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church; and is himself the saviour of the body.

Mace New Testament
for the husband presides over his wife, as Christ presides over the church: and he it is that preserves the whole 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.

Worrell New Testament
because a husband is head of the wife, as Christ also is Head of the assembly; Himself the Savior of the body.

Worsley New Testament
for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and the saviour of that 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
Colossians 1:18
And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.

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.

Colossians 3:18
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

1 Peter 3:1
Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives

Genesis 3:16
To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

1 Corinthians 15:27-28
For “God has put everything under His feet.” Now when it says that everything has been put under Him, this clearly does not include the One who put everything under Him. / And when all things have been subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.

1 Timothy 2:11-13
A woman must learn in quietness and full submissiveness. / I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; she is to remain quiet. / For Adam was formed first, and then Eve.

Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Matthew 28:18
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, / that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, / and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.

Romans 12:4-5
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, / so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.

1 Corinthians 6:15
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!

John 3:29
The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

Isaiah 54:5
For your husband is your Maker—the LORD of Hosts is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.


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.














For the husband is the head of the wife
This phrase establishes a foundational principle in Christian marriage, reflecting a divinely ordained order. The Greek word for "head" is "kephalē," which implies leadership and authority. In the cultural and historical context of the Apostle Paul's time, the concept of headship was understood as a role of responsibility and care, not of domination or tyranny. The husband's headship is meant to mirror Christ's loving and sacrificial leadership over the church. This headship is not about superiority but about serving and guiding with love and humility.

as Christ is the head of the church
Here, the comparison to Christ's relationship with the church elevates the husband's role to one of spiritual significance. Christ's headship over the church is characterized by selfless love, sacrifice, and a commitment to the well-being of His people. The Greek term "Christos" refers to the Anointed One, emphasizing His divine authority and mission. This analogy calls husbands to emulate Christ's example, leading their families with grace and devotion. Historically, the church has understood this as a call to mutual respect and love within the marriage covenant.

His body
The church is described as the "body" of Christ, a metaphor that underscores unity and interdependence. The Greek word "sōma" signifies a living organism, highlighting the intimate connection between Christ and believers. Just as a body functions harmoniously with its head, so should the relationship between husband and wife be marked by unity and cooperation. This imagery also reflects the biblical teaching that believers are members of one another, called to live in harmony and support.

of which He is the Savior
This phrase emphasizes Christ's redemptive role, using the Greek word "sōtēr," meaning "Savior" or "Deliverer." It highlights the sacrificial love of Christ, who gave Himself for the church's salvation. In the context of marriage, this serves as a powerful reminder that the husband's leadership should be characterized by a willingness to sacrifice for the good of his wife, just as Christ sacrificed for the church. Historically, this has been seen as a call to husbands to prioritize their wives' spiritual and emotional well-being, reflecting the self-giving love of Christ.

(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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