Focused Passage

Ephesians 5:22-33

Walking in Love, Light, Wisdom, and Spirit-Filled Order

Paul calls believers to walk in love, reject darkness, live as children of light, walk wisely by being filled with the Spirit, and embody Christ-centered order in marriage as a sign of Christ's love for the church.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

23 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.

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

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her

26 to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

27 and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

29 Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.

30 For 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.”

32 This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

33 Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 22

Original words

- Αἱ G3588 Article - Vocative Feminine Plural Wives γυναῖκες G1135 Noun - Vocative Feminine Plural [submit] to τοῖς G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Plural your ἰδίοις G2398 Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural husbands ἀνδράσιν G435 Noun - Dative Masculine Plural as ὡς G5613 Adverb to the τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular Lord Κυρίῳ G2962 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 23

Original words

For ὅτι G3754 Conjunction [the] husband ἀνήρ G435 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular is ἐστιν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular [the] head κεφαλὴ G2776 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular of the τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular wife γυναικὸς G1135 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular - καὶ G2532 Conjunction as ὡς G5613 Adverb - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Christ Χριστὸς G5547 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular [is the] head κεφαλὴ G2776 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular of the τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular church ἐκκλησίας G1577 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular [His] τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Singular body σώματος G4983 Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular [of which] He αὐτὸς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular [is the] Savior σωτὴρ G4990 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 24

Original words

Now ἀλλὰ G235 Conjunction as ὡς G5613 Adverb the G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular church ἐκκλησία G1577 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular submits ὑποτάσσεται G5293 Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular - τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular to Christ Χριστῷ G5547 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular so οὕτως G3779 Adverb also καὶ G2532 Conjunction - αἱ G3588 Article - Vocative Feminine Plural wives [should submit] γυναῖκες G1135 Noun - Vocative Feminine Plural to their τοῖς G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Plural husbands ἀνδράσιν G435 Noun - Dative Masculine Plural in ἐν G1722 Preposition everything παντί G3956 Adjective - Dative Neuter Singular
Verse 25

Original words

- Οἱ G3588 Article - Vocative Masculine Plural Husbands ἄνδρες G435 Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural love ἀγαπᾶτε G25 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural [your] τὰς G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Plural wives γυναῖκας G1135 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural just καὶ G2532 Conjunction as καθὼς G2531 Adverb - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Christ Χριστὸς G5547 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular loved ἠγάπησεν G25 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular the τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular church ἐκκλησίαν G1577 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction gave Himself up παρέδωκεν G3860 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular . . . ἑαυτὸν G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular for ὑπὲρ G5228 Preposition her αὐτῆς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 26

Original words

to ἵνα G2443 Conjunction sanctify ἁγιάσῃ G37 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular her αὐτὴν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular cleansing [her] καθαρίσας G2511 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular by the τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Neuter Singular washing λουτρῷ G3067 Noun - Dative Neuter Singular - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Singular with water ὕδατος G5204 Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular through ἐν G1722 Preposition [the] word ῥήματι G4487 Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Verse 27

Original words

[and] to ἵνα G2443 Conjunction present παραστήσῃ G3936 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular her αὐτὸς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular to Himself ἑαυτῷ G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular as a glorious ἔνδοξον G1741 Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular church ἐκκλησίαν G1577 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular vvv μὴ G3361 Adverb without ἔχουσαν G2192 Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Feminine Singular stain σπίλον G4696 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular or G2228 Conjunction wrinkle ῥυτίδα G4512 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular or G2228 Conjunction any τι G5100 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular - τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Plural such [blemish] τοιούτων G5108 Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Neuter Plural but ἀλλ’ G235 Conjunction - ἵνα G2443 Conjunction - G1510 Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular holy ἁγία G40 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction blameless ἄμωμος G299 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 28

Original words

In the same way Οὕτως G3779 Adverb . . . καὶ G2532 Conjunction - οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural husbands ἄνδρες G435 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural ought ὀφείλουσιν G3784 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural to love ἀγαπᾶν G25 Verb - Present Infinitive Active - τὰς G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Plural their ἑαυτῶν G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural wives γυναῖκας G1135 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural as ὡς G5613 Adverb - τὰ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Plural their own ἑαυτῶν G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural bodies σώματα G4983 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural He G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular who loves ἀγαπῶν G25 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular his ἑαυτοῦ G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular wife γυναῖκα G1135 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular loves ἀγαπᾷ G25 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular himself ἑαυτὸν G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 29

Original words

Indeed γάρ G1063 Conjunction no one οὐδεὶς G3762 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular ever ποτε G4218 Particle hated ἐμίσησεν G3404 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular his ἑαυτοῦ G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular [own] τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular body σάρκα G4561 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular but ἀλλὰ G235 Conjunction he nourishes ἐκτρέφει G1625 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction cherishes θάλπει G2282 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular it αὐτήν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular just as καθὼς G2531 Adverb - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Christ Χριστὸς G5547 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular [does] καὶ G2532 Conjunction the τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular church ἐκκλησίαν G1577 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 30

Original words

For ὅτι G3754 Conjunction we are ἐσμὲν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural members μέλη G3196 Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural of τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Singular His αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular body σώματος G4983 Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular

BSB notes

  • BYZ and TR include —of His flesh and of His bones.
Verse 31

Original words

For this reason Ἀντὶ G473 Preposition . . . τούτου G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Neuter Singular a man ἄνθρωπος G444 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular will leave καταλείψει G2641 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular his τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular father πατέρα G3962 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular mother μητέρα G3384 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction be united προσκολληθήσεται G4347 Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular to πρὸς G4314 Preposition his αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular wife γυναῖκα G1135 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction the οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural two δύο G1417 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural will become ἔσονται G1510 Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural . . . εἰς G1519 Preposition one μίαν G1520 Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular flesh σάρκα G4561 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • Genesis 2:24 (see also LXX)
Verse 32

Original words

This τοῦτο G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular - τὸ G3588 Article - Nominative Neuter Singular mystery μυστήριον G3466 Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular is ἐστίν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular profound μέγα G3173 Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular but δὲ G1161 Conjunction I ἐγὼ G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular am speaking λέγω G3004 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular about εἰς G1519 Preposition Christ Χριστὸν G5547 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction - εἰς G1519 Preposition the τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular church ἐκκλησίαν G1577 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 33

Original words

Nevertheless πλὴν G4133 Conjunction - οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural each one ἕκαστος G1538 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular . . . καθ’ G2596 Preposition . . . ἕνα G1520 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular of you ὑμεῖς G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Plural also καὶ G2532 Conjunction . . . οὕτως G3779 Adverb must love ἀγαπάτω G25 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular his ἑαυτοῦ G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular wife γυναῖκα G1135 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular as [he loves] ὡς G5613 Adverb himself ἑαυτόν G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular and δὲ G1161 Conjunction the G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular wife γυνὴ G1135 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular - ἵνα G2443 Conjunction must respect φοβῆται G5399 Verb - Present Subjunctive Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular [her] τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular husband ἄνδρα G435 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.