The Meaning of Ephesians 5:22 Explained

Ephesians 5:22

KJV: Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

YLT: The wives! to your own husbands subject yourselves, as to the Lord,

Darby: Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord,

ASV: Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wives,  submit yourselves  unto your own  husbands,  as  unto the Lord. 

What does Ephesians 5:22 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Paul addressed wives first. Christian wives are to be subject ( Ephesians 5:21) to their own husbands as an expression of their submission to the Lord Jesus. Paul did not say they were to be subject to their own husbands in proportion as they are submissive to the Lord. In submitting to her husband, the wife is obeying the Lord who has commanded her to do so. In this section Paul was speaking of relationships in marriage, as the context clarifies ( Ephesians 5:22-33). He was not saying all women are to be subject to all men, nor was he saying that women are inferior to men (cf. 1 Peter 3:7).
People often misunderstand submission. It does not indicate inferiority or involve losing one"s identity and becoming a non-person. Some women fear that submission will lead to abuse and or a feeling of being used. Submission does not mean blind obedience or passivity. It means giving oneself up to someone else.
"Equality of worth is not identity of role." [1]
We live in an ordered universe in which there is authority and submission to authority everywhere (cf. Romans 13:1). Authority and submission relationships are therefore natural and necessary to maintain order. God has authority over man ( James 4:5). Man has authority over nature ( Genesis 1:28). Husbands have authority over their wives ( Ephesians 5:22). Parents have authority over their children ( Ephesians 6:1). Governors have authority over those they govern ( 1 Peter 2:13-14). Employers have authority over their employees ( 1 Peter 2:18). Spiritual leaders have authority over those they lead spiritually ( 1 Peter 5:2).
Submission means organizing voluntarily to fill out a pattern that constitutes a complete whole. The word "support" is a good synonym for the biblical concept of "submit." A wife submits to her husband when she voluntarily "organizes" herself so she can complete her husband. A good example of this is her cooperating with him when they run a three-legged race. They have to work together to succeed. Submission is essential to achieve oneness in marriage. [2]
Submission involves four responsibilities. It begins with an attitude of entrusting oneself to God. The focus of life must be on Jesus Christ. The ability to submit comes from Him (cf. 1 Peter 2:24). He is similar to the cables that enable a suspension bridge to carry out its purpose. Second, submission requires respectful behavior (cf. 1 Peter 3:1-2). This rules out nagging. Nagging is similar to having a duck nibble you to death. Third, submission means developing a godly character (cf. 1 Peter 3:3-5). Fourth, submission involves doing what is right (cf. 1 Peter 3:6). Submission should not extend to participating in conduct that is contrary to Scripture. Every Christian"s primary responsibility is to do God"s will. [3]

Context Summary

Ephesians 5:22-33 - Love Of Husband And Wife
The Apostle has been urging us to be filled with the Spirit, and now proceeds to show how Spirit-filled people should act in their homes. He has been exhorting to praise and joyfulness, and now urges that our lives, as well as our lips, should be attuned to music.
What a lofty ideal of wedded love is here! Chrysostom says: "Wouldest thou that thy wife obey thee as the Church doth Christ? Have care for her, then, as Christ for the Church." Our earthly relationships are similitudes and emblems of sacred realities, and the more we can import into the time sphere the inspiration and virtue of the eternal, the more transcendental and beautiful will they become. The Lord has taught us the utter renunciation of love. Men of the world reckon how much love they can get; the children of eternity how much they can give; but such giving always means getting back with compound interest. Notice those phrases about nourishing and cherishing. O wounded member of Christ's body, He suffers in thee, nourishes, cherishes, and will heal! [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

Greek Commentary for Ephesians 5:22

Be in subjection []
. Not in the Greek text of B and Jerome knew of no MS. with it. K L and most MSS. have υποτασσεστε — hupotassesthe like Colossians 3:18, while Aleph A P have υποτασσεστωσαν — hupotassesthōsan (let them be subject to). But the case of ανδρασιν — andrasin (dative) shows that the verb is understood from Ephesians 5:21 if not written originally. Ιδιοις — Idiois (own) is genuine here, though not in Colossians 3:18. [source]
As unto the Lord [ως τωι Κυριωι]
So here instead of ως ανηκεν εν Κυριωι — hōs anēken en Kuriōi of Colossians 3:18. [source]
Your own [ἰδίοις]
The peculiar personal relationship is emphasized as the ground of the duty. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Ephesians 5:22

Romans 7:4 That we should be joined to another [εις το γενεσται ετερωι]
Purpose clause with εις το — eis to and the infinitive. First mention of the saints as wedded to Christ as their Husband occurs in 1 Corinthians 6:13; Galatians 4:26. See further Ephesians 5:22-33. That we might bring forth fruit unto God (ινα καρποπορησωμεν τωι τεωι — hina karpophorēsōmen tōi theōi). He changes the metaphor to that of the tree used in Romans 6:22. [source]
1 Corinthians 7:27 Seek not to be loosed [μη ζητει λυσιν]
Present active imperative with negative μη — mē “Do not be seeking release” Same construction, Do not be seeking a wife. Bachelors as well as widowers are included in λελυσαι — lelusai (loosed, perfect passive indicative of λυω — luō). This advice of Paul he only urges “because of the present necessity” (1 Corinthians 7:26). Whether he held on to this opinion later one does not know. Certainly he gives the noblest view of marriage in Ephesians 5:22-33. Paul does not present it as his opinion for all men at all times. Men feel it their duty to seek a wife. [source]
1 Corinthians 7:27 Seek not a wife [μη ζητει γυναικα]
Same construction, Do not be seeking a wife. Bachelors as well as widowers are included in λελυσαι — lelusai (loosed, perfect passive indicative of λυω — luō). This advice of Paul he only urges “because of the present necessity” (1 Corinthians 7:26). Whether he held on to this opinion later one does not know. Certainly he gives the noblest view of marriage in Ephesians 5:22-33. Paul does not present it as his opinion for all men at all times. Men feel it their duty to seek a wife. [source]
Ephesians 5:28 Even so ought [ουτως οπειλουσιν]
As Christ loves the church (his body). And yet some people actually say that Paul in 1 Corinthians 7 gives a degrading view of marriage. How can one say that after reading Ephesians 5:22-33 where the noblest picture of marriage ever drawn is given? [source]
Titus 2:2 Aged men [πρεσβυτας]
See note on Philemon 1:9 for this word. For discussion of family life see also 1 Corinthians 3:18-4:1; Ephesians 5:22-6:9; 1 Timothy 5:1-6:2. For the adjectives here see note on 1 Timothy 3:2, 1 Timothy 3:8; for the substantives see note on 1 Timothy 6:11. [source]
Titus 2:5 Kind [ιδιοις]
See note on Romans 5:7. See note on Colossians 3:18; Ephesians 5:22 for the same use of ινα μη βλασπημηται — hupotassomai to be in subjection. Note idiois (their own). See note on 1 Timothy 6:1 for the same negative purpose clause (hina mē blasphēmētai). [source]
Titus 2:5 Obedient [ὑποτασσομένας]
Better, subject or in subjection. Frequent in Paul, but not often in the active voice. See on James 4:7; see on Romans 8:7; see on Philemon 3:21; and comp. 1 Corinthians 14:34; Ephesians 5:22; Colossians 3:18. [source]
1 Peter 3:1 Ye wives [γυναικες]
Without article. About wives see note on Colossians 3:18; and note on Ephesians 5:22; and note on Titus 2:4.To your own husbands (τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν — tois idiois andrasin). Ιδιοις — Idiois occurs also in Ephesians and Titus, but not in Colossians. It strengthens the idea of possession in the article τοις — tois Wives are not enjoined to be in subjection to the husbands of other women, as some think it fine to be (affinities!)Even if any obey not the word Condition of first class and dative case of λογος — logos (1 Peter 1:23, 1 Peter 1:25; 1 Peter 2:8), that is, remain heathen.That they be gained (ινα κερδητησονται — hina kerdēthēsontai). Purpose clause with ινα — hina and first future passive indicative of κερδαινω — kerdainō old verb, to gain (from κερδος — kerdos gain, interest) as in Matthew 18:15. See the future with ινα — hina also in Luke 20:10; Revelation 3:9.Without the word Probably here “word from their wives” (Hart), the other sense of λογος — logos (talk, not technical “word of God”).By the behaviour of their wives (δια της των γυναικων αναστροπης — dia tēs tōn gunaikōn anastrophēs). Won by pious living, not by nagging. Many a wife has had this blessed victory of grace. [source]

What do the individual words in Ephesians 5:22 mean?

- wives to the own husbands as to the Lord
Αἱ γυναῖκες τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ

Αἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Vocative Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
γυναῖκες  wives 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Feminine Plural
Root: γυνή  
Sense: a woman of any age, whether a virgin, or married, or a widow.
τοῖς  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἰδίοις  own 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: ἴδιος  
Sense: pertaining to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self.
ἀνδράσιν  husbands 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀνήρ  
Sense: with reference to sex.
τῷ  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Κυρίῳ  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.