Ephesians 5:24

Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In everything - In everything which is not contrary to the will of God; see the notes on Ephesians 5:23.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

24. Therefore—Translate, as Greek, "But," or "Nevertheless," that is, though there be the difference of headships mentioned in Eph 5:23, nevertheless, thus far they are one, namely, in the subjection or submission (the same Greek stands for "is subject," as for "submit," Eph 5:21, 22) of the Church to Christ, being the prototype of that of the wife to the husband.

their own—not in most of the oldest manuscripts, and not needed by the argument.

in every thing—appertaining to a husband's legitimate authority; "in the Lord" (Col 3:18); everything not contrary to God.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

As the church is subject to Christ, viz. with cheerfulness, chastity, humility, obedience, &c.

So let the wives be to their own husbands; in imitation of the church’s subjection to Christ, as a pattern of their subjection to their husbands.

In every thing; understand, to which the authority of the llusband extends itself.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ,.... Her head, being wholly dependent upon him, and entirely resigned to him, and receiving all from him; from whom alone is all her expectation of provision, protection, comfort, and happiness; wherefore she has respect to all his commands, and esteems all his precepts concerning all things to be right; and yields a cheerful, voluntary, sincere, and hearty obedience to them; arising from a principle of love to him, and joined with honour, fear, and reverence of him:

so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything: political, domestic, and ecclesiastic; that is consistent with the laws of God, and the Gospel of Christ.

Geneva Study Bible

{11} Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

(11) The conclusion of the wives' duties towards their husbands.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Ephesians 5:24. ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἡ ἐκκλησία ὑποτάσσεται τῷ Χριστῷ, οὕτως καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν ἐν παντί: nevertheless as the Church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be subject to their husbands in everything. For ἀλλʼ the best editors give ἀλλά. For the ὥσπερ of the TR, supported by [624]3[625] [626] and most cursives, read (with LTTrWHRV) ὡς, which is found in [627] [628] [629]*[630] [631], 17, 672, etc. But B omits it. The ἰδίοις inserted by TR (after [632] [633]3[634] [635] [636] and various Versions, etc.) before ἀνδράσιν is wanting in [637] [638] [639]*[640], 17, 672, etc., and should be deleted. It has crept in probably from Ephesians 5:22. The question here is as to the force of the ἀλλά. Some suppose a suppressed negation before it, e.g., “be not disobedient,” “do not disallow the marital headship, but,” etc. (Eadie). Others give it a resumptive force (Harl., etc.). But the supposed digression, which can only be the brief clause αὐτὸς σωτὴρ τοῦ σώματος, requires no such resumption. Others give it a certain syllogistic force, understanding it to introduce a proof of the preceding statement, presenting the relation in a new light, or an inference from the statement (De Wette, Olsh.); but ἀλλά does not draw conclusions like οὖν, nor is it = ὥστε, although it may introduce a minor proposition; cf. Win.-Moult., p. 291; Hartung, Partikl., ii., p. 384. Others make it = “but then, which is the main thing,” etc., supposing Ephesians 5:24 to give a second proof of the fact that wives should be obedient to their husbands as to the Lord—a proof drawn from the position held by Christ and by the husband, viz., that of being head (Win.-Moult., p. 565). This, however, would be expressed rather by δέ than by ἀλλά, the former being the particle that in opposing also continues and connects, adding something distinct from what has preceded, while the latter has the full opposing significance, disannulling or discounting something mentioned before (Win.-Moult., p. 551). The ἀλλά, therefore, must have its full adversative force, and is best rendered “nevertheless,” “for all that”. The twenty-fourth verse thus looks to the peculiarity mentioned as belonging to Christ’s headship in distinction from the husband’s, viz., the fact that He is not only Head, but Saviour. And the idea becomes this—“Christ indeed is Saviour of the body, and that the husband is not; nevertheless the question of obedience is not affected thereby; for all that, as the Church is subject to Christ, so too are wives to be subject to their husbands” (so subst. Calv., Beng., Mey., Ell., Alf., etc.). In the οὕτως clause ὑποτασσέσθωσαν, “let the wives be subject,” as in RV text and according to most commentators, or better, ὑποτάσσονται, “so are the wives also” (as in RV marg.), is to be supplied from the preceding ὑποτάσσεται. The ἐν παντί naturally means in everything pertaining to the marriage-relation.

[624] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[625] Codex Mosquensis (sæc. ix.), edited by Matthæi in 1782.

[626] Codex Angelicus (sæc. ix.), at Rome, collated by Tischendorf and others.

[627] Codex Sinaiticus (sæc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.

[628] Codex Alexandrinus (sæc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).

[629] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[630] Codex Boernerianus (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., at Dresden, edited by Matthæi in 1791. Written by an Irish scribe, it once formed part of the same volume as Codex Sangallensis (δ) of the Gospels. The Latin text, g, is based on the O.L. translation.

[631] Codex Porphyrianus (sæc. ix.), at St. Petersburg, collated by Tischendorf. Its text is deficient for chap. Ephesians 2:13-16.

[632] Codex Alexandrinus (sæc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).

[633] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[634] Codex Mosquensis (sæc. ix.), edited by Matthæi in 1782.

[635] Codex Angelicus (sæc. ix.), at Rome, collated by Tischendorf and others.

[636] Codex Porphyrianus (sæc. ix.), at St. Petersburg, collated by Tischendorf. Its text is deficient for chap. Ephesians 2:13-16.

[637] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[638] Codex Sinaiticus (sæc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.

[639] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[640] Codex Boernerianus (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., at Dresden, edited by Matthæi in 1791. Written by an Irish scribe, it once formed part of the same volume as Codex Sangallensis (δ) of the Gospels. The Latin text, g, is based on the O.L. translation.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

24. Therefore] Translate, certainly, But. The Apostle has guarded the husband s headship from undue comparison with the Lord’s; but now he enforces its true likeness to it.

their own] There is an emphasis in “own”; a suggestion at once of a holy limit, as against wandering loves, and of the fact that not only does the wife belong to the husband, but the husband to the wife (Monod).

in every thing] In all relations and interests. This great rule will always, of course, be over-ruled by supreme allegiance to Christ; but its spirit will never be violated in the Christian home.

Bengel's Gnomen

Ephesians 5:24. Ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ, but as) The antithesis is, husbands, wives.—ὑποτάσσεται, is subject) Supply here also [from the end of the verse], in every thing.—αἱ γυναῖκες, let wives) be subject [be subordinate].

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 24. - But [it exists so far as to enforce this exhortation] as the Church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their husbands in everything. Let there be a subjection in the one case parallel to that in the other, for such is the Divine will and purpose. Any subjection due to the husband must be modified by what is due to God, for as the husband may not require for himself, so the wife may not give to him, what is God's: God's will is paramount over all. Of the three wills that may be in collision, viz. God's, the husband's, and the wife's - the duty of the wife is to take them in this order, having regard first to God's, next to her husband's, and last to her own. Ephesians 5:24

Vincent's Word Studies

Therefore (ἀλλὰ)

Rev, correctly, but. Offsetting the relation of savior. The comparison does not hold in respect of salvation, but it does hold in respect of subjection.