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Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;

World English Bible · Public Domain

Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;

  • TYNDALE Tyndale New Testament (1534)

    Husbandes love youre wyves even as Christ loved the congregacion and gave him silfe for it

  • GNV Geneva Bible (1599)

    Husbands, loue your wiues, euen as Christ loued the Church, and gaue himselfe for it,

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Examined in Scripture Analysis

Contradictions (1)

Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.

  • Is it okay to hate your relatives?

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Cross-references (19)

Passages linked to Ephesians 5:25 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.

  • 1 Peter 3:7 You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
  • Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them.
  • Ephesians 5:28 Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
  • Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.
  • Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
  • Ephesians 5:2 Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.
  • Galatians 1:4 who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—
  • Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.
  • Proverbs 5:18-19 Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe and a graceful deer— let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love.
  • Matthew 20:28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
  • Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood—
  • Revelation 5:9 They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,
  • Genesis 24:67 Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
  • Acts 20:28 Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.
  • 2 Samuel 12:3 but the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up together with him, and with his children. It ate of his own food, drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him.
  • Luke 22:19-20 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
  • John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
  • 1 Timothy 2:6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony in its own times,
  • 1 Peter 1:18-21 knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ, who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in this last age for your sake, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

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Explain this verse (21 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 25. Husbands, love your wives. From husbands, on the…

25. Husbands, love your wives. From husbands, on the other hand, the apostle requires that they cherish toward their wives no ordinary love; for to them, also, he holds out the example of Christ, — even as Christ also loved the church. If they are honored to bear his image, and to be, in some measure, his representatives, they ought to resemble him also in the discharge of duty.

And gave himself for it. This is intended to express the strong affection which husbands ought to have for their wives, though he takes occasion, immediately afterwards, to commend the grace of Christ. Let husbands imitate Christ in this respect, that he scrupled not to die for his church. One peculiar consequence, indeed, which resulted from his death, — that by it he redeemed his church, — is altogether beyond the power of men to imitate.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain The husbands’ duty towards their wives, is to love…
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved…
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain The apostle having propounded the wife’s duty first, recommends…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain That he might present it to himself a glorious…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Even as Christ loved the church - Here is…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 25. Husbands, love your wives] Here is a…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Eph 5:25. The apostle now proceeds to speak of…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Husbands, love your wives - The duty of the…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain "Thou hast seen the measure of obedience; now hear…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 25. Christ… gave himself—As for the wives St. Paul…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 25. Husbands] Here the instruction is equally precise and…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (25) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved…
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved…
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 25–27. Husbands, love your wives. We have here not…
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain 25. “Husbands love your wives with Divine love, as…
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain even as Christ
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 5:25-33 Christian husbands are to love their wives just…

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