Ephesians 5 · Verse 28

Ephesians 5:28

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Ephesians 5:28, King James Version

Ephesians 5:28 in other translations

BSBIn the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
WEBEven so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
ASVEven so ought husbands also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his own wife loveth himself:
YLTso ought the husbands to love their own wives as their own bodies: he who is loving his own wife--himself he doth love;
DARBYSo ought men also to love their own wives as their own bodies: he that loves his own wife loves himself.
BBEEven so it is right for husbands to have love for their wives as for their bodies. He who has love for his wife has love for himself:
WebsterSo ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself.

What does Ephesians 5:28 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
28. Translate, "So ought husbands also (thus the oldest manuscripts read) to love their own (compare Note, see on Ep 5:22) wives as their own bodies." He that loveth his wife loveth himself--So there is the same love and the same union of body between Christ and the Church (Ep 5:30, 32).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. Because they are one flesh, Eph 5:31. This is the subject on which Paul had been speaking, and from which he had been diverted by the allusion to the glorified church. The doctrine here is, that a husband should have the same care for the comfort of his wife which he has. for himself. He should regard her as one with himself; and as he protects his own body from cold and hunger, and, when sick and suffering, endeavours to restore it to health, so he should regard and treat her.

He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

(1.) Because she is one with him, and their interests are identified.

(2.) Because, by this, he really promotes his own welfare, as much as he does when he takes care of his own body. A man's kindness to his wife will be more than repaid by the happiness which she imparts; and all the real solicitude which he shows to make her happy, will come to more than it costs. If a man wishes to pro- mote his own happiness in the most effectual way, he had better begin by showing kindness to his wife.

(*) "men" "husbands"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 28 As their own bodies - For the woman is, properly speaking, a part of the man; for God made man male and female, and the woman was taken out of his side; therefore is she flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone; and therefore, he that loveth his wife loveth himself, for they two are one flesh. The apostle, in all these verses, refers to the creation and original state of the first human pair.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ephesians 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…

Read the full comment on Ephesians 5:22-33 →

Ephesians 5:28 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

οὕτωςhoutōsSoG3779
ὀφείλουσινopheilousinoughtG3784
οἱhoi<the>G3588
ἄνδρεςandreshusbandsG435
ἀγαπᾶνagapanto loveG25
τὰςtastheG3588
ἑαυτῶνhe'autōntheir ownG1438
γυναῖκαςgunaikaswivesG1135
ὡςhōsasG5613
τὰtatheG3588
ἑαυτῶνhe'autōntheir ownG1438
σώματα.sōmatabodies.G4983
ὁhoThe [one]G3588
ἀγαπῶνagapōnlovingG25
τὴνtēntheG3588
ἑαυτοῦhe'autouhis ownG1438
γυναῖκαgunaikawifeG1135
ἑαυτὸνhe'autonhimselfG1438
ἀγαπᾷ·agapaloves;G25

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ephesians 5:28

  • Ephesians 5:25

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

  • Matthew 19:5

    And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

  • Genesis 2:21-24

    And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

  • Ephesians 5:33

    Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

  • Ephesians 5:31

    For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
as.
31,33; Ge 2:21-24; Mt 19:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ephesians 5:27

    That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

  • Ephesians 5:28

    So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

  • Ephesians 5:29

    For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

Read all of Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5:28 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Así también los maridos deben amar á sus mujeres como á sus mismos cuerpos. El que ama á su mujer, á sí mismo se ama.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		De même aussi, les maris doivent aimer leurs propres femmes comme leurs propres corps; celui qui aime sa propre femme s’aime lui-même.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Also sind auch die Männer schuldig, ihre Weiber zu lieben wie ihre eigenen Leiber. Wer sein Weib liebt, liebt sich selbst.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ita et viri debent diligere uxores suas ut corpora sua. Qui suam uxorem diligit, seipsum diligit.