Ephesians 5:22

Ephesians 5:22. Wives, submit yourselves, etc. The verb rendered ‘submit yourselves' must be supplied, from the general statement of Ephesians 5:21. In fact nearly all of our Greek manuscripts contain the word in different forms and positions. Most modern editors rightly reject it, since in addition to these variations and the testimony of the Vatican Codex, Jerome expressly states that it was not found in the Greek copies of his day. The exhortation to ‘wives' comes first, in accordance with Ephesians 5:21.

Your own husbands. ‘ Own' emphasizes the peculiar and tender personal relation on which the duty rests.

As to the Lord; Christ. The meaning is not,' as the Church yields to Christ,' nor yet, ‘as you yield to Christ,' but rather, ‘regard your duty to your husbands as duties to the Lord,' The verses which follow plainly point to this sense. The duty is made to rest as a Christian basis, is to be rendered in a Christian spirit from a Christian motive. When it becomes a burden, or is neglected, the failure has usually been in not regarding it in this aspect