Ephesians 5:21

THE MESSAGE

Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.

King James Version (1611)
Submitting your selues one to another in the feare of God.

King James Version
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

English Standard Version
submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

New American Standard Bible
and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.

New Century Version
Yield to obey each other as you would to Christ.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Legacy Standard Bible
and being subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Berean Standard Bible
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Contemporary English Version
Honor Christ and put others first.

Complete Jewish Bible
Submit to one another in fear of the Messiah.

Darby Translation
submitting yourselves to one another in [the] fear of Christ.

Easy-to-Read Version
Be willing to serve each other out of respect for Christ.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Submitting your selues one to another in the feare of God.

George Lamsa Translation
Submit yourselves one to another in the love of Christ.

Good News Translation
Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ.

Lexham English Bible
being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ

Literal Translation
having been subject to one another in the fear of God.

Amplified Bible
being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

American Standard Version
subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.

Bible in Basic English
Letting yourselves be ruled by one another in the fear of Christ.

Hebrew Names Version
subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Messiah.

International Standard Version
And you will submit yourselves to one another out of reverence forin the fear of">[fn] Christ.Philippians 2:3; 1 Peter 5:5;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And be subject one to another in the love of the Meshiha.

Murdock Translation
And be submissive one to another, in the love of the Messiah.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Submittyng your selues one to another in the feare of God.

English Revised Version
subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.

World English Bible
subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Weymouth's New Testament
and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Be ye suget togidere in the drede of Crist.

Update Bible Version
subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.

Webster's Bible Translation
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

New English Translation
and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

New King James Version
submitting to one another in the fear of God. [fn]

New Living Translation
And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

New Life Bible
Be willing to help and care for each other because of Christ. By doing this, you honor Christ.

New Revised Standard
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Submitting yourselves one to another in reverence of Christ, -

Douay-Rheims Bible
Being subject one to another, in the fear of Christ.

Revised Standard Version
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
submittinge youre selves one to another in the feare of God.

Young's Literal Translation
subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of God.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
submyttinge youreselues one to another in the feare of God.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Be mutually obsequious with christian respect.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Be honorable and reverent to each other out of your love for Christ.

Contextual Overview

²¹ Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another. ²²Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands. ²⁵Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage. ²⁹No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That's how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become "one flesh." This is a huge mystery, and I don't pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

submitting: Ephesians 5:22, Ephesians 5:24, Genesis 16:9, 1 Chronicles 29:24, Romans 13:1-5, 1 Corinthians 16:16, Philippians 2:3, 1 Timothy 2:11, 1 Timothy 3:4, Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 2:13, 1 Peter 5:5

in: 2 Chronicles 19:7, Nehemiah 5:9, Nehemiah 5:15, Proverbs 24:21, 2 Corinthians 7:1, 1 Peter 2:17

Reciprocal: Exodus 20:12 - Honour Ruth 2:7 - I pray Proverbs 16:6 - by the Luke 2:51 - and was Acts 9:31 - and walking Acts 10:35 - feareth Colossians 1:7 - a James 4:7 - Submit

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Submitting yourselves one to another,.... Which may be understood either in a political sense, of giving honour, obedience, and tribute, to civil magistrates, since they are set up by God for the good of men, and it is for the credit of religion for the saints to submit to them; or in an economical sense; thus the wife should be subject to the husband, children to their parents, and servants to their masters, which several things are afterwards insisted on, as explanative of this rule; or in an ecclesiastic sense, so the Ethiopic version renders it, "subject yourselves to your brethren": thus members of churches should be subject to their pastors, not in the same sense as they are to Christ, the head, nor are they obliged to believe or do everything they say, right or wrong; yet honour and esteem are due to them, and submission and obedience should be yielded to their doctrines, precepts, and exhortations, when they are agreeably to the word of God; since God has set them in the highest place in the church, called them to the highest service, and most honourable work, and bestowed on them the greatest gifts; the younger members should also submit to the elder, and the minority to the majority; one member should submit to another, to the superior judgment of another, and to the weakness of another, and to the admonitions of others, and so as to perform all offices of love: and the manner in which this duty is to be performed, is

in the fear of God; which may be considered as the moving cause of submission, or, as the rule of it; submission should be on account of the fear of God, and so far as is consistent with it; and indeed, the fear of God is that which should influence and engage to every duty; and which should be before our eyes, and in exercise in our hearts, in all concerns, civil and religious: the Alexandrian copy and some others, the Complutensian edition, and the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read, "in the fear of Christ"; who is the head of the church, and King of saints, and as such to be feared and reverenced; and for his sake there should be a submission to one another; the Syriac version reads, in the love of Christ, which should constrain the saints to this duty.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Submitting yourselves one to another - Maintaining due subordination in the various relations of life. This general principle of religion, the apostle proceeds now to illustrate in reference to wives Ephesians 5:22-24; to children Ephesians 6:1-3; and to servants, Ephesians 6:5-8. At the same time that he enforces this duty of submission, however, he enjoins on others to use their authority in a proper manner, and gives solemn injunctions that there should be no abuse of power. Particularly he enjoins on husbands the duty of loving their wives with all tenderness Ephesians 5:25-33; on fathers, the duty of treating their children so that they might easily obey them Ephesians 6:4; and on masters, the duly of treating their servants with kindness, remembering that they have a Master also in heaven; Ephesians 6:9. The general meaning here is, that Christianity does not break up the relations of life, and produce disorder, lawlessness, and insubordination; but that it will confirm every proper authority, and make every just yoke lighter. Infidelity is always disorganizing; Christianity, never.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 21. Submitting - one to another — Let no man be so tenacious of his own will or his opinion in matters indifferent, as to disturb the peace of the Church; in all such matters give way to each other, and let love rule.

In the fear of God. — Setting him always before your eyes, and considering that he has commanded you to love one another, and to bear each other's burdens; and that what you do in this or any other commanded case, you do as unto the Lord. Instead of εν φοβω θεου, in the fear of GOD, εν φοβω χριστου, in the fear of CHRIST, is the reading of ABDEFG, with all others of most value; besides the Syriac, Coptic, Sahidic, AEthiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, and Itala; Basil the Great, and Chrysostom. Neither reading makes any difference in the sense.