5:23a

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason that wives are to submit to their husbands (5:22). In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder 5:22 and 5:23. For example:

23a The husband is the head of the wife…. That is the reason why 22 wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

the husband is the head of the wife: The word head is a metaphor here, as in other places in Ephesians. This means that the husband is the “leader” or “chief” of the wife, or he has authority over the wife. Some languages use the word head in this sense. For example, the village chief may be called the “head of the village.” But in many languages, it is confusing or means little to say, the husband is the head of the wife. If it will make the meaning clearer in your language, you could translate it:

A husband is ⌊like⌋ the head, ⌊for he has authority⌋ over his wife.
-or-
It is the husband who has authority over the wife.

The full meaning of the metaphor can be explained like this: “In a human body, the part on top that rules the body is the head. In the same way, the husband is like the head, because he has authority over his wife.” But you will probably not want to make all of this explicit in your translation.

In some languages, you cannot say “the husband” or “the wife,” these words must take a possessive form:

her husband
-or-

his wife
-or-
a woman’s husband

5:23b

as Christ is the head of the church, His body: There are two comparisons here: Christ is like the head of the church, and the church is like the body of Christ. Just as in our human body the head is the part that is on top and that rules the rest of our body, so also Christ rules over the church, that is, his people.

If the people in your area would not understand this comparison, you can translate it as:

Christ is the leader of the church, which belongs to Him.

This metaphor (Christ is the head, the church is His body) is also found in 1:22–23, 4:12, 4:15–16 and 5:30. You will want to translate it in a similar way in all these places.

the church: The church is the group of all believers in Christ throughout the world. In the New Testament, the word church does not refer to a building. See how you translated church in 1:22b, 3:10a, 3:21b. Also see church in the Glossary for more information.

His body: The phrase His body refers to the church. See how you translated this metaphor in 1:23a and 4:4a, 4:12b, and 4:16a.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

his people are like a body
-or-
his people who are united to him like his body is united to his head
-or-
those who belong to him
-or-
his people/disciples/followers

5:23c

of which He is the Savior: The Greek text that the Berean Standard Bible translates as of which He is the Savior is literally “and he-himself ⌊is⌋ the savior of the body.” This refers to Christ only, and not to husbands. You may want to make this clear in your translation. One way to do this is to make this clause a separate sentence in your translation:

Christ is the Savior
-or-
Christ is the one who saves his people
-or-
This same Christ rescues his people ⌊from their sins⌋

See save, Word 3 in the Glossary for more information.

General Comment on 5:23a–b

Here are some other ways to translate this verse:

The husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. It is his body, and he is its Savior. (God’s Word)
-or-
A husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head and the Savior of the church, which is his own body. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. (New Living Translation (2004))

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