5:28a
In the same way: There is implied information here. The husbands are to love their wives in the same way as Christ loved the church. If this is not clear in the translation you may want to include the implied information. For example:
In the same way ⌊that Christ loved the church⌋ so a husband should love his wife.”
husbands ought to love their wives: This means that each husband should love his own wife. In areas where there is polygamy, it may be better to use a singular subject instead of a plural. For example:
…each man should love his own wife as he loves his own body.
This fits well with the singular verb (loves himself) that follows in 5:28b.
as their own bodies: These words mean that a husband should love his wife just like he loves his own body. When Paul says that a husband loves his own body, he means that he does things to protect himself from harm. He wants to survive, and so he does what helps him survive and live well. (as mentioned in 5:29a). If it is not natural in your language to talk about loving your body, you can translate this as:
as he loves himself (Contemporary English Version)
5:28b
He who loves his wife loves himself: There is implied information here. Paul is making a comparison by referring back to the metaphor of 5:23: The husband is the head of his wife just as Christ is the head of the church. Using that metaphor, Paul reminds the Ephesians that a husband is united to his wife in the same way that Christ is united to the church. So, figuratively, the wife is the “body” of her husband just as the church is the “body” of Christ.
In translating this sentence, it may be helpful to show that Paul is making a comparison. For example:
When a man loves his wife, it is like he loves himself too.
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