The analogy between the church’s attitude toward Christ and the Christian wife’s attitude toward her Christian husband is exact. She must submit herself to her husband in everything.

In some languages there is a problem involved in the plurals to be found in the statement so wives must submit themselves completely to their husbands. In English one understands that each wife must submit herself to her own husband. But in some languages it is necessary to use what is called a distributive singular so as to make clear that it is a matter of one wife and one husband, though applicable to all such individuals. Therefore the first part of verse 24 must be translated as “and so each wife must submit herself completely to her husband” or “… must be willing to obey her husband in everything” or “… do everything that her husband tells her to do.” Or else, in some languages the absolute use of “wife” and “husband” is possible: “the wife must submit … to the husband.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .