Interpretation of the Letter to the Ephesians
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Chapter 5
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« Ὑποτασσόμενοι ἀλλήλοις ἐν φόδῳ Θεοῦ. » Οὐ γὰρ τοῖς παρανομεῖν χελεύουσιν ὑποτάσσεσθαι δεῖ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς εὐσεβείᾳ συζῶσι. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ κοινὴν τὴν πεοὶ τῆς ὑποταγῆς νομοθεσίαν προσήνεγχε, χατ᾽ εἶδο; λοιπὸν παραινεῖ τὰ κατάλληλα. «Αἱ γυναῖχες τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν ὑποτασσέσθωσαν ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ" ὅτι ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐστι χεφαλῇῆ͵ τῆς γυναιχὰς, ὡς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς χεφαλὴ τῆς Ἔχχλησίας, καὶ αὐτός ἐστι Σωτὴρ τοῦ σώματος. » Σοφῶς ἄγαν ὁ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος τέθειχε τὸ παράδειγμα. Ἱκανὸν γὰρ καὶ τὰς γυναῖχας αἰδεῖσθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας παελτχενάται, καὶ τοῖς ἀνδράσι περὶ τὰς ἰδίας γυναῖχας « ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὥσπερ ἡ Ἐχχλησία ὑποτάσσεται τῷ Χριστῷ, οὕτω καὶ αἱ γυναῖχες τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν ἐν παντί. Ὅστι γὰρ εὑσεδέσι νομοθετεῖ, δτλοῖ τὸ παράδειγμα. Οὐδεὶς δὲ τῶν τῆς εὐσεξείας τὰ οἰκεῖα προστίθησι τοῦ Θεοῦ. ὁ
« Hypotassomenoi allēlois en phodǭ Theou. » Ou gar tois paranomein cheleuousin hypotassesthai dei, alla tois eusebeią syzōsi. Kai epeidē koinēn tēn peoi tēs hypotagēs nomothesian prosēnenche, chat᾽ eido? loipon parainei ta katallēla. «Hai gynaiches tois idiois andrasin hypotassesthōsan hōs tǭ Kyriǭ" hoti ho anēr esti chephalę̄ē͵ tēs gynaichas, hōs kai ho Christos chephalē tēs Echchlēsias, kai autos esti Sōtēr tou sōmatos. » Sophōs agan ho theios ᾿Apostolos tetheiche to paradeigma. Hikanon gar kai tas gynaichas aideisthai tous andras paeltchenatai, kai tois andrasi peri tas idias gynaichas « ᾿All᾽ hōsper hē Echchlēsia hypotassetai tǭ Christǭ, houtō kai hai gynaiches tois idiois andrasin en panti. Hosti gar heusedesi nomothetei, dtloi to paradeigma. Oudeis de tōn tēs eusexeias ta oikeia prostithēsi tou Theou. ho
“Being subject to one another in the fear of God.” For one must not be subject to those who command us to break the law, but to those who live in piety. And since he set forth the general law about subjection, he next exhorts, case by case, what is fitting. “Wives, let them be subject to their own husbands as to the Lord; for the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, and he is himself the Saviour of the body.” The divine Apostle set down the example very wisely. For it is enough both to … the wives to respect their husbands, and for husbands toward their own wives … “But as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives to their own husbands in everything.” For the example shows that he is legislating for the pious. And no one of the pious puts his own things before God's.
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« Οἱ ἄνδρες 5, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖχας ἑαυτῶν, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησε τὴν Ἔχχλησίαν, καὶ ἑαυτὸν παρέδωχεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς, ἵνα αὐτὴν ἁγιάσῃ, καθαρίσας τῷ λουτρῷ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι, ἵνα παραστήσῃ αὐτὴν δ΄ ἑαυτῷ ἔνδοξον τὴν Ἔχχληαἶαν, μὴ ἔχουσαν σπῖλον, ἢ ῥυτίδα, ἢ τι τῶν τοιηύτων, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα ἢ ἀγία καὶ ἄμωμος. Οὕτως ὀφείλουσιν οἱ ἄνδρες ἀγαπᾷν τὰς ἑαυτῶν γυναῖχας, ὡς τὰ ἑαυτῶν σώματα. ν Τὴν Δεσποτιχὴν μιμήσασθε χηδεμονίαν͵ καὶ ἥνπερ αὐτὸς περὶ τὴν Ἐχχλησίαν ἐπεδείξατο, ταύτην ὑμεῖς ποιεῖσθε τῶν ὁμοζύγων. Ὁ γὰρ Δετπότῆς Χριστὸς οὐδὲ ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐτοῦ παρῃτήσατο νύμφης, ὥστε αὐτὴν ἐκχαθᾶραι, καὶ λαμπρὰν ἀποφῆναι, καὶ τὸ παλαιὸν αὐτῆς ἀποξύσαι γῖς ρας, καὶ δεῖξαι μώμὸν παντὸς ἐλευθέραν. Προσήκει τοίνυν τοῦτο καὶ ἡμᾶς περὶ αὐτὰς ἔχειν τὸ φίλτρον, καὶ ὡς οἰχείου 5 ἐπιμελεῖσθαι σώματος. Τὸ ὃ, καθαρίσας τῷ «ουτβῷ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι, ἀντὶ ποῦ, Εἰς ὄνομα Πατέρος, καὶ Υἱοῦ, καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. ΄ ᾽ « Ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναΐχα ἑαυτὸν ἀγαπᾷ. Οὐδεὶς γάρ ποτε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σάρχα ἐμίσησεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐχτρέφει καὶ θάλπει αὐτήν. » Κἄν τι πάθος περί τι γένηται τῶν μελῶν, οὐχ ἀποχόπτομεν, ἀλλὰ θεραπεύομεν τοῦτο" οὕτω καὶ ὑμᾶς, φησὶ, πρησήχει προ" ( μηθεῖσθαι τῶν γυναιχῶν. ε Καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τὴν Ἐχχλησίαν. » Ἐχτρέφων αὐτὴν καὶ θάλπων, καὶ τὸ οἰκεῖον αὐτῇ σῶμα καὶ αἷμα προσφέρων. « Ὅτι μέλη ἐσμὲν τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ἐχ τῆς σαργὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐχ τῶν ὀστέων αὐτοῦ. ν» Καθάπερ γὰρ ἡ Εὔα ἐχ τοῦ ᾿Αδὰμ ἐπλάσθη, οὕτως ἡμεῖς ἐχ τοῦ Δεσπότου Χριστοῦ" συναπτόμεθα γὰρ αὑτῷ ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι, καὶ συνανιστάμεθα, καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐσθίομεν, καὶ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ πίνομεν. ᾿λνα-. μιμνήσχει δὲ ἡμᾶς καὶ τῶν περὶ τῆςς γυναιχὸς εἰρημένων.
« Hoi andres 5, agapate tas gynaichas heautōn, kathōs kai ho Christos ēgapēse tēn Echchlēsian, kai heauton paredōchen hyper autēs, hina autēn hagiasę̄, katharisas tǭ loutrǭ tou hydatos en rhēmati, hina parastēsę̄ autēn d΄ heautǭ endoxon tēn Echchlēaian, mē echousan spilon, ē rhytida, ē ti tōn toiēutōn, all᾽ hina ē agia kai amōmos. Houtōs opheilousin hoi andres agapąn tas heautōn gynaichas, hōs ta heautōn sōmata. n Tēn Despotichēn mimēsasthe chēdemonian͵ kai hēnper autos peri tēn Echchlēsian epedeixato, tautēn hymeis poieisthe tōn homozygōn. Ho gar Detpotēs Christos oude apothanein hyper tēs autou parę̄tēsato nymphēs, hōste autēn ekchatharai, kai lampran apophēnai, kai to palaion autēs apoxysai gis ras, kai deixai mōmon pantos eleutheran. Prosēkei toinyn touto kai hēmas peri autas echein to philtron, kai hōs oicheiou 5 epimeleisthai sōmatos. To ho, katharisas tǭ «outbǭ tou hydatos en rhēmati, anti pou, Eis onoma Pateros, kai Huiou, kai hagiou Pneumatos. ΄ ᾽ « Ho agapōn tēn heautou gynaïcha heauton agapą. Oudeis gar pote tēn heautou sarcha emisēsen, all᾽ echtrephei kai thalpei autēn. » Kan ti pathos peri ti genētai tōn melōn, ouch apochoptomen, alla therapeuomen touto" houtō kai hymas, phēsi, prēsēchei pro" ( mētheisthai tōn gynaichōn. e Kathōs kai ho Christos tēn Echchlēsian. » Echtrephōn autēn kai thalpōn, kai to oikeion autę̄ sōma kai haima prospherōn. « Hoti melē esmen tou sōmatos autou, ech tēs sargos autou, kai ech tōn osteōn autou. n» Kathaper gar hē Eua ech tou ᾿Adam eplasthē, houtōs hēmeis ech tou Despotou Christou" synaptometha gar hautǭ en tǭ baptismati, kai synanistametha, kai to sōma autou esthiomen, kai to haima autou pinomen. ᾿lna-. mimnēschei de hēmas kai tōn peri tēss gynaichos eirēmenōn.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she might be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies.” Imitate the Master's care, and the care which he showed for the church, show this for your spouses. For Christ the Master did not refuse even to die for his bride, so as to cleanse her and make her bright, scrape away her old wrinkles, and show her free from every blemish. It is fitting, then, that we too should have this affection toward them, and care for them as for our own body. The words “having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” stand for “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” “He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it.” And if some ailment occurs in one of the members, we do not cut it off but heal it; so, he says, it is fitting for you too to take forethought for your wives. “Just as Christ also the church”: nourishing and cherishing her, and offering her his own body and blood. “For we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones.” For as Eve was formed from Adam, so we are from Christ the Master; for we are joined to him in baptism, and rise with him, and eat his body and drink his blood. And he reminds us also of what was said about the woman.
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« ᾿Αντὶ τούτου γὰρϑ᾽ καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὑτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὑτοῦ, καὶ προσχολλῆ' θήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν. » Τὸν πρῶτον αἰδέσθητι νόμον, ὃ; μετὰ τὴν τῆς γυναικὸς δημιουργίαν ἐτέθη, καὶ τῇ φύσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐμπέπηγε. Τοὺς γὰρ γεγεννηκότας καταλιμπάνων ὁ γάμῳ προσομιλῶν, τῇ γυ" ναιχὶ συνάπτεται, καὶ τοσαύτη συνάφεια γίνεται, ὥστε μίαν σάρχα τοὺς δύο νομίζεσθαι. Καὶ μάρτυς ὁ τοῦ γάμου καρπός " ἕν γὰρ παιδίον ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων γεννᾶται. Ὁ μέντοι θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος ἀναγνοὺς τοῦ γάμου τὸν νόμον, δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν τῷ πνευμλ: πιχῷ διαλάμπειν γάμῳ,, καὶ βοᾷ " « Τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστὶν, ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω αἷς Χριστὸ» καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἐχχλησίαν. » Καὶ γὰρ αὖτὸς τὸν ἄνω Πατέρα χαταλιπὼν, τῇ Ἐχχλησίᾳ συνἦφθη. Καταλιμπάνειν ὃὲ ἔδοξε τῷ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως λόγῳ ᾿ ἀχώριστος γὰρ ὡς θεὸς Θεοῦ, ἅτε δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπερίγραφον ἔχων τὴν φύσιν. « Πλὴν καὶ ὑμεῖς οἱ καθ᾽ ἕνα ἔχαστος τὴν ξαυτοῦ γυναῖχα οὕτως ἀγαπάτω ὡς ἑαυτόν" ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ἵνα φοδῆται τὸν ἄνδρα. » Οὐ παντελῶς, φησὶν, εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἐχχλησίαν τὸν γαμιχὸν μετέθειχα νόμον καὶ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ὑπόχεισθε τῷ νόμῳ, καὶ προσῆχει τὸν μὲν ἄνδρα, ὡς οἰκεῖον σῶμα, τὴν γυναῖχα φιλεῖν, τὴν δὲ γυναῖχα καὶ φιλεῖν καὶ δε- 'διέναι τὸν ἄνδρα. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ θεῖος παρεχελεύσατο νόμος ε Πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἡ ἀποστροφή σου, καὶ αὐτός σου χυρ!εύσει. » ᾿
« ᾿Anti toutou garϑ᾽ kataleipsei anthrōpos ton patera hautou kai tēn mētera hautou, kai proschollē' thēsetai pros tēn gynaika hautou, kai esontai hoi dyo eis sarka mian. » Ton prōton aidesthēti nomon, ho? meta tēn tēs gynaikos dēmiourgian etethē, kai tę̄ physei tōn anthrōpōn empepēge. Tous gar gegennēkotas katalimpanōn ho gamǭ prosomilōn, tę̄ gy" naichi synaptetai, kai tosautē synapheia ginetai, hōste mian sarcha tous dyo nomizesthai. Kai martys ho tou gamou karpos " hen gar paidion ex amphoterōn gennatai. Ho mentoi theios ᾿Apostolos anagnous tou gamou ton nomon, deiknysin auton kai en tǭ pneuml: pichǭ dialampein gamǭ,, kai boą " « To mystērion touto mega estin, egō de legō hais Christo» kai eis tēn Echchlēsian. » Kai gar autos ton anō Patera chatalipōn, tę̄ Echchlēsią synēphthē. Katalimpanein hoe edoxe tǭ tēs enanthrōpēseōs logǭ ᾿ achōristos gar hōs theos Theou, hate dē kai autos aperigraphon echōn tēn physin. « Plēn kai hymeis hoi kath᾽ hena echastos tēn xautou gynaicha houtōs agapatō hōs heauton" hē de gynē hina phodētai ton andra. » Ou pantelōs, phēsin, eis ton Christon kai eis tēn Echchlēsian ton gamichon metetheicha nomon kai gar hymeis hypocheisthe tǭ nomǭ, kai prosēchei ton men andra, hōs oikeion sōma, tēn gynaicha philein, tēn de gynaicha kai philein kai de- 'dienai ton andra. Touto gar kai ho theios parecheleusato nomos e Pros ton andra sou hē apostrophē sou, kai autos sou chyr!eusei. » ᾿
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Respect the first law, which was laid down after the creation of the woman and has been fixed in human nature. For one who enters into marriage, leaving those who begot him, is joined to his wife, and so great a union comes about that the two are reckoned one flesh. And the fruit of marriage is witness: for one child is born from both. The divine Apostle, however, having read the law of marriage, shows that it shines forth in the spiritual marriage too, and cries: “This mystery is great; but I speak with reference to Christ and to the church.” For he too, leaving the Father above, was joined to the church. He seemed to leave him by reason of the incarnation; for he is inseparable, as God from God, since he too has an uncircumscribed nature. “However, let each one of you also love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she fears her husband.” I have not wholly transferred the law of marriage, he says, to Christ and the church; for you too are subject to the law, and it is fitting that the husband love his wife as his own body, and that the wife both love and fear her husband. For the divine law also commanded this: “Your turning shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.”