TRV
Translation
King James Version
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Complete Jewish Bible
Why, no one ever hated his own flesh! On the contrary, he feeds it well and takes care of it, just as the Messiah does the Messianic Community,
Berean Standard Bible
Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.
American Standard Version
for no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church;
World English Bible Messianic
For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly;
Geneva Bible (1599)
For no man euer yet hated his owne flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, euen as the Lord doeth the Church.
Young's Literal Translation
for no one ever his own flesh did hate, but doth nourish and cherish it, as also the Lord--the assembly,
In the KJVVerse 29,334 of 31,102
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Commentary on Ephesians 5 verses 21–33
21 ¶ Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Here the apostle begins his exhortation to the discharge of relative duties. As a general foundation for these duties, he lays down that rule Eph 5:21. There is a mutual submission that Christians owe one to another, condescending to bear one another's burdens: not advancing themselves above others, nor domineering over one another and giving laws to one another. Paul was an example of this truly Christian temper, for he became all things to all men. We must be of a yielding and of a submissive spirit, and ready to all the duties of the respective places and stations that God has allotted to us in the world. In the fear of God, that is, so far as is consistent with the fear of God, for his sake, and out of conscience towards him, and that hereby we may give proof that we truly fear him. Where there is this mutual condescension and submission, the duties of all relations will be the better performed. From Eph 5:22 to the end he speaks of the duties of husbands and wives; and he speaks of these in a Christian manner, setting the church as an example of the wife's subjection, and Christ as an example of love in husbands.
I. The duty prescribed to wives is submission to their husbands in the Lord (Eph 5:22), which submission includes the honouring and obeying of them, and that from a principle of love to them. They must do this in compliance with God's authority, who has commanded it, which is doing it as unto the Lord; or it may be understood by way of similitude and likeness, so that the sense may be, "as, being devoted to God, you submit yourselves unto him." From the former sense we may learn that by a conscientious discharge of the duties we owe to our fellow-creatures we obey and please God himself; and, from the latter, that God not only requires and insists on those duties which immediately respect himself, but such as respect our neighbours too. The apostle assigns the reason of this submission from wives: For the husband is the head of the wife, Eph 5:23. The metaphor is taken from the head in the natural body, which, being the seat of reason, of wisdom, and of knowledge, and the fountain of sense and motion, is more excellent than the rest of the body. God has given the man the pre-eminence and a right to direct and govern by creation, and in that original law of the relation, Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. Whatever there is of uneasiness in this, it is an effect of sin coming into the world. Generally, too, the man has (what he ought to have) a superiority in wisdom and knowledge. He is therefore the head, even as Christ is the head of the church. There is a resemblance of Christ's authority over the church in that superiority and headship which God has appointed to the husband. The apostle adds, and he is the Saviour of the body. Christ's authority is exercised over the church for the saving of her from evil, and the supplying of her with every thing good for her. In like manner should the husband be employed for the protection and comfort of his spouse; and therefore she should the more cheerfully submit herself unto him. So it follows, Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ (Eph 5:24), with cheerfulness, with fidelity, with humility, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing - in every thing to which their authority justly extends itself, in every thing lawful and consistent with duty to God.
II. The duty of husbands (on the other hand), is to love their wives (Eph 5:25); for without this they would abuse their superiority and headship, and, wherever this prevails as it ought to do, it will infer the other duties of the relation, it being a special and peculiar affection that is required in her behalf. The love of Christ to the church is proposed as an example of this, which love of his is a sincere, a pure, an ardent, and constant affection, and that notwithstanding the imperfections and failures that she is guilty of. The greatness of his love to the church appeared in his giving himself unto the death for it. Observe, As the church's subjection to Christ is proposed as an exemplar to wives, so the love of Christ to his church is proposed as a pattern to husbands; and while such exemplars are offered to both, and so much is required of each, neither has reason to complain of the divine injunctions. The love which God requires from the husband in behalf of his wife will make amends for the subjection which he demands from her to her husband; and the prescribed subjection of the wife will be an abundant return for that love of the husband which God has made her due. The apostle, having mentioned Christ's love to the church, enlarges upon it, assigning the reason why he gave himself for it, namely, that he might sanctify it in this world, and glorify it in the next: That he might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water by the word (Eph 5:26) - that he might endue all his members with a principle of holiness, and deliver them from the guilt, the pollution, and the dominion of sin. The instrumental means whereby this is affected are the instituted sacraments, particularly the washing of baptism and the preaching and reception of the gospel. And that he might present it to himself, etc., Eph 5:27. Dr. Lightfoot thinks the apostle alludes here to the Jews' extraordinary carefulness in their washings for purification. They were careful that there should be no wrinkle to keep the flesh from the water, and no spot nor dirt which was not thoroughly washed. Others understand him as alluding to a garment come newly out of the fuller's hand, purged from spots, stretched from wrinkles, the former newly contracted, the latter by long time and custom. That he might present it to himself - that he might perfectly unite it to himself in the great day, a glorious church, perfect in knowledge and in holiness, not having spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing, nothing of deformity or defilement remaining, but being entirely amiable and pleasing in his eye, holy and without blemish, free from the least remains of sin. The church in general, and particular believers, will not be without spot or wrinkle till they come to glory. From this and the former verse together we may take notice that the glorifying of the church is intended in the sanctifying of it: and that those, and those only, who are sanctified now, will be glorified hereafter. - So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies, etc., Eph 5:28. The wife being made one with her husband (not in a natural, but in a civil and in a relative sense), this is an argument why he should love her with as cordial and as ardent an affection as that which he loves himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, Eph 5:29 - (no man in his right senses ever hated himself, however deformed, or whatever his imperfections might be); so far from it that he nourishes and cherishes it; he uses himself with a great deal of care and tenderness, and is industrious to supply himself with every thing convenient or good for him, with food and clothing, etc. Even as the Lord the church: that is, as the Lord nourishes and cherishes the church, which he furnishes with all things that he sees needful or good for her, with whatever conduces to her everlasting happiness and welfare. The apostle adds, For we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones, Eph 5:30. He assigns this as a reason why Christ nourishes and cherishes his church - because all who belong to it are members of his body, that is, of his mystical body. Or, we are members out of his body: all the grace and glory which the church has are from Christ, as Eve was taken out of the man. But, as one observes, it being the manner of the sacred writings to express a complex body by the enumeration of its several parts, as the heaven and earth for the world, evening and morning for the natural day, so here, by body, flesh, and bones, we are to understand himself, the meaning of the verse being that we are members of Christ. - For this cause (because they are one, as Christ and his church are one) shall a man leave his father and mother; the apostle refers to the words of Adam, when Eve was given to him for a meet help, Gen 2:24. We are not to understand by this that a man's obligation to other relations is cancelled upon his marriage, but only that this relation is to be preferred to all others, there being a nearer union between these two than between any others, that the man must rather leave any of those than his wife. - And they two shall be one flesh, that is, by virtue of the matrimonial bond. This is a great mystery, Eph 5:32. Those words of Adam, just mentioned by the apostle, are spoken literally of marriage; but they have also a hidden mystical sense in them, relating to the union between Christ and his church, of which the conjugal union between Adam and the mother of us all was a type: though not instituted or appointed by God to signify this, yet it was a kind of natural type, as having a resemblance to it: I speak concerning Christ and the church.
After this, the apostle concludes this part of his discourse with a brief summary of the duty of husbands and wives, Eph 5:33. "Nevertheless (though there be such a secret mystical sense, yet the plain literal sense concerns you) let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself, with such a sincere, peculiar, singular, and prevailing affection as that is which he bears to himself. And the wife see that she reverence her husband." Reverence consists of love and esteem, which produce a care to please, and of fear, which awakens a caution lest just offence be given. That the wife thus reverence her husband is the will of God and the law of the relation.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 21–33. Public domain.
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Pseudo-Augustine
QUESTIONS ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS 127.31
The purpose of God cannot be undone, nor can anyone make a better provision than God already has. God made the body. No workman loves another’s work better than his own. Hence the apostle says “no one hates his own flesh.”
Clement of AlexandriaAD 215
The Stromata Book 4
Wherefore also in the Epistle to the Ephesians it is written, "Subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the Church; and He is the Saviour of the body. Husbands, love your wives, as also Christ loved the Church. So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies: he that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh."
TertullianAD 220
AGAINST MARCION 5.18.9
“No one,” he says, “hates his own flesh”—excepting only Marcion, obviously—“but he nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church.” But you [Marcion] are the only one who hates it, since you deprive it of resurrection. So you also hate the church. But Christ loved the flesh, as seen in his love for the church. The point is that as no man hates his own flesh so he does not hate his own wife but indeed acts to preserve, honor and crown her.
TertullianAD 220
Against Marcion Book V
How much honour is given to the flesh in the name of the church! "No man," says the apostle, "ever yet hated his own flesh" (except, of course, Marcion alone), "but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord doth the Church." But you are the only man that hates his flesh, for you rob it of its resurrection.
Didymus the BlindAD 398
ON ZECHARIAH 1.169
When the apostle asks “whoever hated his own flesh?” what is meant by flesh? Flesh is to be taken care of, “nourished and fostered.” Flesh here refers to the body yoked to the rational soul, as is clear [from the previous verse].
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on Ephesians 20
"For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it."
That is, tends it with exceeding care. And how is she his flesh? Hearken; "This now is bone of my bones," saith Adam, "and flesh of my flesh." For she is made of matter taken from us. And not only so, but also, "they shall be," saith God, "one flesh."
"Even as Christ also the Church." Here he returns to the former example.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Ephesians 5:29 serves as a foundational declaration within Paul's instructions on Christian marriage, asserting the self-evident truth that individuals instinctively care for their own physical bodies. This natural inclination for self-preservation and nurture is then presented as the baseline standard for a husband's comprehensive and tender care for his wife, mirroring the profound and unwavering love that the Lord Jesus Christ continually bestows upon His Church. The verse thus elevates marital love to a sacred reflection of the divine-human relationship.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is intricately woven into Paul's extensive teaching on Christian household relationships, found in Ephesians 5:21-33 and Ephesians 6:1-9. Specifically, it falls within the detailed instructions for husbands and wives, which begin with the overarching principle of mutual submission in Ephesians 5:21. Paul then addresses wives' submission to their husbands in Ephesians 5:22-24, before launching into the more extensive and demanding command for husbands to love their wives. The immediate preceding verse, Ephesians 5:28, explicitly states that husbands should love their wives "as their own bodies," setting the stage for the explanatory "for" (G1063, gár) of verse 29, which then provides the rationale and illustration for this command by appealing to a universal human experience. The entire section culminates in the profound mystery of Christ and the Church as the ultimate paradigm for marriage in Ephesians 5:32.
Historical & Cultural Context: Paul's instructions on household codes (known as Haustafeln) were common in the Greco-Roman world, but his approach radically redefines them. Unlike typical ancient codes that emphasized the husband's absolute authority and the wife's subservience, Paul introduces the revolutionary concepts of mutual submission (Ephesians 5:21) and, crucially, the husband's sacrificial love modeled after Christ (Ephesians 5:25). The concept of "flesh" (G4561, sárx) in this context refers to one's physical body, which was universally understood as something to be preserved and cared for, not despised. The early Christian communities, often composed of diverse social classes and backgrounds, were called to live out counter-cultural ethics that would bear witness to the transformative power of the Gospel within the most intimate spheres of life. Paul leverages a common human experience (self-care) to illustrate a profound theological truth about Christ's love and its application in marriage.
Key Themes: This verse contributes significantly to several major themes within Ephesians and the broader Pauline corpus. It underscores the sacredness and significance of marriage as a living parable of Christ's relationship with the Church. It highlights the transformative power of the Gospel to redefine conventional social structures, particularly within the family, by rooting them in Christ-like love and self-sacrifice. The theme of Christ as the Head of the Church is implicitly reinforced, as His active "nourishing and cherishing" demonstrates His ongoing leadership and care for His body. Furthermore, the verse emphasizes the unity and interdependence within the body of Christ, illustrating how Christ's care for the Church is akin to caring for one's own body, a concept Paul develops extensively in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. Ultimately, it speaks to the practical outworking of Christian love in daily life, moving from abstract theological principles to concrete actions within the most intimate of human relationships.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device employed in Ephesians 5:29 is a powerful Analogy or Simile. Paul draws a direct comparison between three entities: a person's natural care for their own body, a husband's commanded care for his wife, and Christ's perfect care for the Church. The phrase "even as" (G2531, kathṓs) explicitly signals this comparison, establishing Christ's relationship with the Church as the ultimate model. Furthermore, the verse utilizes a form of Rhetorical Statement in its opening ("For no man ever yet hated his own flesh;"), presenting a universally acknowledged truth to build an undeniable case. This statement functions as a premise that is so self-evident it requires no further proof, thereby strengthening the imperative that follows. The use of two distinct yet complementary verbs, "nourisheth" and "cherisheth," also demonstrates Merism or Hendiatris, where two words are used to express a single, comprehensive idea of tender and holistic care.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ephesians 5:29 profoundly connects the earthly institution of marriage to the cosmic reality of Christ's relationship with His Church. It presents a theological anthropology where the human body is inherently valuable and worthy of care, reflecting God's design. More significantly, it elevates the husband's role to a Christ-like ministry, making his love for his wife a tangible expression of divine love and a witness to the Gospel. The verse underscores the active, ongoing nature of Christ's care for His people, emphasizing His continuous provision, protection, and affectionate nurture of the Church, which is His mystical body. This divine pattern transforms marriage from a mere social contract into a sacred covenant, imbued with spiritual significance and serving as a living parable of God's redemptive love.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ephesians 5:29 calls us to reflect deeply on the nature of love, care, and commitment, both within marriage and in our understanding of Christ's relationship with His Church. For husbands, it is a profound and challenging call to emulate Christ's active, tender, and selfless love. This means intentionally providing for the wife's holistic well-being—physically, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually—and creating an environment of warmth, security, and affection where she can flourish. It demands a proactive and consistent commitment to her growth and comfort, mirroring the Lord's unwavering devotion. For all believers, this verse deepens our appreciation for Christ's ongoing, intimate care for us, His Church. He does not merely save us but actively sustains, protects, and nurtures us, ensuring our spiritual health and growth. This understanding should foster greater trust, security, and gratitude in our relationship with Him, knowing that we are loved and cherished by the Lord of all.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the two words "nourisheth" and "cherisheth" in this verse?
Answer: The Greek words ektréphō ("nourisheth") and thálpō ("cherisheth") are highly significant because they describe a comprehensive and tender form of care. Ektréphō implies providing everything necessary for growth and development, like raising a child (as seen in Ephesians 6:4). It speaks to active provision and sustenance. Thálpō means to warm or keep warm, like a bird brooding over its young, or a nursing mother caring for her children (1 Thessalonians 2:7). This word conveys tenderness, affection, comfort, and protection. Together, they paint a picture of holistic love that is both actively providing and intimately affectionate, going far beyond mere duty or obligation.
How does this verse apply to single individuals or those not in a marital relationship?
Answer: While the immediate context is marriage, the underlying principles of Ephesians 5:29 have broader applications for all believers. Firstly, the verse highlights the inherent value and natural inclination to care for one's own body, which applies to everyone. Believers are called to steward their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Secondly, the verse primarily serves to illustrate Christ's profound and ongoing care for the Church. All believers, whether married or single, are part of this Church, the body of Christ, and are recipients of His continuous "nourishing and cherishing" love. Understanding this deepens our appreciation for our identity in Christ and His faithfulness to us. It also sets a standard for how all believers should care for one another within the body of Christ, fostering an environment of mutual support and tender affection (Romans 12:10).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ephesians 5:29 finds its ultimate fulfillment and meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The verse does not merely offer Christ as an example, but as the very source and ongoing reality of the "nourishing and cherishing" love that husbands are called to emulate. Christ, as the Head of the Church, His body, continuously provides for its spiritual sustenance, growth, and protection. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep (John 10:11) and continually leads them to green pastures and still waters (Psalm 23:2). His love is not a past event but an active, present reality, as He intercedes for His people (Romans 8:34) and sanctifies them, presenting the Church to Himself without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:26-27). Therefore, the husband's love for his wife is not simply a human effort but a participation in and reflection of Christ's own divine, covenantal, and self-giving love for His beloved bride, the Church, demonstrating the very heart of the Gospel within the most intimate human bond.