Ephesians · Chapter 5 · Love

Ephesians 5:25 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Love is the centre of Scripture's story. Read this one slowly.

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Topics #love #marriage

Read in chapter context · Ephesians 5

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;"

KJV · King James Version

"Husbands435, love25 your1438 wives1135, even as2531 Christ5547 also2532 loved25 the church1577, and2532 gave3860 himself1438 for5228 it846;"

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses church, while the WEB renders these as assembly. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Ephesians 5:25 in Ephesians 5

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Ephesians 5:25 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Ephesians 5. Read the full chapter →

v.23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body.
v.24 But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.
v.25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;
v.26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
v.27 that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without defect.

Book background

About the Book of Ephesians

Testament: New Testament
Genre: Pauline epistle
Author: Paul
Date written: c. 60–62 AD
Audience: The church at Ephesus (and likely a circular letter)
Chapters: 6

Ephesians is Paul's soaring meditation on the Christian's identity in Christ — chosen before creation, saved by grace through faith (2:8-9), united in one new humanity, called to walk in love, and equipped with the armour of God for spiritual warfare. Chapter 5 contains the classic teaching on marriage as a picture of Christ and the church.

Setting: Written from Roman imprisonment.

Key themes: unity · grace · church · spiritual warfare · identity

Read Ephesians from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Ephesians 5:25

Ephesians 5:25 contains 17 words in 4 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

1

Husbands

H
2

love your wives

LYW
3

even as Christ also loved the assembly

EACALT
4

and gave himself up for it;

AGHUFI

Frequently asked

FAQ about Ephesians 5:25

What does Ephesians 5:25 say?

Ephesians 5:25 reads: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;" — from the New Testament, Ephesians (Pauline epistle). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is Ephesians 5:25 in?

Ephesians 5:25 is in the book of Ephesians, traditionally attributed to Paul and written around c. 60–62 AD. Ephesians is pauline epistle in the New Testament, originally addressed to The church at Ephesus (and likely a circular letter). Best known for "by grace you have been saved through faith" and the armour of God.

What is Ephesians 5:25 about?

Ephesians 5:25 is primarily a Bible verse about Love, with related themes including Marriage. Within Ephesians, Ephesians is Paul's soaring meditation on the Christian's identity in Christ — chosen before creation, saved by grace through faith (2:8-9), united in one new humanity, called to walk in love, and equipped with the armour of God for spiritual warfare. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between Ephesians 5:25 in WEB and KJV?

Ephesians 5:25 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "Husbands435, love25 your1438 wives1135, even as2531 Christ5547 also2532 loved25 the church1577, and2532 gave3860 himself1438 for5228 it846;". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is Ephesians 5:25?

Ephesians 5:25 is 17 words in the WEB translation (94 characters), broken into 4 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 5 seconds.

How can I memorise Ephesians 5:25?

To memorise Ephesians 5:25, split it into its 4 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does Ephesians 5:25 matter in Ephesians?

How can I apply Ephesians 5:25 today?

Many readers use Ephesians 5:25 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Ephesians 5:25 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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