Colossians 3:18
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
Original Language Analysis
Αἱ
G3588
Αἱ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 10
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
τοῖς
G3588
τοῖς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
4 of 10
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἰδίοις
unto your own
G2398
ἰδίοις
unto your own
Strong's:
G2398
Word #:
5 of 10
pertaining to self, i.e., one's own; by implication, private or separate
ὡς
as
G5613
ὡς
as
Strong's:
G5613
Word #:
7 of 10
which how, i.e., in that manner (very variously used, as follows)
Cross References
1 Corinthians 11:3But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.Genesis 3:16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.1 Timothy 2:12But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.Esther 1:20And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.1 Corinthians 14:34Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
Historical Context
Ancient world featured strict patriarchy where wives were property with few rights. Paul's command for wives to submit wasn't revolutionary but maintaining social order. What was revolutionary: limiting submission to "own husbands" (not all males), qualifying it "as fit in the Lord" (Christ governs the relationship), and commanding husbands to love sacrificially (v. 19). Christianity elevated women's status while maintaining ordered relationships.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you understand biblical submission—oppressive hierarchy or complementary roles reflecting Trinity?
- What does submission 'as fit in the Lord' mean practically when husband fails to lead Christ-like?
- How can churches teach this text faithfully while addressing abuse that sometimes results from distortion?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Paul addresses household relationships (vv. 18-4:1), called "household codes" (Haustafeln) in German scholarship. These weren't unique to Paul; similar codes appeared in Greco-Roman and Jewish literature, but Paul Christianizes them with "in the Lord" qualifications. "Wives, submit" (hai gynaikes, hypotassesthe, αἱ γυναῖκες, ὑποτάσσεσθε) commands voluntary self-ordering under husband's leadership.
"Unto your own husbands" limits scope—not all men, but their own husband. "As it is fit in the Lord" (hōs anēken en Kyriō, ὡς ἀνῆκεν ἐν Κυρίῳ) qualifies submission: appropriate, fitting, proper within Christian context. This isn't absolute submission (which belongs only to God) but submission as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:22), reflecting church's submission to Christ. The command assumes husband's Christ-like leadership (v. 19); where this fails, submission becomes complex.