For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Parallel translations
- WEB For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly;
- BSB Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.
- NKJV For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
- NASB for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
- NLT No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
No one hates his own body but nourishes and cares for it, as Christ does the church. Self-care illustrates how a husband should cherish his wife.
Overview
Paul presses the analogy: just as people naturally nourish and cherish their own flesh, so a husband should care for his wife, and so Christ cares for the church. The verb 'cherishes' conveys warm, tender provision. Christ's ongoing nurture of his people is the gracious pattern for marital love.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Ezek 34:14–15I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
- Eph 5:31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
- Eccl 4:5The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
- John 6:50–58This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
- Prov 11:17The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
- Isa 40:11He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
- Matt 23:37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
- Rom 1:31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
- Ezek 34:27And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
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Christ at the center
Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.
How Ephesians 5:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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