The verse begins with the Greek adverb “in this way, in such a manner,” which may refer back to the way in which Christ loves the church (verse 25) or refer forward to “as their own bodies”; the latter seems more likely (see the same construction in verse 32). The meaning of the statement ought to love their wives just as they love their own bodies is made clear by the following verses; a husband and wife become “one flesh,” so, in effect, a husband’s love for his wife is his love for his own body. See New English Bible “In loving his wife a man loves himself.” It is possible to understand the Greek to mean “A man should love his wife as if she were his own body.” The Greek verb for ought expresses the necessity or compulsion that arises from a given set of circumstances.

As in some preceding verses it may be important in verse 28 to use a singular expression rather than a plural one because of the problem of polygamy in certain areas of the world, for example, “a man ought to love his wife just as he loves his own body” or “each man ought to love his own wife….” There may, however, be something rather unusual in the use of the same term for loving a wife and loving one’s own body. In fact, it may be necessary to use an expression such as “show deep appreciation for” or “be deeply concerned for.”

In translating the statement a man who loves his wife loves himself, it may be necessary to make somewhat more evident the inferred relationship or to use two different words for “love,” for example, “a man who loves his wife is, as it were, loving himself” or “a man who loves his wife shows real concern for himself.”

Abbott and Beare object to rendering the Greek for “as” by “as they love” (as Good News Translation, New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible translate); they contend that it means here “as being their own bodies”; so Barth, who translates “to love their wives for they are their bodies.” But it is by no means absolutely certain that this is so; no one would contend that the command “Love your neighbor as yourself,” Leviticus 19.18; Mark 12.31, means “love your neighbor as being yourself”; it means “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” If one follows this interpretation of as they love, it may be useful to translate “… to love his wife, for she is, in a sense, his own body.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .