Go here:
http://biblos.com/ephesians/5-33.htm
and scroll down to the interlinear translation (its the same as the title of this post)
I believe that is an honest translation which takes the God breathed Greek word at face value
Is it comfortable? Does it fit the tradition? Do we like it?
Maybe not. But I believe God has good reason for His instructions to wives, and I don’t believe it is merely a relic of a bygone era where wives were chattel. Its truth and timeless.
Bible translations are translations. The God breathed Word was originally given in Greek and Hebrew. As for the duty God imposes upon wives toward husbands in Eph 5:33, a look at the Greek is revealing.
Nevertheless __ let every one __ of you in particular “>so love his wife even as himself and the wife see that she reverence her husband Eph 5:33 KJV
The Greek word there is phobētai: she fear — 5399: to put to flight, to terrify, frighten — Verb – Present Middle Subjunctive – Third Person Singular
Every other place this phobeo verb and its conjugations are used in the AV and the NAS, the word is translated some form of “fear”, “to be afraid”, etc. ONLY when it comes to marriage is it suddenly rendered “reverence”. I don’t buy it; I suspect (male?) translator bias…
In the context of NT teaching, its paradoxical because Paul instructs husbands to agapatō (shall love — 25: to love — Verb – Present Active Imperative – Third Person Singular) and John explains that “perfect love casteth out fear” 1 John 4:18
It always amazes me when you remind me of this.
Sometimes I really wonder what was going through Paul’s head when he wrote these things.
I know what goes through mine.
Someone said when they asked men what they feared most from women, it was that they feared being laughed at.
When the same person asked women what they feared most from men, it was that they feared being killed.
Greetings,
going through, reading the Women for Women for International ‘blog’ this morning, while pondering the catching up work that I’ll need to do, in getting back to advocacy and support for WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS, since I came back to Christ and had ’shelved’ until now,
some of the blog entries are painful, like some of the visits to Bosnia, a nation where the pain of thousands of women were were brutally raped and thousands without mercy killed, a land that still, women are scarred, yet surviving THANKS TO WOMEN HELPING WOMEN [not churches--that speaks volumes and don't think I'm not a tad ready to walk away from faith all together, for now I'm leaving it alone, don't want to think of following any 'male' right now]
and it reminded me, of when I once advocated on behalf of the people in Bosnia, years ago…it was painful then…still is reading,
and then I read a few other blog entries, and came across this one, a reply to some man, who said, typical what WE HEAR SO MANY CHRISTIAN PATRIARCHS HERE IN AMERICA SPOUTING OFF, about women have no right to be ANGRY since there are a ‘few good men’, in response to WOMEN BEING RAPED WITH IMPUNITY BY MEN IN CONGO–A NATION, BTW, 80% CHRISTIAN,
and this woman replied, brilliantly, with truth, harsh but OH SO RIGHT ON THE NAIL….and EVERY WOMAN HERE, NEEDS TO READ THIS,
PRINT IT UP, FRAME IT, HANG IT ON A WALL–SEND IT TO YOU PASTORS, SEND IT EVERYWHERE,
every excuse for ‘blaming women’ for man’s crap, here hiding behind might…we could say, MEN WHO HIDE BEHIND ‘GOD’
can be answered with this one woman’s reply:
Word Citizen Says:
February 26, 2009 at 1:54 pm | Reply
Hi, Olakitike;
I appreciate your response. However, I don’t think anything in my own post suggested, far less categorically stated in so many words, that ” women have no responsibility at all in the course society has taken.” That would be to agree with Men’s mental and social construction of Woman as a “thing-ified” sub-human nonentity, to be controlled/abused under the guise of being “cared” for.
To the contrary, it is my unshakeable belief that Women have a responsibility FIRST – to themselves, by dint of the sub-humanised lives that Men have forced them to live within this same society, and only thereafter to anyone, or anything else.
It is quite simple, really: when engaged in any War (at least any that one hopes to win, and not merely tediously go-through the motions of fighting!) the Warrior must concentrate their whole focus and energies on the complete scope and ambit which informs that particular battle. For example, Women in Africa and their empathetic sisters the world over, cannot – sensibly, try to fight against the continued atrocities committed by African militants in the Congo, without DE-COMPARTMENTALIZING THE MALE FROM THE MALE-WARRIOR. The MAN FROM THE HUMAN BEING.
To elucidate further: Whether it would have been through eagerly signing up for service, or reprehensibly being kidnapped as children and forced into service, let us HONESTLY examine what EXACTLY determines HOW, WHAT and WHY – for example, the Congolese Militant will commit the atrocities that he has been so callously engaged in, and – to date, appears to show no sign of ceasing – certainly NOT OF HIS OWN FREE WILL, but only if/when stopped by a bullet.
And I use the CONGOLESE MILITANT here as my example, in exactly the SAME DENUNCIATORY MANNER that I would cite the actions of EUROPEAN BRUTES such as: the atrocities committed by the BOSNIAN-SERB under the guise of fighting Balkanist-state wars, where the first order of business appeared to be the seizure of former Hotels, Schools, Churches and subsequent make-over into sex dungeons within which their once former sisters/wives/daughters/mothers were sexually savaged. In much the same way as the WORLD’S BLACK & WHITE MEN temporarily suspend – if not dispel altogether, their individual racial, national or other ideological differences to become JOINED-AT-THE-LOINS when it comes to controlling and brutalising the World’s Women, so too we can add the ASIAN JAPANESE, who similarly used/abused the Bodies of their own female citizenry as “Comfort Women” during the Brute-Beast Happy Hour that is – really – all that Men DELIBERATELY CREATE THEIR WARS TO BE.
Hence, when I cite the SUB-HUMAN, SHAMEFUL, BRUTISH ACTS of the African Congolese, they are in fact LITERALLY KINDRED-BRUTISH ACTS OF A RACIAL BRUTE-BROTHERHOOD AROUND THE GLOBE. Acts focussed upon UNIVERSALLY SELECTING WOMEN AND HER CHILDREN AS PRIME VICTIM. Acts committed by MEN wearing, or more factually HIDING-BEHIND THE UNIFORM/MASK OF THE WARRIOR, in a CALCULATED BID to protect THEIR OWN LIVES AND FUTURES! TO RE-ENTER “CIVILIZATION” WITHOUT BLAME OR SHAME, AFTER THEIR BESTIAL BEHAVIOURS!
But WHY should either MAN or WARRIOR expect such a rarified existence? WHAT rationale can he submit to benefit thus? After all, was he NOT – BEFORE HE CHOOSE TO BECOME A WARRIOR – FIRST – A HUMAN BEING, LIVING AMONG OTHER HUMAN BEINGS? FIRST – A CHERISHED BOY-CHILD? FIRST – A, FAITHFUL FRIEND? FIRST – A CARING NEIGHBOUR…LOVING HUSBAND….ALL REAL AND VIABLE MODES OF LIVING AND BEING, BEFORE HE DELIBERATELY TOOK-UP ARMS, AND IN SO DOING, DELIBERATELY LET-GO OF HIS OWN HUMANITY, AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS AS A HUMAN BEING?!?
So, Olakitike, when you say: [QUOTE:] “…The truth is that there are good men…” [UN-QUOTE], you speak – as you are entitled to, MERELY of OTHER, NON-ABUSIVE MEN that you know. Hence, I do not accept that these – real and honourable examples though they are, ARE or SHOULD IN ANY WAY NEGATE THE VAST MAJORITY THAT CHOOSE TO LIVE THEIR LIVES IN WAYS THAT HORRIFICALLY IMPACT ON THESE SAME FEW GOOD MEN, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ALL OF THE MANY WOMEN AFFECTED FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL TO NOW.
To accept your implied contention, that because a (very!) few Humane men exist, rightful-blame and shame should somehow be suspended from falling upon the heads of those who conversely – and deliberately – DO ALL IN THEIR POWER TO DESERVE SUCH CENSURE, IS TO CONCUR UNWITTINGLY WITH EVERY VILLAIN – BLACK, WHITE & BROWN, MALE OR FEMALE, who deliberately sets out to COMMIT A CRIME, but nonetheless expects to fall back on THE EXPECTED/DEMANDED-FORGIVENESS OF OTHERS WITHIN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION.
For this is EXACTLY the kind of HYPOCRITCAL PHILOSOPHY that Criminals deploy: “TO FORGIVE ME, IS TO PLACE YOUR OWN MORALITY AT ITS HUMANE OPTIMUM. TO FAIL TO FORGIVE ME, IS TO BE JUST LIKE ME.” However, to intellectually buy into that claim made to one’s ego or Pride in Self, has little to do with HONEST, RATIONALE JUDGEMENT, but EVERYTHING to do with SATISFYING ONE’S EGO AS A “GOOD” HUMAN BEING, BEFORE SOCIETY’S – NOT HUMANITY’S, NOR LAW’S – WATCHFUL AND DISCRIMINATORY COURT-OF-THE-PEOPLE. In short: to be considered a “bad,” or “unfeeling” person by other persons within one’s social sphere.
So that when you say [QUOTE: "....I really do not believe that men are totally to blame for the lot of women...." I [UN-QUOTE], you in FACT SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE of the Congolese Militiaman. A Man who, THOUGH BORN A HUMAN BEING, chooses by dint of the relentness callous of his wartime atrocities committed, to be basically asking of his own countryfolk and of a watching and horrified World, to accept as FACT, some self-serving and selective Moral Thesis under which HE BE JUDGED AND/OR FORGIVEN – NOT AS CALLOUSLY-ACTING HUMAN BEING that he really is, but instead as some MINDLESS, UNFEELING WAR-MACHINE while engaged in WAR. (..A “MINDLESS, UNFEELING MACHINE” WHO NONETHELESS STILL MATERIALLY COVETS STOLEN LOOT AND ALL THAT IT CAN BUY, AND PHYSICALLY LUSTS AFTER IINHUMANE AND SAVAGE CARNAL PURSUITS …!) So that, according to his PARTICULARISED CALCULATIONS – and brutality is a particularly calcuated act, the world should however look away while he performs the following horrific ACTS OF INHUMANITY WHILE MASKED IN HIS SOLDIER-GARB: loots the property of his once-former neighbours FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL GAIN NOW THAT HE HAS “MIGHT” – NOT RIGHT, ON HIS SIDE…, terrorizes his former elderly school teacher or ancient village pastor FOR HIS OWN EGOTISTICAL LUST NOW THAT HE HAS “MIGHT” – NOT RIGHT, ON HIS SIDE; …. physically rapes and psychologically tortures the half-formed bodies of baby girls, of other persons’ sister, their mothers, other men’s wives and our revered grandmothers….ALL FOR THE SATISFACTION OF HIS OWN PHYSICAL LUST AND EGOTISTICAL HUNGER FOR BRUTE-CONTROL…WHILE MASKED IN HIS SOLDIER’S GARB.
For make no doubt about it: Women are engaged in a Gender War. Irrespective of whether the term “war” is too strong for delicate, ladylike mental-palates to digest and contemplate, it nonetheless remains a HARD, BRUTAL FACH OF THEIR’S AND OTHERS’ LIVES. And for WOMEN, at least, this is no minor skirmish: this War as CREATED, PERPETUATED AND SUSTAINED BY MEN, continues to be waged for the HIGHEST OF STAKES, namely: for WOMAN’S HUMANITY! No matter how facile and/or pragmatic the terminology used by society to couch this battle as mere Reclamation of Women’s Social and Economic Rights.
SHARING IN SOLIDARITY, FROM WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL BLOG,
Jane
[...] I am struck by the equality of responsiblity, and of consequences. I am also struck by the root cause of their death- an absence of appropriate FEAR! That is a topic warranting much attention as PHOBEO is a responsibility specifically placed upon wives. see Eph 5:33 “wife that she fear [her] husband” [...]
[...] And a husband has a particular power and influence upon a wife that may not go “vice versa” because she is uniquely “subject to” (being harmed by?) him moreso than he to her. This view also makes sense of the instruction to wives that they need to PHOBEO their husbands (Eph 5:33). (see Eph 5:33 “wife that she fear [her] husband”) [...]