Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
'Thou hast seen the measure of obedience; now hear the measure of love. Do you wish your wife to obey you, as the Church is to obey Christ? Then have a solicitude for her, as Christ had for the Church (Ephesians 5:23); if it be necessary to give thy life for her, or to endure any other suffering whatever, do not refuse; and if you suffer thus, not even so do you do what Christ has done: for you do so, being already united to her; but He did so for one that treated Him with aversion. As, therefore, He brought to His feet one that even wantonly spurned Him, by much tenderness, not by threats and terror, so do you act toward your wife; and though you see her wayward, you will bring her to your feet by ranch thoughtfulness, by love, by kindness. For no bond is more sovereign, especially in the case of husband and wife. For one may constrain a servant by fear, though not even he is so to be bound to you. But the companion of your life, the mother of your children, the basis of all your joy, you ought to bind to you, not by fear, but by love' (Chrysostom);
Gave himself, х paredooken (G3860)] - 'gave Himself up.'
For it - `for her.' The Church's relation to Christ is the ground of woman's elevation under Christianity to her due social place, from which she was, and is, excluded in pagan lands.