Part 1: “Submit to one Another out of Reverence for Christ”
Mutual submission in marriage
Paul instructs us to be filled with the Spirit in submitting to one another in reverence for Christ. I think, as discussed in part 1 of this series, that this mutual submission is to place our brothers and sisters in Christ above ourselves. It is to humble ourselves to serve others as Christ humbled himself and appeared to us as a servant, even submitting to death on the cross to save us (Phil 2:5-9). Mutual submission is a radical call to imitate Christ and his sacrifice and is an essential part of a Spirit-filled life (see part 1).
If we are all called to mutual submission, it naturally extends into our family relationships. Paul continues by asking wives to submit to their husbands, and, I would argue, he asked the same thing of husbands, albeit in different words. I will look at Paul’s exhortation to wives and husbands, to describe what mutual submission looks like for women and men in their marriage relationship.
A wife’s submission
After calling all of us to submit to one another, Paul starts by asking wives to submit to their own husbands.
“…submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ, wives to your own husbands as to the Lord.”
(Ep 5:21-22, translation my own)
It is interesting to note that it is almost always translated as “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord”, as opposed to “wives to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.” As noted in my previous article, the verb “to submit” is not present in verse 22 in the Greek text. That means the verb must be borrowed from the previous verse, “to submit”. A wife’s submission to her husband is an extension of our mutual submission to one another.
Of course, many find this passage, and others like it, difficult. However, it is asked of wives so often in the Bible that we cannot brush it aside and ignore it just because we do not like it (Ep 5:22-24; Col 3:18; Tit 2:4-5; 1 Pet 3:1). Hearing Paul say “wives, submit to your husbands” makes us uncomfortable because we have the mindset that submission means submitting to an authority, and that, therefore, wives would be below their husbands in authority and rank.
I would like to point out, however, that even tough Paul asks of wives to submit to their husbands, he does not mention anything about husbands having authority or even leadership over their wives. And we must understand it in the context that all believers are called to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ; wives to their husbands, husbands to their wives.
What does “the husband is the head of the wife” mean?
You may say, “Now wait a minute! Paul says husbands are the head of their wives, so he is saying that men have headship or authority over their wives!”
“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” (Ep 5:22-24
The Greek word κεφαλή/kephalé, translated as “head”, is used as a metaphor here. It is true that, in English, the word “head” is used metaphorically to mean leader (lord, master, rule, authority, boss). Such as saying, “she is the head of the company” to mean that she is the boss. However, we cannot simply assume this meaning would have been clear to the native Greek speakers at that time. Accordingly, I will spend a significant amount of time looking at this one word, as its meaning is often deformed to make it say the opposite of what Paul is actually expressing. We will first look at how this word has been used elsewhere in the Greek language at that time by examining the lexicons. Second, we will look at how Paul used this word in this context to try and decipher its meaning.
Lexical definitions of kephalé/head
Some argue that the word kephalé, as used here, denotes some kind of authority. In this context, that the husband has authority over his wife as Christ has authority over the Church. In a softer sense, that the husband is the leader, and that the wife must follow and submit to that headship. Others argue that kephalé can mean source, as in “the head of a river”, its source, and that this is what is meant by Paul when he uses this term.
Thus we have a battle of the lexicons between complementarians and egalitarians. The complementarians stating that kephalé clearly refers to authority, and the egalitarians saying it means source.
I have found, however, that if a lexicon defines kephalé as referring to some kind of authority, they only reference the biblical texts that are here disputed to support this definition. For example, the Thayer’s Greek Lexicon gives master or lord as a definition[1], but the examples given to support this definition are the very passages where its use is contested[2]. These passages do not make it clear, in my opinion, that chief, master, or lord, is what is intended in those contexts. It seems to be circular reasoning: we assume kephalé means “lord”, we then insert it as a definition in the dictionary, we then use that dictionary definition to support our claim that kephalé means “lord”.
Conversely, I have found support that kephalé was indeed used to mean source in the LSJ. Additionally, authority is not even remotely present as a definition in this lexicon[3]. The LSJ looks at a large number of Greek texts, including biblical sources, from around the time of Jesus, but it does not extend into the Byzantine era. They reference Zeus as “source”, as the originator of all things that have been made: “Ζεὺς κεφαλή, Ζεὺς μέσσα, Διὸς δ᾽ ἒκ πάντα τελεῖται ῾τέτυκται” (Zeus the head, Zeus the middle, and from Zeus all things are made)[4].
Therefore, Christ as “head of the church” meaning that he is the source of the church is not without precedent. Moreover, the idea of a husband as the source of his wife is not incongruent with the creation story in Genesis 2. The man is the source of the woman, as the woman was taken from the man.
Conservatively, the lexicons do not provide a clear-cut answer, but we cannot rule out that Paul used kephalé to mean source, it is a definite possibility. Those who want to argue that it means authority need to provide proof that this is clearly what is meant by Paul in these contexts, as simply referencing the lexicons is circular reasoning.
Use of kephalé by Paul in Ephesians
Therefore, we need to look at the contexts in which Paul uses the word kephalé to help us clarify what he means. I do not wish, at this time, to go over every use of this word in the NT, nor explore how it was used in the Septuagint. I will leave this more exhaustive discussion on the word kephalé for another time, as there is so much to be said on this issue. In this article, I want to focus my attention on how Paul used the word kephalé in his letter to the Ephesians.
Paul uses the word “head” in reference to Christ and the church three times in Ephesians:
“That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
(Ep 1:19-23, NIV)
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
(Ep 4:11-16, NIV)
“For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.”
(Ep 5:23, NIV)
In the first instance, Ep 1:19-23, Christ is head over everything for the church, his body, the fulness of him who fills everything in every way. Christ is head in that he fills everything. Of course, Christ is described as being above all rule and authority, but the word “head” does not seem to be used to describe that authority. Rather, Paul uses clear language such as “mighty strength”, “seated him at his right hand”, and “far above all rule and authority” to describe his authority. I think Paul indicated to us what he meant by Christ as head of the body, his church. He tells us that Christ fills or is the source of fullness of the church, his body, and of everything in every way since he is head over everything.
In the second instance, Ep 4:15-16, Paul again uses the head/body metaphor. Christ, the head, is the source of growth to the church, his body. This head-body metaphor also denotes unity in the body, the whole body being “joined and held together by every supporting ligament”. The church is united into one flesh, as man and woman are united into one flesh in marriage.
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.”
(Ep 5:31-32, NIV)
These two examples do not talk about Christ’s authority over the church but describe him as the source of fullness, growth, and unity.
Unity is actually a recurring theme in Ephesians. Paul mentions our unity we are to have in Christ on several occasions and very often uses the imagery of the body to denote that unity (Ep 1:22-23; 2:14-16.21-22; 3:6; 4:3-6.11-16.25; 5:31-32).
Use of kephalé in Ephesians 5
In the same way, authority has nothing to do with what Paul is trying to say in Ephesians 5:15-24. In this passage, we see that “the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the savior” (Ep 5:23). Paul juxtaposes “head” with “savior”, and the “body” with the “church”. Christ is the head of the church because he is the church’s savior. He is the source of our salvation (to relate this to our lexical evidence that head could mean source).
Paul did not say “Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the master”. Yes, Christ is our Lord and above us in authority; God has authority over all creation. That does not mean that Paul is referring to this in these passages. Paul seems to explain what he means by the word “head”; that Christ is the church’s savior. In this context, man as head of his wife is related to Christ, as head of the church, being the church’s savior.
Now, this seems confusing, in what way could husbands be their wives’ savior? At that time, women depended on their husbands for food, clothing, shelter, and protection. Husbands can be seen as a source of provision and as saving their wives from being exposed to nature[5]. This is a possible explanation of how the husband may be seen as his wife’s savior or source of provision and protection.
Paul admonishes wives to submit themselves to their husbands out of respect for the service they provide to them. Women are not asked to submit to their husbands because they have authority over them, but because, as Christian, we should imitate Christ and be filled with the Spirit in submitting to one another. This is a voluntary act of placing the other person before us, not of subjugating ourselves to an authority.
Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church
Paul then went on to address husbands. This section addressing what mutual submission looks like for the husband is much longer than the section reserved for the wife. I say this describes what submission looks like for the husband because it flows from the same idea of “submitting to one another” in verse 21. Paul described what it looks like for the women, and so it follows that he is describing what it looks like for men.
Perhaps you would expect Paul to talk to husbands about their leadership and authority after telling wives to submit to their husbands. However, Paul did not do this, he simply tells husbands to love their wives:
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
(Ep 5:25-33, NIV)
Being like Christ
Paul is asking men to love their wives just as Christ loves us. Today, in most western countries around the world, we take this for granted. But at that time, this was not at all obvious. Wives were often seen as men’s property, a means to an end. Paul asking men to love their wives is completely novel.
Whereas men had legal authority over their wives, children, and slaves, Paul came and completely changed the dynamic. Basing these relationships, not on power or hierarchical order, but on love and self-sacrifice. Paul nowhere said that husbands need to lead their wives or exert loving authority over their wives; he told men to love their wives as Christ loved us. This text even seems to indicate that they should give up their lives for their wives. To give our life up for someone is to place that person before us, to put their life above our own. This is how I tried to describe what submission looks like. It is to place the other person before ourselves, their needs before our own, their life before our own.
Therefore, husbands are to be like Christ in that Christ did not come to be served, but to serve.
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(Mt 20:25-28, NIV)
How twisted is it to take a passage about mutual submission and make it about a man’s authority over his wife? This is to thoroughly misunderstand what Paul is saying here. Husbands are to be like Christ, who loved us and gave himself up for us. This is how Jesus came to serve and save us, this is what submission is.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
(Phil 2:3-8, NIV)
Jesus taught continually about how we should be humble and serve others. For example, Jesus often said that “The last will be first, and the first last” (Mt 20:16), or “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mk 9:45).
Those who think that husbands are above their wives in authority are ignoring the fact that if a man wants to be first, he should serve his wife; likewise, if a woman wants to be first, she should serve her husband.
Feminine imagery to describe Christ
I would also like to offer the idea that Paul uses feminine imagery as he goes on to explain in more detail what Christ did for us. He describes Christ’s purpose in coming to save us, the reason Jesus came to lay down his life for the church:
“to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
(Ep 5:26-27, NIV)
Paul uses the imagery of washing with water, the imagery of someone washing clothing to make them clean: without stain, wrinkle, or blemish. It was most likely women who were carrying out this task of washing clothing. Husbands are, therefore, asked to imitate a woman washing clothes in the way he treats his wife.
Again, Paul goes on to illustrate what it means for husbands to love their wives as they love themselves.
“In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body.”
(Ep 5:28-30, NIV)
A husband is to feed and care for his wife as he would his own body, and as Christ does for the church. Again, this is imagery of a woman feeding and caring for others, such as her children. Do you think this is too far-fetched? Consider what Paul told the Thessalonians:
“Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you.”
(1 Th 7:6, NIV)
A mother nurses (feeds) and cares for her children. Therefore, husbands are to be like the women who serve their families by the washing, feeding, and caring they provide.
About Christ and the church
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.”
(Ep 5:32, NIV)
Ultimately, it is Jesus who saves us, makes us holy, and cleanses us. Paul wasn’t really talking about marriage, this is all about Christ’s work. Paul is telling all of us how to be like Christ (Ep 5:1-2), and showing us with beautiful imagery what that looks like. He is using head/body imagery to illustrate unity and provision, and he is talking about how Christ makes us holy and cares for us. It is a reminder that Christ is loving and self-sacrificial, and that we should be also by “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ”.
Reciprocity
“ However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
(Ep 5:33, NIV)
All of what Paul is saying is to be reciprocal. We are all to be like Christ in our dealings with one another. Should women love their husbands? Of course! Paul does not say so explicitly, but that doesn’t mean he does not strongly imply it. Husbands are to love their wives, and wives should also love their husbands (Ti 2:4). Likewise, wives should respect their husbands, and husbands must also respect their wives (1 Pt 3:7). It would make no sense to say that men do not need to respect their wives, or that women do not need to love their husbands. In the same way, just as Paul tells women to submit to their husbands, he tells men to submit to their wives, albeit with different words. Paul asks all believers to submit to one another, this cannot exclude men from submitting to their wives. Also, in Paul’s command to husbands to love their wives, his description of what that looks like exemplifies mutual submission: putting the other person before ourselves.
This does not mean that our needs, wants, and desires in our marriage are not important, that they will always be put aside to serve our partner’s needs instead. Often, our own needs are not in conflict with our partner’s, or having our needs met benefits our partner as we will be in a more wholesome state, and better able to serve them. Also, our partner will put our needs above his own as we do theirs. The wife lifts up her husband and the husband lifts up his wife. The husband helps his wife in her needs and endeavors, and the wife reciprocally. This way, both receive what is needed in their partnership. It is for this reason that one’s needs are not put aside for the other, as the other desires to provide for their partner what is needed for growth in Christ. We end up with a beautiful dance of love and self-sacrifice. This is much more beautiful than the dynamic of determining who has authority over whom.
Conclusion
Paul did not need to elaborate as fully with the women to explain what submission to their husband looks like; they could understand because the culture they were in already expected this from them. However, they are no longer to do so out of reverence for their husbands, but out of reverence for Christ. Husbands, on the other hand, needed to be shown in more detail what submission to their wives looks like. Because, to them, the idea of submitting to their wives would have been preposterous. Sure, Paul explicitly asks women to submit to their husbands, but his call to husbands to love their wives as Christ loves us, though not explicitly saying that they should submit to their wives, is a perfect description of what submission looks like for them.
Next week I will explore in part 3 how Paul continues to address mutual submission for children and parents, as well as slaves and masters.
[1] Thayer’s Greek Lexicon Strong’s NT 2776: κεφαλή, κεφαλῆς, ἡ, the Sept. for רֹאשׁ; the head, both of men: Matthew 5:36; Mark 6:24; Luke 7:38, 44 (Rec.),46; John 13:9; Acts 18:18; 1 Corinthians 11:4; Revelation 1:14; Revelation 4:4, and often; and of animals: Revelation 9:7, 17, 19, etc.; on the phrases κλίνειν τήν κεφαλήν, ἐπαίρειν τήν κεφαλήν, see κλίνω, 1 and ἐπαίρω; on the saying in Romans 12:20, see under ἄνθραξ. Since the loss of the head destroys the life, κεφαλή is used in phrases relating to capital and extreme punishments: so in τό αἷμα ὑμῶν ἐπί τήν κεφαλήν ὑμῶν (see αἷμα, 2 a., p. 15{b}), Acts 18:6, and similar phrases in classical Greek; see Passow, under the word, p. 1717{a}; Pape under the word, 3; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, I. 3 and 4). Metaphorically, anything supreme, chief, prominent; of persons, master, lord: τίνος, of a husband in relation to his wife, 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:23; of Christ, the lord of the husband, 1 Corinthians 11:3 (cf. Buttmann, 124f (109)); of the church, Ephesians 4:15; Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 2:19 (cf. Buttmann, § 143, 4 c.); τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας, Colossians 1:18; πάσης ἀρχῆς καίἐξουσίας, Colossians 2:10; so Judges 11:11; 2 Samuel 22:44, and in Byzantine writings of things: κεφαλῆς γωνίας, the corner-stone, see γωνία, a. ((From Homer down.))
https://biblehub.com/greek/2776.htm
[2] 1 Corinthians 11:3 “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.”
Ephesians 5:23 “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.”
Ephesians 4:15 “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ”
Colossians 2:19 “and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.”
Colossians 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”
Colossians 2:10 “and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”
[3] (LSJ) κεφα^λή , ἡ, A.head of man or beast, Hom. (v.infr.), Alc.15, etc.; once in A., Th.525 (lyr.), once in S., Aj.238 (anap.), also in E., Fr.308 (anap.), Rh.226 (lyr.), al.; “ἄλλου οὐδενὸς ἐμψύχου κ. γεύσεται Αἰγυπτίων οὐδείς” Hdt.2.39; κεφαλῇ . . μείζονες taller in stature, Il.3.168; so μείων . . κεφαλήν ib.193 Aristarch.: freq. with Preps.,
a. κατὰ κεφαλῆς, Ep. κὰκ κεφαλῆς, down over the head, “κόνιν . . χεύατο κὰκ κεφαλῆς” Il.18.24, cf. Od.8.85, etc.
b. κατὰ κεφαλήν, Ep. κὰκ κεφαλήν on the head, “Ἐρύλαον . . βάλε πέτρῳ μέσσην κὰκκεφαλήν”
Il.16.412, cf. 20.387, 475: in Prose, from above, X.HG7.2.8: c.gen., above, κ. κ. τινῶν γενέσθαι ib.7.2.11; τὸ κ. κ. ὕδωρ, of rain water, Thphr. HP4.10.7 (-ὴν codd.), CP6.18.10 (-ῆς): in Archit., upright, IG22.463.42; also, per head, each person (cf. infr. 1.2), Arist.Pol.1272a14, LXX Ex.16.16; “κατὰ κεφαλὴν τῶν κωμητῶν” PPetr.2p.17 (iii B. C.).
c. ἐς πόδας ἐκ κεφαλῆς from head to foot, Il.23.169; “τὰ πράγματα ἐκ τῶν ποδῶν ἐςτὴν κ. σοι πάντ᾽ ἐρῶ”
Ar.Pl.650.
d. ἐπὶ κεφαλήν head foremost, ἐπὶ κ. κατορύξαι to bury head downwards, Hdt.3.35; ἐπὶκ. ὠθέεσθαι to be thrust headlong, Id.7.136, cf. Hyp.Fr.251; “ἐπὶ κ. ὠθεῖν τινα ἐκ τοῦθρόνου”
Pl.R.553b; “ἐπὶ τὴν κ. εἰς κόρακας ὦσον”
Men.Sam. 138; “εὐθὺς ἐπὶ κ. εἰς τὸδικαστήριον βαδίζειν” D.42.12; οὐ βουλόμενος πολίτας ἄνδρας ἐπὶ κ. εἰσπράττειντὸν μισθόν recklessly, Hyp.Lyc.17; ἐπὶ ταῖς κεφαλαῖς περιφέρειν carry on high, in token of admiration, Pl. R.600d.
2. as the noblest part, periphr. for the whole person, “πολλὰς ἰφθίμους κ.” Il.11.55, cf. Od.1.343, etc.; ἶσον ἐμῇ κ. no less than myself, Il.18.82; “ἑᾷ κ.” Pi.O.7.67; esp. in salutation, “φίλη κ.” Il.8.281, cf. 18.114; “ἠθείη κ.” 23.94; “Ἄπολλον, ὦ δία κ.” E.Rh.226 (lyr.): in Prose, “Φαῖδρε, φίλη κ.” Pl.Phdr.264a; “τῆς θείας κ.”
Jul.Or. 7.212a: in bad sense, “ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί” Hdt.3.29; “ὦ μιαρὰ κ.”
Ar.Ach. 285: periphr. in Prose, “πεντακοσίας κεφαλὰς τῶν Ξέρξεωπολεμίων”
Hdt.9.99: in bad sense, “ἡ μιαρὰ καὶ ἀναιδὴς αὕτη κ.” D.21.117, cf. 18.153; “ἡ κ. τῶν αὐτοῦ” PRein.57.8 (iv A.D.); μεγάλη κ. a great personage, Vett. Val.74.7; cf. supr. 1 b fin.
3. life, “ἐμῇ κ. περιδείδια” Il.17.242; “σύν τε μεγάλῳ ἀπέτεισαν, σὺν σφῇσιν κεφαλῇσι” 4.162; παρθέμενοι κεφαλάς staking their heads on the cast, Od.2.237; τὴν κ. “ἀποβαλέεις” Hdt.8.65.
4. in imprecations, ἐς κεφαλὴν τράποιτ᾽ ἐμοί on my head be it! Ar.Ach.833; “ἐς τὴν κ. ἅπαντατὴν σὴν τρέψεται” Id.Nu.40; “ἃ σοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοῖς οἱ θεοὶ τρέψειαν εἰς κ.” D.18.290; ἐς κ. σοί (sc. τράποιτο) Ar.Pax1063, Pl.526; “σοὶ εἰς κ.”
Pl.Euthd.283e; “τὰ μὲν πρότερον . . ἐγὼκεφαλῇ ἀναμάξας φέρω” Hdt.1.155; “οἷς ἂν . . τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπὶ τὴν κ. ἀναθεῖεν” D.18.294; “τὸ αἷμα ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τὴν κ. ὑμῶν” Act.Ap. 18.6.
II. of things, extremity,
a. in Botany, κ. σκορόδου head ( = inflorescence) of garlic, Ar.Pl.718, cf. Plb.12.6.4; “κ. μήκωνος” Thphr.HP9.8.2; ῥίζα κ. ἔχουσα πλείονας tubers, Dsc.3.120.
b. in Anatomy, κεφαλαὶ τῆς κάτω γνάθου, prob. the condyloid and coronoid processes, Hp.Art.30; ἡ κ. τοῦ ὄρχεως, = ἐπιδιδυμίς, Arist.HA510a14, cf. Gal.4.565; μηροῦ, κνήμηςκ., Poll.2.186, 188; of the base of the heart, Gal.UP6.16; but, apex, Hp.Cord.7; of the sac in poulps, Arist.PA654a23, 685a5; of muscles, origin, Gal.UP7.14.
c. generally, top, brim of a vessel, Theoc.8.87; coping of a wall, X.Cyr.3.3.68; capital of a column, CIG2782.31 (Aphrodisias), LXX 3 Ki.7.16, Poll.7.121.
d. in pl., source of a river, Hdt.4.91 (butsg., mouth, “οἶδα Γέλα ποταμοῦ κεφαλῇ ἐπικείμενον ἄστυ” Call.Aet.Oxy.2080.48): generally, source, origin, Ζεὺς κ. (v.l. ἀρχή）, Ζεὺς μέσσα, Διὸς δ᾽ ἒκ πάντα τελεῖται ῾τέτυκται codd.) Orph.Fr.21a; starting-point, “κ. χρόνου”
Placit. 2.32.2 (κρόνου codd.), Lyd.Mens.3.4; κ. μηνός ib.12.
e. extremity of a plot of land, PPetr.3p.72 (iii B.C.), PFlor.50.83 (iii A.D.).
III. Ὁμηρείη κ. bust of Homer, IG14.1183.10.
IV. κ. περίθετος wig, head-dress, Ar.Th.258.
V. metaph., κ. δείπνου pièce de résistance, Alex. 172.15.
2. crown, completion, “κεφαλὴν ἐπιθεῖναι”
Pl.Ti.69b; “ὥσπερ κ. ἀποδοῦναι τοῖς εἰρημένοις” Id.Phlb.66d, cf. Grg.505d; “ὥσπερ κεφαλὴν ἔχουσα ἐπιστήμη”
Arist.EN1141a19; consummation, “σχεῖν κ.” Pl.Ti.39d.
3. sum, total, “πάσας ἐρρηγείας” Tab.Heracl.1.36; of money, IG12(9).7 (Carystus, iv B. C.), SIG245ii 36 (Delph., iv B. C.).
4. band of men, LXX Jb.1.17; right-hand half of a phalanx (opp. οὐρά), Arr.Tact.8.3, Ael.Tact.7.3.
5. Astron., κ. τοῦ κόσμου, of Aries, Heph.Astr.1.1. (ghebh-, cf. κεβλή and Engl. gable.）
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=κεφαλὴ&la=greek#lexicon
[4] Meisner, Dwayne A., “”Zeus the Head, Zeus the Middle”: Studies in the History and Interpretation of the Orphic Theogonies” (2015). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 3139. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/3139 (online source https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4619&context=etd )
[5] Payne, Philip Barton. Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul’s Letters. United States: Zondervan, 2009. ePub edition March 2015 :ISBN 978-0-310-52532-5 (kindle edition p.284-289)
