# Head ## Ignatius Catholic Study Bible *Head* ([[ephesians-05#^ephesians-05-23|Eph 5:23]]) – *Kephalē* (Gk.): \"head\". The term is found 75 times in the NT and numerous times in the Greek OT. It can refer to the physical \"head\" of a man ([[matthew-05#^matthew-05-36|Mt 5:36]]), animal ([[genesis-03#^genesis-03-15|Gen 3:15]]), or statue ([[daniel-02#^daniel-02-32|Dan 2:32]]). It can also mean \"ruler\" or \"leader\", as when King David is called the head of the nations ([[psalm-18#^psalm-18-43|Ps 18:43]]) and when Christ is called the head of all things ([[ephesians-01#^ephesians-01-22|Eph 1:22]]). Other ancient texts attest the meaning \"source\" or \"origin\", as when Herodotus refers to the headwaters of a river (*Histories* 4, 91), when the Jewish philosopher Philo describes Esau as the progenitor of his entire clan (On the *Preliminary Studies* 12, 61), and when the Jewish author of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs identifies deceitful spirits as the source of youthful misbehavior (*Testament of Reuben* 2, 2). Paul uses this term in his teaching on marriage to encourage husbands to be heads or leaders within the home as Christ is head over the Church ([[1-corinthians-11#^1-corinthians-11-3|1 Cor 11:3]]; [[ephesians-05#^ephesians-05-23|Eph 5:23]]). As the context of these passages shows, Paul views marital headship through the creation narratives of Genesis, where Adam was both the head and source of his wife, Eve ([[genesis-02#^genesis-02-21|Gen 2:21-23]]), just as Christ is the head and source of the Church ([[ephesians-04#^ephesians-04-15|Eph 4:15-16]]; [[colossians-02#^colossians-02-19|Col 2:19]]). For Paul, then, the Body of Christ can be pictured as the *torso* of Christ (anatomical image) as well as the *bride* of Christ (marital image). For more on this Pauline theme, see note on [[1-corinthians-12#^1-corinthians-12-2|1 Cor 12:2]]. ### Sources [[10-ephesians-commentary#^9d16pb|Head — word study]]