According to scripture, the primary duty of husbands toward their wives is to love them. But what exactly does that mean? What does that look like?
We offer the following table as an exploration of a husband’s responsibilities within the marriage relationship.
| Scripture | Duty | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ephesians 5:23 | Headship | assuming full responsibility for his family |
| Ephesians 5:25 | Sacrifice | putting her needs before his own |
| Ephesians 5:26 | Sanctify | setting her apart as holy to the Lord |
| Ephesians 5:26-27 | Cleanse | helping her to become more obedient to God |
| Ephesians 5:29 | Nourish | to feed and bring to spiritual maturity |
| Ephesians 5:29 | Cherish | to keep warm with tenderness |
| 1 Peter 3:7 | Understand | acknowledging her weaknesses |
| 1 Peter 3:7 | Honor | treating her as something precious/fragile |
| 1 Corinthians 14:35 | Teach | imparting biblical knowledge |
| 2 Corinthians 11:2 | Jealousy | being zealous to protect |
| Exodus 21:10-11 | Provision | giving food, shelter, clothing, and sex |
| Proverbs 5:15-23 | Contentment | not desiring another woman |
| 1 Corinthians 7:3-4 | Sex | not depriving her of regular conjugal love |
| Malachi 2:15 | Children | allowing for procreative sex |
| Numbers 30:13-15 | Supervision | reviewing and approving her commitments |
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