Husbands are called to love and cherish their wives, but what does the Bible say about husbands who abuse their spouses? Join us as we explore the biblical teachings on marriage, respect, and mutual submission that condemn all forms of abuse and empower us to cultivate healthy, loving relationships built on God’s design for sacrificial love and mutual respect.
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What Does The Bible Say About Abusive Husbands
Ephesians 5:25 – Love and Sacrifice in Marriage
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
Colossians 3:19 – Treating Wives with Respect
“Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”
1 Peter 3:7 – Consideration and Honor
“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love is Patient and Kind
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Proverbs 14:21 – Oppressing the Poor is Despised by God
“Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.”
Proverbs 21:13 – God Hears the Cry of the Oppressed
“Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.”
Psalms 11:5 – The Lord Hates the Violent
“The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.”
Psalms 34:17-18 – God Rescues Those Who are Brokenhearted
“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalms 103:6 – God Upholds Justice for the Oppressed
“The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.”
Isaiah 1:17 – Seek Justice and Defend the Oppressed
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”
Isaiah 42:3 – A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break
“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice.”
Isaiah 58:6-7 – God Desires Kindness and Freedom
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
Jeremiah 22:3 – Administer Justice and Rescue the Oppressed
“This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.”
Matthew 5:9 – Blessed Are the Peacemakers
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Matthew 5:44 – Love Your Enemies
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Matthew 7:12 – The Golden Rule
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 18:21-22 – Forgiving Seventy Times Seven
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'”
Matthew 22:39 – Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
John 15:12 – Love One Another as Jesus Loved
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
1 Corinthians 10:24 – Seek the Good of Others
“No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”
Galatians 5:13 – Serve One Another in Love
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
Ephesians 4:32 – Be Kind and Forgiving
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 5:21 – Submit to One Another
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Philippians 2:3 – Consider Others Better Than Yourself
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
Hebrews 10:24 – Encourage Love and Good Deeds
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
1 John 3:18 – Love in Actions and Truth
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
1 John 4:11 – Love One Another
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
1 Peter 4:8 – Above All, Love Each Other Deeply
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
Proverbs 25:21 – Bless Your Enemy with Kindness
“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”
Proverbs 31:8-9 – Speak Up for Those in Need
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
James 1:27 – Caring for Orphans and Widows
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Matthew 25:40 – What You Do for Others, You Do for Jesus
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'”
Exodus 21:20-21 – God’s Command to Protect the Vulnerable
“Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two since the slave is their property.”
Proverbs 6:16-19 – Things God Hates, Including Hands that Shed Innocent Blood
“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
Proverbs 28:17 – Bloodshed Brings Guilt
“Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder will seek refuge in the grave; let no one hold them back.”
Deuteronomy 27:19 – Cursed be Anyone who Distorts Justice
“Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”
Proverbs 22:24-25 – Do Not Make Friends with a Hot-Tempered Person
“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.”
Isaiah 10:1-3 – Woe to Those Who Make Unjust Laws
“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?”
Isaiah 33:15-16 – The Godly Walks Righteously and Shuns Extortion
“Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil—they are the ones who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. Their bread will be supplied, and water will not fail them.”
Matthew 20:26-28 – Serve Others as Jesus Did
“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.”
Proverbs 12:10 – The Righteous Cares for the Welfare of Animals
“The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.”
Ezekiel 34:4 – The Lord Condemns Shepherds who Exploit the Sheep
“You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.” These Bible verses highlight God’s desire for husbands to love and respect their wives, and His condemnation of abusive behavior. God calls us to treat others with kindness, compassion, and justice. In relationships, spouses are to submit to one another, seek the good of others, and imitate the selfless love of Jesus. God hates violence, oppression, and the mistreatment of the vulnerable. Let us strive to honor God by living out these principles in our marriages and relationships.