Respect and honor in marriage are values emphasized throughout Scripture. Learn about biblical principles guiding wives in honoring their husbands and nurturing strong, loving relationships.
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What Does The Bible Say About Honoring Your Husband
Ephesians 5:22
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.
This verse emphasizes the biblical principle of wives honoring and submitting to their husbands as an act of reverence to God. It suggests that wives should willingly yield to their husbands’ leadership and respect their authority in the marital relationship.
While submission does not imply inferiority, it highlights the importance of recognizing and valuing the roles and responsibilities that husbands have been given by God.
Ephesians 5:33
However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
This verse encourages husbands to demonstrate love for their wives in the same way they care for themselves. It emphasizes the importance of nurturing a relationship based on selfless love, understanding, and sacrificial care.
Furthermore, it urges wives to show respect towards their husbands as a reflection of their love and appreciation. Mutual love and respect are integral to cultivating a healthy and harmonious marriage.
Proverbs 12:4
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.
This proverb acknowledges the profound impact a wife can have on her husband’s life. It highlights the significance of a virtuous and honorable wife who brings joy, honor, and pride to her husband.
Conversely, a wife who dishonors and brings shame to her husband becomes a source of deep sorrow and dissatisfaction. This verse underscores the importance of a wife’s role in uplifting and supporting her husband.
Proverbs 31:11-12
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
The Proverbs 31 passage depicts the qualities of an excellent wife, highlighting her integrity, loyalty, and commitment to her husband. It emphasizes the trust that a husband can place in his wife and the benefits he receives from her efforts.
Her consistent devotion brings blessings and prosperity to their lives, fostering a deep and abiding love within the marriage.
1 Peter 3:1-2
Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
This passage encourages wives, especially those whose husbands may not believe in Christ, to model Christ-like behavior through their actions and attitudes. It suggests that through their behavior, wives can positively influence their husbands and potentially lead them to faith.
By honoring their husbands, displaying genuine purity, and living with reverence towards God, wives become powerful examples of Christ’s love and impact their husbands’ lives in a profound way.
Colossians 3:18
Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
This verse reiterates the biblical principle of wives submitting to their husbands. It emphasizes that this submission is not only a relational principle but also a reflection of one’s commitment to the Lord.
Wives are called to honor their husbands as a part of their obedience to God, recognizing that this submission aligns with God’s design for marriage and contributes to the overall unity and wellbeing of the family.
Titus 2:4-5
…and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
This passage instructs older women to guide and teach younger women in their role as wives and mothers. It emphasizes the importance of loving their husbands, maintaining purity, and being submissive.
These qualities not only contribute to the stability and harmony of the family but also serve as a testimony to the transformative power of God’s Word.
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.
This verse presents a hierarchical order in marital relationships, stating that the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. It enforces the leadership and authority role of the husband in the family unit.
Understanding this divine order helps establish the appropriate dynamics within marriage and enables both husband and wife to fulfill their God-given roles effectively.
1 Corinthians 7:3-4
The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
This passage emphasizes the equal importance of physical intimacy and mutual responsibility within the marital relationship. It underscores the idea that both husband and wife have equal rights and obligations to meet each other’s needs in the area of sexual intimacy.
It reinforces the concept of honoring one another, promotes open communication, and encourages a selfless attitude towards meeting the needs of both spouses.
1 Peter 3:5-6
For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
Mainly directed towards women, this passage celebrates and encourages the submission of wives to their husbands. It uses the example of Sarah, who honored and obeyed Abraham, as a model for wives to follow.
By embracing a submissive and respectful attitude, wives demonstrate their obedience to God and contribute to the generations of faithful women who have gone before them.
Proverbs 14:1
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands, the foolish one tears hers down.
This proverb illustrates the significant role a wife plays in the stability and success of her family. It emphasizes the importance of using wisdom, gentleness, and understanding to cultivate a healthy and prosperous home.
A wife who actively builds up her household through her words, actions, and support brings joy, peace, and security to her husband and children. Conversely, a wife who lacks wisdom may unknowingly contribute to the destruction of her own home.
1 Corinthians 16:14
Let all that you do be done in love.
As followers of Christ, husbands and wives are called to live a life characterized by love. This verse reminds spouses to approach every aspect of their marriage, including honoring each other, with love as their foundation.
When love guides their interactions and decisions, husbands and wives create an environment that fosters mutual respect, understanding, and fulfillment within their relationship.
Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
This verse highlights the divine union between husband and wife. It signifies the establishment of a new family unit and emphasizes the importance of unity and commitment in marriage.
By holding fast to one another, husbands and wives honor their vows and prioritize their relationship above all others, nourishing the bond they share as they journey through life together.
1 Peter 3:7
Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
This verse addresses husbands, urging them to have an understanding and considerate attitude towards their wives. It calls for husbands to treat their wives with honor, recognizing their intrinsic value and unique qualities.
Husbands and wives are partners and equal heirs of God’s grace. By honoring their wives, husbands demonstrate their commitment to a loving and respectful relationship, cherishing their wives as precious vessels.
1 Timothy 5:8
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
This verse speaks to the responsibility of husbands to provide for their families. It highlights the importance of husbands honoring their role as providers and caretakers, ensuring the well-being and welfare of their loved ones.
By fulfilling their obligations and taking care of their families’ needs, husbands demonstrate their faithfulness and commitment to their role as husbands and fathers.
Proverbs 19:14
Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
This proverb acknowledges the significance of a wise and discerning wife. It implies that a wife who displays wisdom, understanding, and prudence is a blessing from the Lord.
Her contributions to the marriage, family, and decision-making process are invaluable, enriching the lives of her husband and children.
Proverbs 31:10
An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
This verse extols the value and rarity of an excellent wife. It emphasizes that a virtuous, noble, and godly wife is of greater worth than any material possession.
A wife who embodies qualities such as genuine love, compassion, wisdom, and integrity brings immeasurable blessings and joy to her husband’s life.
Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
This proverb emphasizes the blessing and favor that come from finding a godly and suitable wife. It suggests that a wife is a gift from God, bringing joy, companionship, and divine favor to her husband’s life.
Recognizing and honoring the value of the wife bestowed upon one is crucial in cultivating a healthy and fulfilling marriage.
1 Peter 3:8-9
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
While not directly addressing husbands or wives, this passage applies to both as they strive for unity and love within their marriage. It emphasizes the importance of empathy, love, compassion, and humility.
By practicing these virtues, husbands and wives can foster a harmonious environment within their relationship, allowing blessings to flow and reflecting the character of Christ.
Ruth 1:16
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”
This verse highlights the loyalty and commitment displayed by Ruth towards her mother-in-law, Naomi. While not explicitly about marriage, it demonstrates the kind of devotion and honor that spouses can show to one another.
By remaining faithful, supportive, and loyal even in challenging circumstances, husbands and wives can strengthen their bond and honor the commitment they made to one another.
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
This verse emphasizes the paramount importance of love in marriage. It encourages husbands and wives to love one another deeply and wholeheartedly, recognizing that love has the power to forgive, heal, and restore.
By extending grace and forgiveness to one another, husbands and wives create an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding, fostering a relationship characterized by love and mutual honor.
Mark 10:9
Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.
This verse reaffirms the sacred nature and permanence of marriage. It emphasizes the divine institution of marriage and cautions against any attempts to break the bond that God has established.
Husbands and wives honor one another by valuing and protecting the sanctity of their marriage, remaining committed to their covenant vows, and seeking reconciliation and restoration when challenges arise.