Are you wondering how a husband should treat a wife? What does "live with your wives in an understanding way" mean, as 1 Peter 3:7 commands? Read or listen to this material from Your Marriage God’s Way or watch the message from the Your Marriage God's Way Conference to learn how a man should treat his wife according to the bible.

https://youtu.be/h5JqpMHZKQI

Are you wondering how a husband should treat a wife? What does "live with your wives in an understanding way" mean, as 1 Peter 3:7 commands? Listen to the fourth message I deliver at Your Marriage God’s Way Conferences to find out!

Table of ContentsFirst, a Husband Treats a Wife Well by Learning About HerRespecting Him and Understanding HerLiving with a Wife According to KnowledgeSecond, a Husband Treats a Wife Well by Valuing Her FemininityThird, a Husband Treats a Wife Well by Protecting HerFourth, a Husband Treats a Wife Well by Keeping His Prayers from Being "Chopped Down"Fifth, a Husband Treats a Wife Well by Responding GentlyRachel's Anger Toward JacobJacob's Anger Toward RachelSixth, a Husband Treats a Wife Well by Responding SensitivelyElkanah's Insensitivity to HannahHow Should a Husband Respond to His Wife’s Hurt?A Husband Should Be Concerned with His ResponsibilitiesA Direct Address to HusbandsFootnotes

There’s a story about a pastor who, when he preached on 1 Peter 3:1-7, told his congregation that he didn’t know why there were six verses for wives but only one for husbands. After the service was over, an elderly, wise woman came up to the pastor and said, “It’s because women can remember six verses, but men can only remember one.”

Whether that’s true or not, Peter packs so much into the one verse for husbands that it could be multiple verses: “Husbands, likewise, dwell with [your wives] 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” (1 Peter 3:7).

In verses 1 through 6, Peter instructs wives to submit to their husbands. Then, in verse 7, he teaches husbands how to treat their wives to ensure they don’t abuse the authority entrusted to them by God. The first six verses describe a godly wife, and then verse 7 describes how a husband should treat a wife.

First, a Husband Treats a Wife Well by Learning About Her

Let’s begin by looking at the New Testament Greek words Peter chose when he admonished husbands about their conduct. Different Greek words translate to “know” or “knowing.” Epistamai means “to put one’s attention on or to fix one’s thoughts on.” This intellectual knowledge comes from observing, but it lacks personal relationships or experience. On the other hand, ginosko means “to learn, get a knowledge of, feel.” This is knowledge that comes from personal relationships or experiences. Here are two examples of how these terms can be applied:

I know what rugby is even though I have never played it; therefore, I know it intellectually, or epistamai. On the other hand, I have played and coached football, which means I know it experientially, or ginosko.

I know of (epistamai) Abraham Lincoln historically, but I know (ginosko) my wife, Katie, relationally.

Husbands are told to “dwell with [their wives] with understanding,” and the Greek word translated “understanding” is gnosis, which is related to the word ginosko. It describes a close intimacy—the same word is used in Luke 1:34, where Mary said, in response to the angel who told her she would give birth to the Messiah, “How can this be, since I do not know [ginosko] a man?”

Peter commands husbands to develop an intimate knowledge or understanding of their wives that comes through personal relationship or experience. Husbands must get to know their wives and learn about and understand them.

Do wives want husbands who make a priority of learning about and understanding them? Definitely! Wives feel loved by being understood.