The 5 Best Verses That Describe a Husband’s Role

Do you know what Bible verses describe a husband’s role? In this post, I discuss five passages that cover it well. Apply these to thrive in your marriage.

A reader wrote and asked me a few questions about marriage. He fears getting married because of strong Christians he’d seen fall from complications in their marriage.

I advised him to see what verses describe a husband’s role as a blueprint to follow. As long as one person does the Word, it takes care of the majority of the problems. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it needs to be the goal.

I already had written down notes and the verses for this post but hesitated to publish it. The reason is that it can be all too easy to point the finger and judge a husband when he’s not living up to his biblical duties.

There is so much that goes into a thriving marriage, and I think my friend Tiffany covers pertinent truths in her marriage course, so I won’t delve into those details. But I think it’s important for us to know the verses talking about a husband’s part in marriage just as it is to know the wife’s function according to God’s design. This post is the sequel to the one I published on that.

These Bible Verses Describe a Husband’s Role

The very first place we can look to determine what responsibility the husband has is the Bible. Besides knowing who the leader is in a Christian marriage according to 1 Corinthians 11:3, God has some specific directions to pay attention to. Here’s where it all begins:

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. – Genesis 2:24 NASB

In this day and age, so much focus is on the physical. God doesn’t exclude it either:

Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 As a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love. – Proverbs 5:18-19 NASB

The following verse gives dual instructions and follows up with a good reason to keep them!

You husbands in the same way, live with [your wives] in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. – 1 Peter 3:7 NASB

How is he supposed to treat her?

Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. – Colossians 3:19 ESV

The word “harsh” there from the Strongs is, “to embitter, exasperate, i. e. render angry, indignant.”

Love is a Verb

How interesting that the specific command for a husband to love his wife is repeated three times in the passage below, emphasis mine:

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also [does] the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must [see to it] that she respects her husband. – Ephesians 5:25-33 NASB

So husbands need to know what love is. How is that defined? We can find it in the Word of God as well, so husbands, I suggest you do a study on love and apply it to your marriage.

What’s the Wife to Do When Her Husband Doesn’t Fulfill His Biblical Role?

Let me talk to the wife for a moment. It’s easy to want to change your husband when he’s not doing what he needs to be doing. Instead, a better focus might be to follow the biblical role of the wife. Additionally, speak words of life over him and pray for him.

So how can you pray for your husband? Begin by praying these verses that detail your husband’s role. Another verse I love to pray for my man is that he would have godly influence:

Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. Proverbs 31:23 ESV

One more important way to cover him in prayer is to pray that he would seek God daily. Psalm 34:10 (ESV) says, “…those who seek the LORD lack no good thing” and that includes God moving in his marriage.

Thriving in Marriage Is Possible

You’ve possibly seen a married couple that appears to get along beautifully without a problem between them. That is because they are doing the Word or else implementing a principle of God’s truth whether they realize it or not. Choosing to love goes a long way.

God designed marriage and didn’t walk away leaving us to figure it out so it would fail. He provided the wisdom we need to see our relationships thrive. We just need to do our part and apply it (James 1:22).

What other verses describe a husband’s role?

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