32 Bible Verses About Mistreating Your Wife (With Commentary)

The Bible offers clear and profound guidance on how to treat your wife with love, honor, and respect. God designed marriage as a covenant and a sacred union, and mistreating one’s spouse is a violation of that covenant.

Scripture emphasizes that husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the Church; selflessly and sacrificially. In this article, we explore Bible verses that address mistreating one’s wife, drawing wisdom from God’s Word on how to build a healthy, loving relationship.

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Bible Verses About Mistreating Your Wife

1 Peter 3:7

“In the same way, you husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way [with great gentleness and tact, and with an intelligent regard for the marriage relationship], as with someone physically weaker, since she is a woman. Show her honor and respect as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”

Commentary: This verse calls husbands to live with their wives with understanding, gentleness, and respect. Failure to honor one’s wife can result in spiritual consequences, as the verse explicitly states that prayers can be hindered by the mistreatment of one’s wife. This highlights the importance of love and care in marriage.

Ephesians 5:25

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

Commentary: This verse sets a high standard for husbands, commanding them to love their wives in the same sacrificial way that Christ loved the Church. Christ’s love is marked by selflessness, sacrifice, and unconditional commitment, which is the model for how a husband should treat his wife.

Colossians 3:19

“Husbands, love your wives [with an affectionate, sympathetic, selfless love that always seeks the best for them], and do not be embittered or resentful toward them [because of the responsibilities of marriage].”

Commentary: This verse warns husbands not to harbor bitterness or resentment toward their wives. Instead, they are called to love with an affectionate and selfless love, reflecting God’s desire for unity and peace in marriage.

Proverbs 18:22

“He who finds a [true and faithful] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor and approval from the Lord.”

Commentary: A wife is described as a blessing from the Lord, emphasizing the value of marriage. Mistreating one’s wife is not only dishonoring her but also disregarding God’s favor and approval that comes with marriage.

Proverbs 31:10-11

“An excellent woman [one who is spiritual, capable, intelligent, and virtuous], who is he who can find her? Her value is more precious than jewels and her worth is far above rubies or pearls. The heart of her husband trusts in her [with secure confidence], and he will have no lack of gain.”

Commentary: This passage highlights the immense value of a virtuous wife. Husbands are called to recognize and cherish their wives, knowing that trust and respect lead to blessings and gain in their lives.

Malachi 2:14

“Yet you ask, ‘For what reason [does the Lord reject our offerings]?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, yet she is your marriage companion and the wife of your covenant.”

Commentary: This verse strongly rebukes husbands who deal treacherously with their wives. Marriage is a covenant before God, and violating that covenant by mistreating one’s wife brings disfavor from the Lord.

Genesis 2:24

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”

Commentary: The union of marriage is a deep, spiritual bond, where husband and wife are no longer two, but one. Mistreating one’s wife is akin to mistreating oneself, as they are united as one flesh.

Proverbs 12:4

“A virtuous and excellent wife [worthy of honor] is the crown of her husband, but she who shames him [with her foolishness] is like rottenness in his bones.”

Commentary: This proverb emphasizes the honor and dignity that a virtuous wife brings to her husband. Mistreatment of such a wife is not only dishonoring her but also oneself, as a wife is seen as a “crown” to her husband.

Ephesians 5:28-29

“So husbands ought to love their own wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own body, but [instead] he nourishes and protects and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.”

Commentary: The command here is for husbands to love their wives as they love themselves. This shows that caring for one’s wife is an extension of self-care. Mistreating her is like causing harm to one’s own body.

1 Corinthians 7:3

“The husband must fulfill his [marital] duty to his wife [with goodwill and kindness], and likewise the wife to her husband.”

Commentary: This verse calls both husbands and wives to fulfill their marital duties with kindness and goodwill. Mistreatment in any form is a violation of these duties and disrupts the balance of a godly marriage.

Proverbs 19:14

“House and wealth are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding, and sensible wife is [a gift and blessing] from the Lord.”

Commentary: A wife is seen as a gift from the Lord. Mistreating this divine gift shows disregard for God’s blessings and His wisdom in providing a partner for life.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5

“Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured.”

Commentary: This famous passage on love applies profoundly to marriage. Husbands are called to love their wives with patience, kindness, and humility. Mistreating one’s wife is the exact opposite of the love that God calls for in a marriage.

Ecclesiastes 9:9

“Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given you under the sun.”

Commentary: This verse encourages husbands to find joy in their marriages. Mistreating one’s wife steals the joy that God intends for a marriage relationship and leads to discord rather than happiness.

Titus 2:4-5

“So that they may encourage the young women to tenderly love their husbands and their children, to be sensible, pure, makers of a home [where God is honored], good-natured, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”

Commentary: The relationship between husband and wife should reflect God’s order and design for the home. Mistreating a wife dishonors God’s word and disrupts the harmony He intends for families.

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Matthew 19:6

“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Commentary: Marriage is a union created by God, and it is not to be divided or damaged by selfishness or mistreatment. Husbands are called to cherish this divine bond and protect it from harm.

Psalm 128:3

“Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within the innermost part of your house; your children will be like olive plants around your table.”

Commentary: A wife is compared to a fruitful vine, symbolizing life and prosperity. Mistreating one’s wife can damage the nurturing atmosphere in a home, preventing it from flourishing as God intended.

Song of Solomon 4:7

“You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.”

Commentary: This expression of admiration and love reminds husbands to honor and cherish their wives, seeing them through the eyes of love and not with criticism or harshness.

1 Timothy 5:8

“But if anyone fails to provide for his own, and especially for those of his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Commentary: Providing for one’s wife is a fundamental duty of a Christian husband. Mistreating her by neglect or failure to provide for her needs goes against the faith and leads to spiritual consequences.

Hebrews 13:4

“Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

Commentary: This verse speaks to the honor that should surround marriage. Mistreatment of a wife, whether through infidelity or disrespect, defiles the sanctity of the marriage covenant.

James 1:19

“Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”

Commentary: In marriage, patience and understanding are key. Husbands are encouraged to listen and avoid quick-tempered reactions, ensuring that their treatment of their wives is always gentle and loving.

Matthew 5:32

“But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

Commentary: Jesus highlights the gravity of mistreating one’s wife through divorce. Marriage is a sacred commitment, and mistreating or abandoning a wife leads to further sin and brokenness.

Isaiah 54:5

“For your husband is your Maker, the Lord of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth.”

Commentary: This passage illustrates God’s love and protection for His people, symbolizing the way a husband should love his wife. Mistreating her disregards the protective, caring role that a husband should emulate from God.

Matthew 7:12

“So then, in everything treat others the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.”

Commentary: This verse is a fundamental principle in marriage. Husbands should treat their wives with the same care, respect, and love that they desire. Mistreating her violates this essential command of Christ.

Deuteronomy 24:5

“When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home for one year and shall bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.”

Commentary: God’s law demonstrates the priority of nurturing a new marriage. Husbands are called to prioritize their wives and bring them happiness, and any form of mistreatment would contradict this divine mandate.

Mark 10:9

“Therefore what God has united and joined together, let no one separate.”

Commentary: Mistreating one’s wife is a direct violation of the unity that God creates in marriage. Husbands are called to protect and cherish this bond rather than allow it to be damaged by mistreatment.

1 Corinthians 11:11

“However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.”

Commentary: This verse emphasizes the interdependence between husband and wife. Mistreatment of one’s wife disrupts the balance that God has ordained in marriage, where both partners are equally valued and needed.

1 Corinthians 11:3

“But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”

Commentary: This passage outlines the biblical order in marriage. Husbands are called to lead their wives as Christ leads the Church, with love, sacrifice, and care. Mistreatment violates this sacred responsibility.

Proverbs 14:1

“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.”

Commentary: Although this verse primarily addresses women, it underscores the importance of wisdom and care in the home. Mistreatment from either spouse can tear down the home that God desires to build through the union of marriage.

Genesis 24:67

“Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”

Commentary: Isaac’s love for Rebekah provides a beautiful example of love and comfort in marriage. Husbands are called to love and cherish their wives, bringing comfort and stability, rather than hurt and mistreatment.

Proverbs 31:28-29

“Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her, saying, ‘Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.’”

Commentary: A husband’s praise and honor toward his wife is a reflection of a healthy, God-honoring marriage. Mistreating one’s wife is a failure to recognize the blessing that she is and dishonors the role God has given her.

1 Samuel 1:8

“Then Elkanah her husband said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?’”

Commentary: Elkanah’s tender concern for his wife Hannah is an example of the care and compassion a husband should have for his wife. Mistreating her emotionally or neglecting her pain goes against the nurturing love God calls for in marriage.

Matthew 19:5

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Commentary: Marriage is designed to be a union where two become one. Mistreating one’s wife damages the unity and trust that God intends for a husband and wife to share in their lifelong covenant.

Romans 12:10

“Be devoted to one another with [authentic] brotherly affection [as members of one family], give preference to one another in honor.”

Commentary: This verse applies to all relationships but is especially relevant in marriage. Husbands are called to honor and prefer their wives, putting their needs above their own. Mistreatment is a rejection of this call to selfless love.

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What Does the Bible Say About Mistreating Your Wife