How does God want a man to treat his wife?

Genesis 2:23-25“At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.

God wants a man to be one with his wife in every way. This means making all other relationships secondary, continually working at unity.

Proverbs 18:22The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.

A husband should deeply appreciate his wife and treat her as a rare treasure.

1 Corinthians 7:3-5The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

A husband should treat his wife with tender love and sexual intimacy.

1 Corinthians 7:32-34An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband.

A husband must forego some of his own plans or ministries in order to take care of his wife and please her.

Ephesians 5:23A husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.

A husband must exercise responsibility and leadership, which involves sacrificial service to his wife.

Ephesians 5:25-33For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Colossians 3:19Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

A husband must treat his wife with gentleness and kindness, a love marked by a sacrificial attitude.

1 Peter 3:7In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

A husband must treat his wife with honor and understanding. Women in general may be a mystery to a man; being married to a woman will give him the life-long challenge and opportunity to understand one woman.