Qualifications for Elders


0435 - MAN / HUSBAND
435 aner (an'-ayr)
a primary word cf 444;
AV-man 156, husband 50, sir 6, fellow 1, not tr 2; 215
1) with reference to sex
1a) of a male
1b) of a husband
1c) of a betrothed or future husband
2) with reference to age, and to distinguish an adult man from a boy
3) any male
4) used generically of a group of both men and women

Husband
i.e., the "house-band, "connecting and keeping together the whole family. A man when betrothed was esteemed from that time a husband #Mt 1:16,20 Lu 2:5 A recently married man was exempt from going to war for "one year" #De 20:7 24:5

Wife
The ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise #Ge 2:24 #Mt 19:4-6 Monogamy was the original law under which man lived, but polygamy early commenced #Ge 4:19 and continued to prevail all down through Jewish history. The law of Moses regulated but did not prohibit polygamy. A man might have a plurality of wives, but a wife could have only one husband. A wife's legal rights #Ex 21:10 and her duties #Pr 31:10-31 1Ti 5:14 are specified. She could be divorced in special cases #De 22:13-21 but could not divorce her husband. Divorce was restricted by our Lord to the single case of adultery #Mt 19:3-9 The duties of husbands and wives in their relations to each other are distinctly set forth in the New Testament #1Co 7:2-5 Eph 5:22-33 Col 3:18,19 1Pe 3:1-7

NEW TESTAMENT USAGE

1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Titus 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.


It is not known from the implicit passage whether "one wife" is to refer to a husband that is not a bigomist or polygomist. The obvious understanding would be that it be a male who is married - not a single man. And not a divorced man may be implied.