In the biblical context, the concept of a "mean wife" can be explored through various scriptures that address the characteristics and behaviors of a contentious or quarrelsome spouse. The Bible provides guidance on marital relationships, emphasizing harmony, love, and mutual respect. However, it also acknowledges the challenges that can arise when these ideals are not met.

Proverbs on Contentiousness

The Book of Proverbs, known for its wisdom literature, frequently addresses the issue of a contentious wife. Proverbs 21:9 states, "Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife." This verse highlights the discomfort and strife that can result from living with a contentious spouse, suggesting that peace and solitude are preferable to constant conflict.

Similarly, Proverbs 21:19 echoes this sentiment: "Better to live in a desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife." The imagery of a desert underscores the severity of the situation, as it is a place of desolation and hardship, yet it is deemed more bearable than enduring a mean-spirited partner.

Proverbs 27:15-16 further illustrates the impact of a quarrelsome wife: "A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike—restraining her is like holding back the wind or grasping oil with one's hand." This comparison to a persistent and irritating drip emphasizes the ongoing nature of the conflict and the difficulty in resolving it.

New Testament Guidance

While the New Testament does not specifically address the concept of a "mean wife," it provides principles for marital relationships that can be applied to this issue. Ephesians 5:22-33 outlines the roles and responsibilities of husbands and wives, emphasizing love, respect, and submission. Wives are called to respect their husbands, and husbands are instructed to love their wives as Christ loved the church.

1 Peter 3:1-2 advises wives to be "submissive to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see your pure and reverent demeanor." This passage suggests that a gentle and respectful attitude can have a transformative effect on the marital relationship.

The Role of Love and Forgiveness

The Bible consistently emphasizes the importance of love and forgiveness in all relationships, including marriage. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 describes the attributes of love: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

In the context of a mean or contentious wife, these attributes serve as a guide for both spouses to strive towards a more harmonious and loving relationship. The call to forgive and to bear with one another in love, as seen in Colossians 3:13-14 , is crucial for overcoming the challenges posed by a difficult marital dynamic.

Conclusion

The Bible provides wisdom and guidance for dealing with the challenges of a mean or contentious wife, emphasizing the importance of love, respect, and mutual submission in marriage. Through the application of biblical principles, couples are encouraged to seek harmony and peace in their relationships, reflecting the love of Christ in their interactions with one another.1 Timothy 2:11-12
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
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1 Timothy 2:12
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
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Ephesians 5:22
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
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Ephesians 5:24
Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
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Saul's Mean Jealousy
... THE OLD TESTAMENT SAUL'S MEAN JEALOUSY. ... So David went with his men and killed a hundred
Philistines; and Saul gave him his daughter Michal as his wife. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/sauls mean jealousy.htm

The Cure of Simon's Wife's Mother.
... THE CURE OF SIMON'S WIFE'S MOTHER. ... they agree that the fever left her, and she
ministered to them."In the present case, as in others behind, I mean to regard ...
/.../macdonald/miracles of our lord/iii the cure of simons.htm

The Ten Commandments
... What does this mean? We must fear and love God, so that we will not release our
neighbor's cattle, take his employees from him or seduce his wife, but urge ...
/.../luther/the small catechism of martin luther/i the ten commandments.htm

Antipater Becomes Intolerable. He is Sent to Rome, and Carries ...
... and charged him to have no intercourse either with Pheroras's wife, or with ... and wherein
Herod was named for Antipater's successor; that Herod, I mean, who was ...
/.../chapter 29 antipater becomes intolerable.htm

Third Commandment
... I never felt so mean and contemptible in my life as when my wife told me of it.
She said she wanted the floor to open and let her down out of her seat. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/third commandment.htm

1 Cor. vii. 1, 2
... What then can this mean? "Let not the wife," says he, "exercise continence, if the
husband be unwilling; nor yet the husband without the wife's consent." Why so ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xix 1 cor vii.htm

Chapter xvi
... KS229 f.). L?? le'ishshah, "to him for wife," is a condensed purpose clause (KS407
d). It must be quite apparent that "to give as wife" must mean "to give in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xvi.htm

Divorce
... "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every ... Now man is not free to live
by the mean, calculating, selfish afterthought, which breathes like a frost ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 10 1-12 divorce.htm

Psalm CXXVIII.
... Is this the fruitfulness of the vine? Is this the fecundity of the wife? It is not. ...
We mean by the sides of the house, those who cling unto Christ.... ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxxviii.htm

"For Hereunto were Ye Called; Because Christ Also Suffered for You ...
... does following Jesus mean? I understand that Christian people own a good many of
the tenements. A member of a church was the owner of the one where my wife died ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sheldon/in his steps/chapter one for hereunto were.htm

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Mean: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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