G435 anēr (an-AIR) — a man, a male; also "husband." Translators decide which.
Word: ἀνήρ, plural ἄνδρες (andres) · noun · Strong's G435
In brief
Anēr is the Greek word for a male. It is also the ordinary word for "husband"; Greek has no separate word. Its partner, gynē, means both "woman" and "wife." So in every verse, translators decide whether Paul is talking about men and women in general or husbands and wives in a marriage. That decision changes who a verse applies to.
Where it appears
- 1 Corinthians 11:3 — "the head of every anēr is Christ, and the head of gynē is the anēr." Some translations read this as men and women; others read it as husbands and wives.
- 1 Timothy 2:12 — "authority over an anēr." Translations read this as all men, which applies the verse to every woman in the church rather than to a wife.
- 1 Timothy 2:8 — Paul wants the andres to pray without anger. Here the word is clearly male, and Paul uses it on purpose.
- Acts 1:16 — Peter addresses the andres adelphoi, "men, brothers." Adding andres is how Greek narrows adelphoi to men only.
- Acts 17:34 — Luke names an anēr, Dionysius, and a woman, Damaris, among the first believers in Athens.
What the lexicons say
Lexicons give two senses: an adult male, and a husband. Only context decides between them.
How translations render it
The same translation can choose "husband" in one passage and "man" in another.
| Translation | 1 Corinthians 11:3 | 1 Timothy 2:12 |
|---|---|---|
| KJV | "the head of the woman is the man" | "over the man" |
| ESV | "the head of a wife is her husband" | "over a man" |
| NIV (2011) | "the head of the woman is man" | "over a man" |
| NRSV | "the husband is the head of his wife" | "over a man" |
| CEB | "head of the woman is the man" | "over her husband" |
Why it matters
If 1 Corinthians 11:3 is about husbands and wives, it says nothing about women in the church as a whole. If 1 Timothy 2:12 is about a wife and husband, it says nothing about women teaching men in general. Translations are not consistent: the ESV reads 1 Corinthians 11:3 as husbands and wives, but 1 Timothy 2:12 as men and women in general. Scholars defend both readings in both passages, so this is a place to look at the context yourself.
See for yourself
- Read 1 Corinthians 11:3–12. Does Paul describe a marriage, or men and women in a worship gathering? Look at verses 11–12 before you decide.
- Read 1 Timothy 2:8–15. The passage ends with childbearing in verse 15. Does that suggest Paul has wives in mind?
Related words
gynē (G1135, woman, wife) · anthrōpos (G444, person) · kephalē (G2776, head)