1 Peter 3:7

Ye husbands likewise (oi andre omoiw). Probably "likewise" here refers to honouring all men ( Luke 2:17 ), not "likewise" of Luke 3:1 . Dwell with (sunoikounte). Present active participle of sunoikew, old verb for domestic association, here only in N.T. Used as imperative here like the participle in Luke 2:18 ; Luke 3:1 . According to knowledge (kata gnwsin). "With an intelligent recognition of the nature of the marriage relation" (Vincent). Giving honour unto the woman as unto the weaker vessel (w asqenesterwi skeuei twi gunaikeiwi aponemonte timhn). Present active participle of aponemw, old verb, to assign, to portion out (or off), here only in N.T. Skeuo is an old and common word for vessel, furniture, utensil ( Matthew 12:29 ; 2 Timothy 2:20 ). Here both husband and wife are termed vessels or "parts of the furniture of God's house" (Bigg). See Paul's use of skeuo for ministers ( 2 Corinthians 4:7 ). Gunaikeiwi here is an adjective (female, feminine) from gunh (woman, wife). She is termed "the weaker" (twi asqenesterwi), not for intellectual or moral weakness, but purely for physical reasons, which the husband must recognize with due consideration for marital happiness. Joint-heirs of the grace of life (sunklhronomoi carito zwh). Late double compound found in an Ephesian inscription and the papyri, in N.T. only here, Romans 8:17 ; Ephesians 3:6 ; Hebrews 11:9 . God's gift of life eternal belongs to woman as well as to man. In the eyes of God the wife may be superior to the husband, not merely equal. To the end that your prayers be not hindered (ei to mh egkoptesqai ta proseuca umwn). Purpose clause with ei to and the present passive infinitive (with negative mh) of egkoptw, to cut in, to interrupt, late verb (Polybius), as in Romans 15:22 , etc. Very vivid to us now with our telephones and radios when people cut in on us. Proseuca (prayers) is the accusative of general reference. Husbands surely have here cause to consider why their prayers are not answered.