φίλανδρος
phílandros
G5362 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Loving or devoted to one's husband; showing affection, regard, or tender care for one's spouse. The term primarily refers to the disposition or character trait of a wife who demonstrates affectionate regard and loyalty toward her husband. In broader usage, it denotes the quality of marital devotion from a wife to her spouse, emphasizing emotional attachment and relational commitment.
Semantic Range
loving one's husband, affectionately devoted as a wife, fond of one's spouse, displaying marital devotion or conjugal loyalty
Root / Etymology
From φίλος ('loving, dear, friendly, fond') and ἀνήρ ('man, husband'), forming a compound literally meaning 'husband-loving' or 'fond of one's husband.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
φίλανδρος is a rare term in Greek literature and appears in the New Testament at Titus 2:4, where older women are instructed to teach younger women 'to love their husbands' (φιλάνδρους εἶναι). The compound reflects Greco-Roman ideals of conjugal affection and harmony within the household, paralleling other similar compounds (e.g., φιλότεκνος 'loving their children'). In contexts outside the New Testament, such compounds often specified positive character traits desirable for women in marriage. Early Jewish and Hellenistic texts do not commonly employ this term. The English 'love their husbands' used in translation is contextually correct, but may not always capture the nuance of affectionate loyalty or the focus on relational devotion implied in the Greek. φίλανδρος is not a general term for affection between spouses but is specifically a character description of women in their relation to husbands, reflecting social expectations of the period. In this sense, it is both descriptive and prescriptive—endorsing a virtue expected of a 'good wife' in Hellenistic moral instruction. No evidence suggests it refers to generic fondness for men in general; the reference is always conjugal.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from φίλος and ἀνήρ; fond of man, i.e. affectionate as a wife:--love their husbands.
Root Family
φιλ-, ανδρ- (phílandros) — love, affection, husband, man
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5362-01 |
φιλάνδρους | philandrous | ADJ.S ACC F PL |
to love their husbands | husband-loving women | husband-loving | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5362-01 |
Titus 2:4 | φιλάνδρους | philandrous | ADJ.S ACC F PL |
to love their husbands | husband-loving women | husband-loving |