Here is the other man of the New Testament, aner. Aner can mean man or husband. According to Strongs’, it occurs 216 times in the New Testament. Women, fear not, I will be sharing the word for woman next week. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the word for woman has 217 occurrences, which while man has two words, still is more than I expected. (Actually, these are not the only words for man or woman, but they are the main ones.) But back to aner.
Due to the political correctness of the world that we live in, aner has been a part of the gender argument–maybe not as much as anthropos. English speakers who try to take the man out of many English words, also try to take it back to the Greek. Too often, nowadays, people want to try and interpret the Bible according to their beliefs, rather than being open to the fact that they might be wrong about something. And just because a verse says man, that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t apply to a woman.
I was trying not to get too controversial here. It’s rather against my nature. But I read this sentence on a website and it bothered me. And I quote, “The preface to the NRSV laments the ‘inherent bias of the English language towards the masculine gender, a bias that in the case of the Bible has often restricted or obscured the meaning of the original text.'” (From The NRSV vs the ESV.) They seem to be saying that it is the translation to English that causes all of this gender-bias. I disagree. As far as I can tell, the Greek is the same way. So English is not the problem. Not that I’m suggesting there is the problem. I don’t mind the Greek using the word man. (NRSV is the New Revised Standard Version.)
Verses:
Matthew 1:16 KJV And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Matthew 7:24,26 NIV Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
Luke 9:32 ESV Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.
Luke 19:2 NASB And there was a man called by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich.
John 4:16-18 ESV Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying ‘I have no husband‘; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
Acts 1:16 BLB “Men, brothers, it was necessary for the Scripture to have been fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, the one having become guide to those having arrested Jesus.” (BLB is the Berean Literal Bible. I chose this version, because it is most literal for the beginning of this verse. The Greek says ‘men, brothers’ (andres, adelphoi). Some versions simply say brothers or brethren. My NIV says brothers, but some newer versions say ‘brothers and sisters’.)
Acts 5:14 KJV And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.
Acts 8:12 NIV But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Romans 4:8 NASB Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.
1 Corinthians 7:4 ESV For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
1 Corinthians 11:11-12 NIV Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman, But everything comes from God.
1 Corinthians 13:11 KJV When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1 Timothy 2:8 ESV I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.
James 1:12 NASB Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
James 1:19-20 BLB Know this, my beloved brothers. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow unto anger; for man‘s anger does not produce the righteousness of God. (The first man here is from anthropos not aner and thus is translated as person or everyone in many translations.)
1 Peter 3:1 NASB In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives.
Revelation 21:2 NIV I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
The G/K number for aner is 467.
The Strong’s number for aner is 435.
