After commanding wives in the previous verses, now Peter turns to husbands and commands them to love their wives. Literally, the command is to live with your wife in an understanding way, honoring her as a co-heir. This may not sound revolutionary to us today, but to men formed in the Greco-Roman world, this was shocking. There was no expectation then that a husband would be devoted to learning his wife’s needs, wants and preferences and make decisions with her in mind. But that is what Christian husbands are called to do. And as he did with wives, Peter lets husbands know that God is watching. But here, he gives a warning. God will not hear the prayers of a man who mistreats his wife. Bold and sobering.