Bein' a Berean

…outside the box but inside God's Word...

‍What the Bible Teaches About Women. (Updated 2025/10/22)

‍If you're a Christian woman, you will want to read and consider the material in this article. Having the XX chromosomes may have made you a carrier of FNPD, an acrostic of mine making which I'll explain later on.

‍Being Christian does not grant you a waiver from treating the least of those with whom you have a relationship as you would Jesus. Our heavenly Father promises to discipline us if we don't. As an incentive, we read:

‍"That is why many of you are weak and sick, and quite a few are dead" 1 Corinthians 11:30 (NET)

‍We have been programmed to see sickness as maladies that by random chance affect us. The verse above, and following, suggests otherwise:

‍And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight,... I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians...” Exodus 15:26 (NASB).

‍One of the more disturbing scriptures spoken by Jesus is that recorded in Matthew 7:22-23:

‍On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you who behave lawlessly.’

‍What is the relationship between being ‘known’ by Jesus and behaving lawlessly? Obedience.

‍My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27-28 (NET)

‍Again, heeding his voice. Sheep hear everything as a matter of self-protection. Jesus' point was that His sheep follow Him; they obey His commands. It is those who ignore His commands that He does not know.

‍"He who is of God hears [and does] the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” John 8:47 (NASB).

‍Jesus told the Jewish leaders that we all do the deeds of who our father. Those who refuse to obey God are "are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father." John 8:44 (NASB).

‍God, through Paul, shares with us the principle behind our actions:

‍Do you not know that…, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? Romans 6:16 (NASB).

‍Only those who obey God, in total disregard of the desires of their fallen nature, receive His blessing. With that perspective, let's revisit the Garden of Eden event.

‍The Eden Event.

‍The Eden event (hereafter the ‘Fall’) was an issue of disobedience and obeying another voice. Eve obeyed the serpent (Satan), and Adam obeyed Eve (read The Fruit of the Fall).

‍Does the Bible support modern teaching that both sexes share equally the consequences of that Fall? Did Eve's disobedience have a more pronounced effect on women thereafter than Adam's on men?

‍Satan chose to deceive Eve into disobedience rather than Adam. One of the earliest signs of the fallen nature was their reluctance to accept responsibility for their actions.

‍And the woman replied, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:13 (NET).

‍The man said, “The woman whom you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.” Genesis 3:12 (NET).

‍Suppose a psychologist tells you that the cause of your anger, lack of joy, and relationship difficulties with your husband is within you. Would you be willing to investigate that as a root, or would you respond, “You’re wrong, it’s not me, it’s my husband. If you can fix him, then my problems will be over.”

‍While it’s generally held that both sexes carry a measure of the blame for relationship failures, God’s word appears to take a more stern approach to women. God, being all-knowing and just, would know which gender is affected and requires the most help in overcoming the consequences of the fall.

‍For example, Miriam and Aaron challenged Moses' headship:

‍Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married... they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the LORD heard it. Numbers 12:1-2 (NASB).

‍While God rebuked them both about disrespecting Moses' God-given headship, why was only Miriam disciplined with leprosy? Was she the instigator? Did Aaron listen to her voice? Was this also the case between Adam and Eve?

‍Discussion.

‍I believe God intended marriage to be a foreshadowing of the heavenly union on earth, filled with joy and delight in each other. Sadly, we were robbed of this experience by our disobedience and the evil nature we acquired.

‍The biblical revelation about life in heaven reveals an organized structure, with various beings assigned roles and ranks. Those who rejected their divinely appointed rank and role were expelled, and having tasted and rejected that heavenly gift, they have no opportunity for redemption (Hebrews 6:4-6).

‍While God’s specialty is redemption, it hinges on our obedience.

‍There are many thoughts and varied opinions on the marriage relationship; however, here are some basic scriptural points:

‍Before the fall:

The man was created first (Genesis 2:7).
The woman was created out of the man (Genesis 2:22, 1 Corinthians 11:8).
The woman's role was her husband’s helper Genesis 2:22).
Satan deceived the woman, not the man (Genesis 3:1, 1 Tim 2:1).
The woman disobeyed God by obeying Satan (Genesis 3:1-7).
The man disobeyed God by obeying his wife (Genesis 3:17).

‍After the fall:

Both became self-aware regarding their nakedness (Genesis 3:7).
Both were ashamed when God appeared (Genesis 3:7).
Eating affected the wife’s biology and relationship to her husband (Genesis 3:16).
Eating affected the husband’s relationship with creation (Genesis 3:17-19).
God appointed the husband to rule over the wife (Genesis 3:16).
Were the 'daughters of man' willing participants with the fallen angels (Genesis 6:1-4).

‍After the cross:

The husband is the head of the wife (1 Corinthians 11:3).
Wives are to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18, 1 Peter 3:1)
Wives are to fear/respect their husbands (Ephesians 5:33).
Husbands are directed to love their wives as themselves (Ephesians 5:33).
Husbands are to cherish/protect their wives (1 Peter 3:7).

‍As I expand on these points, I hope this work provides insights that benefit women, helping them to enter into the joy, peace, and abundant life (John 10:10, 14:27, 15:11) that God intended.

‍While the husband is given the mandate to rule over his wife, it remains God’s role to parent/discipline them both. The mandate to rule carries the obligation to love and serve his wife as the man would himself. While it is not for the man to subjugate his wife, it is for the wife to place herself under her husband's authority in obedience to the Lord. The husband and the wife are to obey God’s directive as though God were their spouse and regardless of their spouse's failure to do so.

‍The Bible is very clear that the husband is the head of the household and that Christian wives are to submit to him as they would to the Lord. No one is given a waiver on this. So, for a wife to not obey this command places her in a dangerous situation.

‍Should we, acting out of our flesh, habitually fail to obey God, we grieve the Spirit, and we may find ourselves experiencing the Father’s discipline (Hebrews 12:7). This is true of the things commanded of husbands as well. His discipline can be a progressive loss of joy, peace, and abundant life and can include growing weak, sick, or possibly ending in the ‘big sleep’ (1 Corinthians 11:30). What we experience will continue and increase (Leviticus 26:18) until we repent of our stubborn rebellion and comply with his commands.

‍For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry... 1 Samuel 15:23 (ASV).

‍Now the deeds of the flesh are evident… those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 (NASB).

‍Since all the law and the prophets pertain to relationships—loving God above all and your neighbour as yourself—we can deduce that relationships are important to God.

‍The difficulties between a husband and a wife are not unique to our times. In the following verses, a greater portion of the responsibility for marriage relationships is primarily on the woman. Remember, God is telling that:

‍It is better to live in a corner of a roof than in a house shared with a contentious woman. Proverbs 21:9 (NASB).

‍It is better to live in the desert than with a nagging, irritable wife. Proverbs 21:19 (CJB).

‍It is better to live in a corner of the roof than in a house shared with a contentious woman. Proverbs 25:24 (NASB).

‍An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones. Proverbs 12:4 (NASB).

‍A constant dripping on a day of steady rain, and a contentious woman are alike; He who would restrain her restrains the wind, and grasps oil with his right hand. Proverbs 27:15-16 (NASB).

‍Are wives the leading cause of poor marriage relationships? Are husbands not equally to blame?

‍Which spouse is more likely to withhold physical intimacy from the other despite God's command not to?

‍The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 1 Corinthians 7:3-4 (NASB)

‍Our Fall into sin was an event of such magnitude that the only solution was for God to sacrifice Himself to undo its effects and consequences on our lives and relationships.

‍Where Was Adam.

‍Does the Bible teach that these effects are equal and/or identical for the man and the woman? Were both the man and the woman equally responsible and affected by their actions? Were they both present and at fault?

‍There are a few details which suggest Adam was not a party to Eve's dialogue with the serpent.

the serpent approached the woman, not 'them.'
the words ‘with her’ are not in all the old texts.
the word for ‘with’ could also be translated as 'nearby.'
the judgment against the woman was physical while against the man it was vocational.

‍These suggest the acted on her own.

‍An Issue of Service

‍Satan, originally named Helel (meaning 'a shining one,' Isaiah 14:12), rebelled against God, being so proud of his beauty and status that he declared himself a god and unwilling to serve mankind (all traits common to Narcissistic Personality Disorder).

‍Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14 (NASB).

‍Satan offered the woman a way out of serving as Adam’s helper by elevating her status.

‍For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God… Genesis 3:5 (NASB).

‍Being like God was the benefit that the serpent offered the woman by eating the forbidden fruit.

‍When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it. Genesis 3:16.

‍The woman admitted being aware of God’s command but was swayed by her senses and the status advantage it offered, making her wise and god-like.

‍After they both ate, their first reaction was a new self-awareness or self-consciousness that drove them to cover themselves. Their second reaction was to separate themselves from the God who loved them. He then responded to their disobedience.

‍To the woman, he said, “I will greatly increase your labor pains; with pain you will give birth to children. You will want to control your husband, but he will dominate you.” Genesis 3:16 (NET, NLT).¹

‍The woman obeyed the serpent.

‍God’s response to the woman’s action was to modify her biology to increase her pain in labour and childbirth and inform her of a new drive within (FNPD) to control her husband. This would be in direct conflict with his mandate to be her head, “but in a way that emphasizes powerful control, domination, or mastery,” per Strong’s Dictionary. God here established the Patriarchy.

‍But to Adam he said, “Because you obeyed your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ the ground is cursed because of you; in painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Genesis 3:17 (NET).

‍The man obeyed the woman.

‍If scripture assigns greater responsibility for the fall to the wife than to the husband this would also suggest that the woman acted alone.

‍Primary Responsibility.

‍And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 1 Timothy 2:14.

‍We note, too, that Moses, in Deuteronomy 24:1, permits a man to divorce his wife if he finds 'something indecent' in her. The reciprocal is not mentioned. Was this intentional?

‍If a man marries a woman and she does not please him because he has found something indecent in her, then he may draw up a divorce document, give it to her, and evict her from his house. Deuteronomy 24:1 (NET).

‍This is often brushed over as a cultural issue. Perhaps it is not.

‍For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Matthew 5:18 (NASB).

‍There are other constraints place on women throughout New Testament writings.

‍Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 1 Timothy 2:11-12 (NKJV).

‍Was denying her leadership an archaic cultural practice which we can ignore, or does God have a present reason for this?

‍If the wife's fallen nature has an addictive drive to dominate (FNPD), disallowing her positions in leadership would be comparable to withholding a drink from a known reformed alcoholic. But what about the child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome who is unaware of their serious hidden issue? What of those with XX chromosomes (women) who have inherited "Fetal Narcissistic Personality Disorder?" (I uses the XX only to illustrate how the disorder could target one gender in the same way as do genitalia).

‍Being placed in or accepting a position of leadership could trigger that addictive personality disorder as a first drink to reformed alcoholic. Denying her that position could be an act of mercy.

‍Affects on Marriage

‍The focus on women persists as Jesus explains why God, through Moses, allowed the man to divorce his wife, while the opposite is not mentioned.

‍Jesus said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts, but from the beginning it was not this way." Matthew 19:8.

‍Churches today teach that divorce is only permitted in cases of adultery, even though, in Jesus’ day, both adulterers were to be stoned, making divorce unnecessary. Interesting that the Greek word for “hardness of heart” is in the feminine form, which may be translated as "hardness of her heart.” This supports Deuteronomy, which identifies the indecency only in the woman.

‍If a man marries a woman and she does not please him because he has found something indecent in her, then he may draw up a divorce document, give it to her, and evict her from his house. Deuteronomy 24:1 (NET).

‍Did God intentionally suggest that hard-heartedness is confined to women? Was God, through Moses, describing some untoward character quality, which the woman might be too stubborn or rebellious to change?

‍Is this, too, an act of mercy on God's part? Since putting off the old nature requires our cooperation, might repeated rejections from husbands be necessary to drive a woman into self-examination with an open heart for change?

‍How does this affect the life, well-being and relationships of women today? Listen to this recording of facts for today's marriage.

‍“From the beginning” suggests that before the Fall, hard-heartedness was not evident. Both were created and willing to serve: the man to serve creation, and the woman to serve her husband.

‍Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Genesis 2:15 (NASB).

‍for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God... fashioned... a woman." Genesis 2:20-22 (NASB)

‍The High Call to Serve.

‍But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:11-12, Mark 9:35, 10:43, Luke 22:26 (NASB).

‍Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, Philippians 2:5-7 (NASB).

‍Service is the lynch pin of life within the Kingdom of God before the Fall and afterward. It is the willingness to serve that the serpent sought to destroy in tempting the woman in Eden. Service represents the missed mark that defines the word sin.

‍The wives, be putting yourselves in subjection with implicit obedience to your own husbands as to the Lord, because a husband is head of the wife as the Christ is Head of the Church, He himself being the Saviour of the Body. Ephesians 5:22-23 (Wuest)

‍Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Colossians 3:18. (NASB).

‍Being subject to, or submissive, are expressions of a wife serving a husband who, in turn, is commanded to lovingly treat her as his equal. The words for ‘submit' and ‘be subject’ are in the imperative tense, meaning they are commands requiring obedience.

‍Throughout Israel’s history, the husband-wife role followed the model of the wife submitting, as presented in the New Testament. This is probably due to their adherence to the Torah and its Genesis model for marriage.

‍With the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Body of Christ, it became necessary to teach God’s social and cultural norms along with the promise of the Father's discipline to those disobedient.

‍For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. Hebrews 12:7-8 (NET).

‍I wonder how many wives, who have fallen for feminist ideals, evidence God’s discipline regarding their role? Does God turn a blind eye when those who claim to be His mistreat others? When Paul addressed believers in Corinth who were mistreating others in the practice of the Lord’s Supper, he informed them:

‍"For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep." 1 Corinthians 11:30.

‍There are consequences when our all-seeing Father finds us disobeying His word in our interactions with His other children, be they our spouse or other members of the Body. We are admonished to examine our behaviour to avoid that discipline.

‍When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.” Jesus replied, “Woman, why are you saying this to me? My time has not yet come.” John 2:3-4 (NET).

‍Was it demeaning or disrespectful for Jesus to address his mother as ‘woman’ rather than mother? Was Jesus admonishing her for an attempt to control the timing or to direct His role/actions?

‍I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man... 1Timothy 2:12.

‍Allowing a woman to exercise authority over a man, if the personality disorder assimilated in women because of Eden still strives for domination, would be tantamount to serving alcohol to a reformed addict—best avoided with all diligence. Many see this restriction on teaching and authority as a male dominance rather than an act designed to avoid triggering an addiction and destroying any progress the Holy Spirit has made in putting to death a fallen, sinful nature. Nothing should be more important to us than that we be transformed into the image of Jesus. Resisting this transformation feeds the fallen nature.

‍Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control. 1 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV).

‍The word for ‘saved,’ sōzō, is better translated here as ‘healed’ or 'be made whole.'

‍Those in counselling services recognize that real personality change follows a ‘significant emotional experience.’

‍“an experience that is so mentally arresting that it becomes a catalyst for you to consider, examine, and possibly change your initial values or value system.” (Dr Morris Massey).

‍The experience of childbirth, with its pain, followed by the years of selfless service to the child, could represent the healing the mother needs to return to God's purpose and role for her. We see here God's amazing provision for women.

‍"Motherhood has taught me patience, selflessness, kindness, and the art of giving without wanting anything in return... Motherhood has taught me to love." An excerpt from Shemane Nugent’s Abundant Life.

‍Unfortunately, churches today do not teach the significance of childbirth in a woman’s sanctification. Those who have not experienced childbirth will need to be more diligent as they "continue in faith, love, and holiness with self-control."

‍It’s also possible that Postpartum Depression, which some experience after childbirth, may reflect the inner conflict a woman feels between the desire to rule and the new desire to serve this helpless newborn. If true, recognizing this root could be a valuable first step towards resolution for a believing woman.

‍Women are often portrayed as evil in scriptures:

‍Again [the angel] said, “This is their appearance in all the land (and behold, a lead cover was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting inside the ephah.” Then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its opening. Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” Then he said to me, “To build a temple for her in the land of Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.” Zechariah 5:5-11 (NASB)

‍"But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds." Revelation 2:20-23 (NASB)

‍"...the one hundred and forty-four thousand who … have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste." Revelation 14:3-4 (NASB)

‍What defilement did they avoid? That God had chosen these men suggests they were not immoral. Does marriage defile? One effect that domineering women have is their methodical emasculation² of men (Jezebel/Ahab). This would not be a good trait in men God selected for leadership roles.

‍“Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” Revelation 17:1-2 (NASB)

‍“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. Revelation 18:2 (NASB)

‍"I would sooner keep house with a lion or a dragon than keep house with a spiteful wife. A woman's spite changes her appearance and makes her face as grim as a bear's. When her husband goes out to dinner with his neighbours, he cannot help heaving bitter sighs. No spite can approach the spite of a woman, may a sinner's lot be hers! Like the climbing of a sandhill for elderly feet, such is a garrulous wife for a quiet husband. Do not be taken in by a woman's beauty, never lose your head over a woman. Bad temper, insolence and shame hold sway where the wife supports the husband. Low spirits, gloomy face, stricken heart: such is a spiteful wife. Slack hands and sagging knees: such is the wife who does not make her husband happy. Sin began with a woman, and thanks to her we must all die. Do not let water find a leak, nor a spiteful woman give free rein to her tongue. If she will not do as you tell her, get rid of her." Sirach 25:16-26 (NJB Apocrypha).

‍Conclusions.

‍God places a higher responsibility for marriage failures on the woman than on the man.

‍Wives were designed to serve, but deceived to dominate? (read The Potter's Right).

‍Satan, via the world’s influence and occult feminism, continues to deceive women into believing that they are rulers, with entitlements, like god. By following his desires, rather than God's, women, while blaming men, have placed themselves on the road to misery, devoid of the joy, peace and abundant life that God wants for them through their obedience to Jesus.

‍It’s our objective to pattern ourselves after Jesus’s nature—to serve.

‍“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who… emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant…” Philippians 2:5-7 (NASB).

‍God's commands are clear.

‍A wife should serve her husband by submitting to his leadership, respecting him and his authority, and meeting his companionship needs. God designates the husband as the ruler, meaning the one who sets the rules and requires the wife to position herself under his authority—that your joy may be full.

‍A husband serves his wife by leading, protecting, loving, and treating her as he would treat himself, that is, as his equal.

‍Our blatant refusal to obey is rebellion. Rebellion is witchcraft, and no one who practices witchcraft will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

‍Our aim is to develop a service-oriented attitude as our inherent nature. It is in a woman’s fallen nature not to serve, but to want to be served.

‍Without a heart softened by the Spirit, women embody a level of evil that surpasses that found in men. Until that softening occurs, alongside awareness of that nature and a desire to obey God, she cannot cooperate with the Spirit to initiate change. As we submit to the sanctifying work of the Spirit, we should expect to increasingly become like Jesus, adopting the attitude of a willing servant. That means, when women yield to the Holy Spirit's work in their lives, they will develop a new willingness to submit to and revere their husbands and experience the joy that accompanies those changes. Women who do not yield to these changes should be prepared to hear, "I never knew you."

‍Christian wives, who often appear angry, are experiencing this internal conflict.

‍I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 7:21-23 (NASB)

‍The Holy Spirit within urges them to serve their husband, while their flesh, the fallen nature, fights to control him. Resolution comes from acknowledging this struggle and committing to obey God.

‍Knowing God gives us the assurance that obeying Him results in losing nothing but gaining more than we can imagine.

‍Marriage acts as a mirror revealing the self-deifying nature within. Only then can we embrace Jesus’ character qualities developing inside, demonstrated through selfless service.

‍With each selfless act of service—done without seeking recognition—pause to feel or sense the love of Father flowing into your spirit.

‍May God's richest blessings be yours as you contemplate this.

‍Footnotes:

‍1 teshuqah, “desire” is debated. Many interpreters conclude that it refers to sexual desire here, because the subject of the passage is the relationship between a wife and her husband, and because the word is used in a romantic sense in Song 7:11 HT (7:10 ET). However, this interpretation makes little sense in Genesis 3:16. First, it does not fit well with the assertion “he will dominate you.” Second, it implies that sexual desire was not part of the original creation, even though the man and the woman were told to multiply. And third, it ignores the usage of the word in Genesis 4:7 where it refers to sin’s desire to control and dominate Cain. (Even in Song of Songs it carries the basic idea of “control,” for it describes the young man’s desire to “have his way sexually” with the young woman.) In Genesis 3:16 the LORD announces a struggle, a conflict between the man and the woman. She will desire to control him, but he will dominate her instead. Genesis 3:16 (NET Second Edition - Strong's)

‍2 emasculate - 1) deprive (a man) of his male role or identity. 2) make (someone or something) weaker or less effective