The Hebrew Bā'al (not to be confused with the pagan god Baal) is the word most often used for husband. It's the word we find in Isaiah 54: 5, when the prophet tells Israel, Don't feel afraid or abandoned, for your Creator is your Husband.
The word husband perhaps evokes different emotions for different people. In some cultures a husband is a dominant authority figure, while in other cultures he's a symbol of love and tenderness, care and commitment. A victim of domestic abuse will experience fear when thinking of her husband, a divorced woman will experience grief.... but the engaged or newly married woman will feel cherished and loved - because this person has chosen her and committed to spend the rest of his life with her.
Perhaps because of the different understandings, or even the possible confusion with the god Baal (bā'al and baal both have the additional meaning of lord or master), the Bible also uses another word for husband: ishi ('îš) which doesn't also mean master, but instead carries the meaning of steward or caregiver. In Hosea 2: 16, God tells Israel, "When that day comes, you will call me, my Husband; you will no longer call me, my Master." (Older Bible translations say, a little cryptically for the modern reader, "You will call me Ishi and no longer call me Baali.")
The meaning is clear. In calling Himself our Husband, God is speaking of the love and care, the cherishing and lifelong commitment He has towards us. It's one of the most precious and intimate relationships a person can know in life and - whether we are male or female - God extends that care and commitment to whoever trusts in His love.
