Encourage the young women (Titus 2:4)

“Thus,

The elder women

May encourage

The young women

To love

Their husbands

And to love

Their children.”

ἵνα σωφρονίζωσιν τὰς νέας φιλάνδρους εἶναι, φιλοτέκνους,

Paul said, “Thus, the elder women may encourage (ἵνα σωφρονίζωσιν) the young women (τὰς νέας) to love their husbands (φιλάνδρους) and to love their children (φιλοτέκνους).”  Only this letter to Titus used this word σωφρονίζωσιν, that means to recall one to his senses, admonish, make sober-minded, or control, and the word φιλάνδρους, that means loving men or loving one’s husband, as well as the word φιλοτέκνους, that means loving one’s children.  Paul explained that the older women, the female presbyters, should encourage or admonish the younger women to love their husbands and children.  He seemed to imply that young women did not normally love their husbands and children, as if they needed to be reminded to do so.  These elderly ladies would be better at that than Titus, so Paul told Titus to tell the older women to do this for the younger women.  Do most young women love their husbands and children?