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NASB | Proverbs 13:24 He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Proverbs 13:24 He who withholds the rod [of discipline] hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines and trains him diligently and appropriately [with wisdom and love]. [Prov 19:18; 22:15; 23:13; 29:15, 17; Eph 6:4] |
Subject: Spare the rod, spoil the child |
Bible Note: Searcher, See my answer to her original question.... But to paraphrase, Proverbs are not commands. The word "child" in Proverbs 22 and 23 should be translated "young man" as it is everywhere else in scripture (that I found). The use of "son" in Proverbs 13 does not mean toddler, but son. And all proverbs was written to a young man, and other proverbs point to this "son" as being older. It is incorrect to read Proverbs as commands. To do so is to fail to understand the genre. To discipline does not equal “to punish.” Punishment may be a part of discipline, but they are not synonyms. To discipline is more of an act of guiding a person in the way they should go as a Shepherd guides a sheep; only in extreme cases is the instrument of guiding ever used to strike. Most Christian parents strike their toddlers and young children, but not their older children. Personally our family uses the spanking method so seldom that my children think we are “non-spankers” that is until they really cross the line. But for families that do not use this form of discipline, their children are no less well off as long as loving guiding discipline is used. And those who use corporal punishment have every right by God do to so, assuming it is never done out of anger or frustration. MJH |