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Proverbs 22:15
New English Translation
Proverbs 22:15
New English Translation
15 Folly is bound up[a] in the heart of a child,[b]
but the rod of discipline[c] will drive it far from him.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:15 sn The passive participle is figurative (implied comparison with “binding”); it means that folly forms part of a child’s nature (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 238).
- Proverbs 22:15 tn The “heart of a child” (לֶב־נָעַר, lev naʿar) refers here to the natural inclination of a child to foolishness. The younger child is meant in this context, but the word can include youth. R. N. Whybray suggests that this idea might be described as a doctrine of “original folly” (Proverbs [CBC], 125). Cf. TEV “Children just naturally do silly, careless things.”
- Proverbs 22:15 tn The word “rod” is a metonymy of adjunct; it represents physical chastening for direction or punishment, to suppress folly and develop potential. The genitive (“discipline”) may be taken as an attributive genitive (“a chastening rod”) or an objective genitive, (“a rod [= punishment] that brings about correction/discipline”).
Proverbs 22:15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 22:15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline drives it far away.(A)
Proverbs 23:13-14
New English Translation
Proverbs 23:13-14
New English Translation
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
even if you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
14 If you strike[a] him with the rod,
you will deliver him[b] from death.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:14 tn Or “punish” (NIV). The syntax of these two lines suggests a conditional clause (cf. NCV, NRSV).
- Proverbs 23:14 tn Heb “his soul.” The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= soul) for the whole (= person); see BDB 660 s.v. 4.
- Proverbs 23:14 tn The term שְׁאוֹל (sheʾol, “Sheol”) in this context probably means “death” (so NIV, NCV, NLT) and not the realm of the departed (wicked) spirits (cf. NAB “the nether world”). In the wisdom of other lands, Ahiqar 6:82 says, “If I strike you, my son, you will not die.” The idea is that discipline helps the child to a full life; if the child dies prematurely, it would be more than likely a consequence of not being trained by discipline. In the book of Proverbs the “death” mentioned here could be social as well as physical.
Proverbs 23:13-14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 23:13-14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
13 Do not withhold discipline from your children;
if you beat them with a rod, they will not die.(A)
14 If you beat them with the rod,
you will save their lives from Sheol.
Proverbs 29:15
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:15
New English Translation
15 A rod and reproof[a] impart[b] wisdom,
but a child who is unrestrained[c] brings shame to[d] his mother.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:15 tn The word “rod” is a metonymy of cause, in which the instrument being used to discipline is mentioned in place of the process of disciplining someone. So the expression refers to the process of discipline that is designed to correct someone. Some understand the words “rod and reproof” to form a hendiadys, meaning “a correcting [or, reproving] rod” (cf. NAB, NIV “the rod of correction”).
- Proverbs 29:15 tn Heb “gives” (so NAB).
- Proverbs 29:15 tn The form is a Pual participle; the form means “to let loose” (from the meaning “to send”; cf. KJV, NIV “left to himself”), and so in this context “unrestrained.”
- Proverbs 29:15 sn The Hebrew participle translated “brings shame” is a metonymy of effect; the cause is the unruly and foolish things that an unrestrained child will do.
- Proverbs 29:15 sn The focus on the mother is probably a rhetorical variation for the “parent” (e.g., 17:21; 23:24-25) and is not meant to assume that only the mother will do the training and endure the shame for a case like this (e.g., 13:24; 23:13).
Proverbs 29:15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 29:15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
15 The rod and reproof give wisdom,
but a mother is disgraced by a neglected child.(A)
Proverbs 29:17
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:17
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:17 tn The verb, a Hiphil imperfect with a suffix, could be subordinated to the preceding imperative to form a purpose clause (indirect volitive classification): “that he may give you rest.” The same then could apply to the second part of the verse.
- Proverbs 29:17 tn Heb “your soul.” The noun נַפְשֶׁךָ (nafshekha, “your soul”) is a synecdoche of part (= inner soul) for the whole person (= you); see, e.g., Isa 43:4; 51:23; BDB 600 s.v. 4.a.2.
- Proverbs 29:17 sn The parallelism of this verse is synthetic; the second half adds the idea of “delight/pleasure” to that of “rest.” So a disciplined child will both relieve anxiety (“give…rest”) and bring happiness to the parents.
Proverbs 29:17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 29:17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
17 Discipline your children, and they will give you rest;
they will give delight to your heart.(A)
Proverbs 29:19
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:19
New English Translation
19 A servant[a] cannot be corrected[b] by words,
for although[c] he understands, there is no answer.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:19 sn Servants could not be corrected by mere words; they had to be treated like children for they were frequently unresponsive. This, of course, would apply to certain kinds of servants. The Greek version translated this as “a stubborn servant.”
- Proverbs 29:19 tn The Niphal imperfect here is best rendered as a potential imperfect—“cannot be corrected.” The second line of the verse clarifies that even though the servant understands the words, he does not respond. It will take more.
- Proverbs 29:19 tn Heb “for he understands, but there is no answer.” The concessive idea (“although”) is taken from the juxtaposition of the two parts.
- Proverbs 29:19 sn To say “there is no answer” means that this servant does not obey—he has to be trained in a different way.
Proverbs 29:19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 29:19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
19 By mere words slaves are not disciplined,
for though they understand, they will not give heed.
Proverbs 29:21
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:21
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:21 tn There is no conditional particle at the beginning of the verse; however, the relationship of the clauses, which lay down the condition first and then (with a vav) the consequences, indicates a conditional construction here. Cf. also NAB, NIV, NCV, TEV.
- Proverbs 29:21 tn The word מָנוֹן (manon) is a hapax legomenon; accordingly, it has been given a variety of interpretations. The LXX has “grief,” and this has been adopted by some versions (e.g., NIV, NCV). The idea would be that treating the servant too easily for so long would not train him at all, so he will be of little use, and therefore a grief. J. Reider takes the word to mean “weakling” from the Arabic root naʾna (“to be weak”), with a noun/adjective form munaʾanaʾ (“weak; feeble”); see his “Etymological Studies in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 4 [1954]: 276-95. This would give a different emphasis to the sentence, but on the whole not very different than the first. In both cases the servant will not be trained well. Rashi, a Jewish scholar who lived a.d. 1040-1105, had the translation “a master.” The servant trained this way will assume authority in the household even as the son. This may be behind the KJV translation “son” (likewise ASV, NASB). Tg. Prov 29:21 and the Syriac have “to be uprooted,” which may reflect a different text entirely.
Proverbs 29:21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 29:21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
21 A slave pampered from childhood
will come to a bad end.[a]
Footnotes
- 29.21 Vg: Meaning of Heb uncertain
New English Translation (NET)
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New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.