Courageous Joy

Proverbs - Parenting/Rod Verses - Condensed Version - "Child"

I'm going to see what I can get done as far as posting notes this weekend. I don't have Bible study this Tuesday so it is the perfect time for me to spend extra time on this and be done with it. At this point I now KNOW what I think the Bible has to say about this and I'm ready to move on to new topics. So much to study and so little time. {G}

There are four verses in Proverbs that are oft quoted as "proof" that God means for us to spank our young children.

Proverb 13:24 "He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently."

Proverb 22:15 "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child (5288); the rod of discipline will remove it far from him."

Proverb 23:13 "Do not hold back discipline from the child(5288), although you strike him with the rod, he will not die."

Proverb 29:15 "The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child(5288) who gets his own way brings shame to his mother."

I've already shared the definition of the word "rod" . You will need to determine which definition you feel fits the context of each of these verses.

Three of these verses have a word in common - "Child" (5288). As I stated earlier, there are many Hebrew words translated as "child". I also stated it is good to get at least 3 sources when doing a study. If I'd stopped with Strong's I'd have missed some amazing discoveries.

All three of these verses use the word "naar" for child. Strongs # 5288

Strongs: infancy - adolescence, damsel, young man - from 5287 - rustling of the mane, Lion's roar

Dr. Zodhiates: From 5287 - same as above, literally to shake out, over throw, cast-off

5288 - naar - Most often used of a young person old enough to serve in battle; helper in the army or to be a personal private force

Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament: #1389a The word is used once as "babe"
Could be used of weaned child (5) - marriage; puberty is primarily implied

Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Hebrew-English Lexicon: marriageable age, warrior, servant, retainer

Expositors Bible Commentary, V 5, Gaebelin - 1061 "Jewish rabbinical tradition considered "naar" to be the ages between 16 - 24.

Interesting side note: Naar comes from "naar" - (no it isn't the same word but I can't make the squiggly lines on the computer that make it a different word ::snort::) which is the picture of the lion roaring, shaking his mane and came to mean to "overthrow" and "cast off"....to me this clearly fits the ages of 16 - 24 better than early childhood.

Other uses of "Naar" 5288 - in the Scripture:
~Joseph (17) sold into slavery - Gen 37
~Joshua (naar) spied out the promise land - Ex 33
~David - could slay a giant but not wear a grown man's armour - (I Sam 17:42)
~Solomon - took the throne at 21 - naar - I chron 22:5
~Absolom killed Amnon (II Sam :21)
~Josiah (16) began to speak for God (II Chron 34:3)
~Naar must concern self with sexual purity (Ps 119:9)
~Elisha is tormented by group of "naars" (II Kings 2:23-24)

Conclusions:

There is simply no sound basis for thinking that "naar" should be translated and understood to mean "young man" everywhere in Scripture except these four verses in Proverbs. These verses are NOT talking about young children. They are talking about young men....most likely between the ages of 16 - 24 as rabbinical tradition would understand, imo. Yet, these verses are used by "experts" to prove that we should spank children when they are young, so that by the time they are 4 or 5 they won't need spankings. This is NOT what the Word teaches.

Nowhere have I found the Bible to say that a young child (under 5, as 5 is the youngest age I found for naar)should be spanked or hit or beat with anything. The Bible instead shows young children under the care and protection of adults.

Choose the definition for rod that you think fits the verse the best...but you cannot get away from the fact that "child" (5288) is NOT a young child...it's a young adult.

What do we make from this? God takes very seriously the rebellion of young adults. These verses were written when the other option for rebellious young men was stoning to death. No one would advocate that now. Why do we still advocate beating with a rod? I purpose that we are under a new covenant now and as we no longer stone young adults, we would also no longer beat them with rods.

Regardless, these verses say NOTHING about early childhood training.

Proverb 22:15 - speaks of the foolishness of a young man and not a child. Foolishness in Proverbs is NOT the same as the natural immaturity of a young child. Therefore, the verses about beating a fool with a rod don't apply to natural immaturity either.

Go back and study the verses with the definitions of "rod" and "child" in mind and see if they still seem to be saying that we are commanded to spank young children if we hope for them to grow up to be responsible adults.

I submit that no where does the Bible expressly prohibit spanking but neither does it expressly command spanking.

I had planned to go verse by verse, but really if you have the word studies, you can study it out yourself. I may still post one or two more word studies....good stuff. {G}