Part 1: Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child.

This is a quote from an erotic poem entitled, “Hudibras” and written by Samuel Butler in 1663.

Before we dive into what the Bible actually says about the rod, lets talk about what we should consider when studying a translation of the Bible: the translation itself, literary context, Jewish culture, and the intended audience.

Translation: The Holy Scriptures are inerrant (without error) but translations are the work of human effort. There have been many advancements in Scripture translation since the 1600s when the KJV was first published (a lot of English translations are just revisions of the KJV). Archeologists have found multiple scrolls, writings, and manuscripts since then that have provided us a greater understanding of ancient Hebrew words. Because of this, we should also be reading translations that are what William Webb (author of Corporal Punishment in the Bible) calls “pioneer” translations: meaning the writer starts with the original ancient Hebrew, or Greek, text and then translates it into the target language. The Christian Standard Bible (CSB) is an example of such a translation.

Literary context: Proverbs is wisdom literature or poetic expressions, and written with figurative language. It is not promises, or divine commands, to obey and gain God’s blessings. Example: “Put a knife to your throat if you have a big appetite” (CSB Pr 23:2). Godly discernment can be found in Proverbs without actually applying it literally.

Jewish culture: The Hebrew word ‘naar’ is, in most English Bibles, translated to ‘child’ or ‘youth’, but Hebrews typically meant ‘adolescent‘ for the word ‘naar’. So ‘young man’ is a better English translation because here in the States, we usually associate the word ‘child’ with a ‘young child‘ or what we call ‘toddlers’.

Intended audience: Lucky for us, in the beginning of the Book of Proverbs, Solomon tells us his intended audience: The Purpose of Proverbs is “for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge, and discretion to a young man” (Italics mine, Pr 1:4 CSB).

Alright now let’s take a look at the verses in Proverbs that most Christians use to support their choice of hitting children. Please note I’ve put the Hebrew words ‘naar’ and ‘ben‘ in brackets. While ben means son, it doesn’t always mean adolescent. For insight into that we should study other occurrences of the words in question, and read surrounding texts. And most importantly, ask the Holy Spirit for discernment.

(23:13) “Don’t withhold discipline from a youth [naar]; if you punish him with a rod, he will not die. (14) Punish him with a rod, and you will rescue his life from Sheol.”
(13:24) “The one who will not use the rod hates his son [ben], but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently.”
(22:15) “Foolishness is bound to the heart of a youth [naar]; a rod of discipline will separate it from him.”
(29:15) “A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a youth [naar] left to himself is a disgrace to his mother.”

Proverbs CSB translation

Did you know David was a naar when he slayed Goliath (1 Sam 17:42). Absalom was a naar when he killed his brother (2 Sam 14:21)? Joseph was also a naar at age 17 when he was sold into slavery (Gen 37 2-28), and Joshua was a naar when he spied out the promised land (Exo 33:11).

Clearly naar means adolescence, or young adult, in those texts, but what about the book of Proverbs? Let’s read some surrounding verses in Proverbs: “Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle, but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it” (13:11). “Don’t associate with those who drink too much wine” (23:20). “For a prostitute is a deep pit” (23:27). “A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but one who consorts with prostitutes destroys his wealth” (29:30). You tell me, is Solomon talking to a two year old, or a young man?

Can’t you see that the Book of Proverbs is a beautiful image of a father diligently sharing wisdom to his soon-to-be-adult son?

The truth is mutilation and torture were very much a part of Ancient Near Eastern culture. When the rod was used for discipline, it would severely injure or even kill (Ex 21:20). Read more in part two of this series: Part 2: Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child: Corporal Punishment.

Read my book review on Corporal Punishment in the Bible by Webb here.

_{Sources: Corporal Punishment in the Bible by William Webb; Heartfelt Discipline by Clay Clarkson}