Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
The command not to withhold correction from the child requires parents to correct a fault rather than leave the child to continue in it. Loving and prayerful discipline restrains wrongdoing, while unlimited indulgence lets wrong grow and makes caregivers responsible for the wrongs they excuse. Correction teaches the child that wrongdoing brings unhappiness and displeases God.
The rod means physical punishment, which may sometimes be necessary when milder measures fail, so other means should be tried first and physical punishment avoided when possible. The promised outcome means that proper physical correction need not cause the death of the child. The verse does not justify striking in anger or passion, and correction must avoid both harshness and excessive indulgence and be given in love for the child's good, not to gratify the parent or assert arbitrary authority. When punishment is necessary, the parent should show sorrow for the child's pain, pray with the child for forgiveness, and lead the child to Jesus, and such compassionate correction may bring the child to repentance so that further use of the rod becomes unnecessary.
The command not to withhold correction from the child requires parents to correct a fault rather than leave the child to continue in it. Loving and prayerful discipline restrains wrongdoing, while unlimited indulgence lets wrong grow and makes caregivers responsible for the wrongs they excuse. Correction teaches the child that wrongdoing brings unhappiness and displeases God.
The rod means physical punishment, which may sometimes be necessary when milder measures fail, so other means should be tried first and physical punishment avoided when possible. The promised outcome means that proper physical correction need not cause the death of the child. The verse does not justify striking in anger or passion, and correction must avoid both harshness and excessive indulgence and be given in love for the child's good, not to gratify the parent or assert arbitrary authority. When punishment is necessary, the parent should show sorrow for the child's pain, pray with the child for forgiveness, and lead the child to Jesus, and such compassionate correction may bring the child to repentance so that further use of the rod becomes unnecessary.