Proverbs 13:24 New English Translation
24 The one who spares his rod[a] hates[b] his child,[c]
but the one who loves his child[d] is diligent[e] in disciplining[f] him.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:24 sn R. N. Whybray cites an Egyptian proverb that says that “boys have their ears on their backsides; they listen when they are beaten” (Proverbs [CBC], 80). Cf. Prov 4:3-4, 10-11; Eph 6:4; Heb 12:5-11.
- Proverbs 13:24 tn Or “is hating.” Most stative verbs by nature cannot have participle forms. But some do, including שָׂנֵא (saneʾ, “to hate”), in contexts where they take on dynamic overtones. So the nuance may be less on the overall felt emotion, and more on the particular action: the rod-sparer is hating his child (in this regard).sn The importance of parental disciplining is stressed by the verbs “hate” and “love.” “Hating” a child in this sense means in essence abandoning or rejecting him; “loving” a child means embracing and caring for him. Failure to discipline a child is tantamount to hating him—not caring about his character.
- Proverbs 13:24 tn Heb “his son.”
- Proverbs 13:24 tn Heb “him”; the referent (his child) is specified in the translation for clarity.
- Proverbs 13:24 tn Heb “seeks him.” The verb שָׁחַר (shakhar, “to be diligent; to do something early”; BDB 1007 s.v.) could mean “to be diligent to discipline,” or “to be early or prompt in disciplining.” See G. R. Driver, “Hebrew Notes on Prophets and Proverbs,” JTS 41 (1940): 170.
- Proverbs 13:24 tn The noun מוּסָר (musar, “discipline”) functions as an adverbial accusative of reference: “he is diligent in reference to discipline.”
New English Translation (NET)
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