Pro 29:16 | KingComments | STEP | is among the proverbs that urge discipline in education with a clear motivation ( ). Discipline causes the child to become wise. Wisdom is not hereditary. Both physical discipline (“the rod”) and spiritual discipline (“reproof”) “give wisdom”, that is, they contribute to giving wisdom. When the child listens to discipline (cf. ), he learns to make good choices in life. He who withholds discipline from his child leaves him to himself. A child left to himself can do what he wants and get what he desires. It also means that he is left to the rule of his sinful nature, an apostate will, an evil world and the devil. Without guidance and correction, he is going to live a life that “brings shame to his mother”. That it says here that the mother is shamed is probably because she has put most of the time into the education. She is also much more sensitive to the suffering that the child inflicts on himself. This does not mean that the father is not shamed, nor that he has nothing to do with the education. The father may well be the main cause of the child’s wrong choices, because he never acted with rod and reproof. Adonijah was a young man who got his own way, for his father David “had never crossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?”“ ( ). is between two verses dealing with education. We can therefore see in this verse a description of the consequences of lack of proper education. Lax education is the main cause of social disasters. We see this in the world. Parental authority disappears, with the result that “the wicked increase”, so that “transgression increases” (cf. ). The righteous suffer from that situation. They suffer by seeing lawless deeds, as Lot suffered ( ), and they suffer by what the wicked say to them and do to them. But no matter how numerous the wicked and their transgressions become, the righteous will prevail. God will cause the wicked to fall and the righteous to see their fall, rejoicing in “a God Who judges on earth!” ( ). A child who has learned to obey will give his parents rest ( ). And not just the parents, but the entire environment. This is another encouragement for parents to discipline their children. It is about instilling obedience ( ). This gives the parents inner comfort and outward delight in living together. The parent who does not instill obedience in his child because discipline hurts him himself and he wants to avoid that pain will later feel the pain of negligence incessantly. Numerous sleepless nights are the result because the child has ended up in the gutter or in prison. It is a constant source of worry and anxiety. There is no comfort in the heart and no delight for the soul. We should not blame those parents harshly, but pray for them and their children.

‏ Proverbs 29:16

Good Upbringing and the Lack of It

Pro 29:15 is among the proverbs that urge discipline in education with a clear motivation (Pro 10:13 ; Pro 13:24 ; Pro 22:8 ; 15 ; Pro 23:13-14 ; Pro 26:3). Discipline causes the child to become wise. Wisdom is not hereditary. Both physical discipline (“the rod”) and spiritual discipline (“reproof”) “give wisdom”, that is, they contribute to giving wisdom. When the child listens to discipline (cf. Mic 6:9), he learns to make good choices in life.

He who withholds discipline from his child leaves him to himself. A child left to himself can do what he wants and get what he desires. It also means that he is left to the rule of his sinful nature, an apostate will, an evil world and the devil. Without guidance and correction, he is going to live a life that “brings shame to his mother”.

That it says here that the mother is shamed is probably because she has put most of the time into the education. She is also much more sensitive to the suffering that the child inflicts on himself. This does not mean that the father is not shamed, nor that he has nothing to do with the education. The father may well be the main cause of the child’s wrong choices, because he never acted with rod and reproof. Adonijah was a young man who got his own way, for his father David “had never crossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?”“ (1Kgs 1:6).

Pro 29:16 is between two verses dealing with education. We can therefore see in this verse a description of the consequences of lack of proper education. Lax education is the main cause of social disasters. We see this in the world. Parental authority disappears, with the result that “the wicked increase”, so that “transgression increases” (cf. Hos 4:7).

The righteous suffer from that situation. They suffer by seeing lawless deeds, as Lot suffered (2Pet 2:7-8), and they suffer by what the wicked say to them and do to them. But no matter how numerous the wicked and their transgressions become, the righteous will prevail. God will cause the wicked to fall and the righteous to see their fall, rejoicing in “a God Who judges on earth!” (Psa 58:10-11 ; Psa 37:34).

A child who has learned to obey will give his parents rest (Pro 29:17). And not just the parents, but the entire environment. This is another encouragement for parents to discipline their children. It is about instilling obedience (Pro 19:18). This gives the parents inner comfort and outward delight in living together.

The parent who does not instill obedience in his child because discipline hurts him himself and he wants to avoid that pain will later feel the pain of negligence incessantly. Numerous sleepless nights are the result because the child has ended up in the gutter or in prison. It is a constant source of worry and anxiety. There is no comfort in the heart and no delight for the soul. We should not blame those parents harshly, but pray for them and their children.