| (Copyright) by Catherine C. Kroeger (Brewster, Massachusetts) |
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| The American Journal of Preventive Medicine carries a report of a study on corporal punishment of children. The research was conducted by a medical team at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. One discovery was that spanking with an object rather than the hand raised by nine times the likelihood of other forms of abuse. Parents who spanked frequently were far more likely to beat, burn or shake their children. Pediatrician Adam Zolotor, lead author of the study, wrote “Parents get angry when they’re spanking, and it’s not working. . . If a child gets spanked so often, they just don‘t care any more and will misbehave anyway.” This illustrates the need to re-evaluate certain passages of Scripture that result in the mistreatment of women and children. Many parents have been told that the biblical form for the disciplining of children is corporal punishment. Have literal translations created a mindset that leads to dangerous situations? The appalling rise in mistreatment of children is attributable to many causes, but one of them is the notion that beating a child is biblically sanctioned. The parental role in instructing the young child is carefully delineated in the fourth chapter of Proverbs. Indeed, the purpose of the composition of the book is said to be “to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young” (Prov. 1:4). The tractate is full of wise counsel designed to mold the character and conduct of the young. Instruction from both father and mother brings the child to wisdom (Prov. 1:8-9; 6:20-23; 31:3) and forms a core of the message of Proverbs. The emphasis is on exhortation and verbal guidance. The word “rod” in particular, though often used as a metaphor in the biblical text (Ps. 23:4; Isa. 10:15; 2 Sam 7:14; Micah 5:1), appears to be the center of difficulty for some Christians. Although in English “rod” evokes an image of harsh corporal punishment, the term has other associations in Hebrew. The term shebet (often translated as “rod”) is used in connection with the training of children at Prov. 13:24; 22:15; 23:1314; 29:15. It is frequently a metaphor for correction, (Prov. 10:13; 13:24; 22:8; Job 9:34; 21:9; 37:13; Isa. 10:5, 24; 30:31), and in Isa 11:4 refers specifically to verbal correction. Significantly, in Leviticus 27:32 and Psalm 23:4 shebet denotes the shepherd’s crook, useful to hook around the leg of an animal in order to pull it back from danger. The shebet was used as a means of counting sheep (Lev 27:32) and appears in a figurative sense in Ezekiel 20:37 as a tool to guide Israel back to a covenant relationship with God. The rod could be used to protect the sheep (Ps. 23:4; Micah 7:14) or to keep them headed on the right path. It could be interposed as a barrier to prevent animals from wandering astray and as a device to keep the flock moving in the right direction. How much better to interpret the rod as an implement of guidance and control rather than as a means of inflicting pain. In its note on Proverbs 13:24, the very conservative New International Version Study Bible remarks that the rod is “probably a figure of speech for discipline of any kind.” Then we can translate Proverbs 13:24 to convey the sense that parents who withhold guidance and control from their children do them a profound disservice. The current NRSV translation “those who spare the rod hate their children” needs to be reconsidered. Those who love their children are careful to discipline them, but the guidance is to be positive and affirming. Could a fresh translation of this target text substitute an abstraction for the metaphorical rod – such as training, discipline, correction, guidance? Should there not at least be a marginal note offering an alternate meaning? The next line literally goes on to say “he seeks him early (or earnestly) with discipline.” At this point, the New King James offers “But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.” It is certainly true that parents who love their children seek to begin their guidance early in their life. Better yet is the New International Readers Version “Those who don’t correct their children hate them. But those who love them are careful to train them.”[1] With a harshness not warranted by the text, the New English Bible version of Proverbs 22:15 reads “Folly is deep-rooted in the heart of a boy; a good beating will drive it right out of him.” Surely this can be grasped as an invitation to unfortunate action. The New International Reader’s Version renders the passage “Children are going to do foolish things. But correcting them will drive their foolishness far away from them.” The same verse in the NRSV speaks of “the rod of discipline”. This gives room for the concept of the rod as being a metaphor of instruction, correction or discipline. In Prov. 29:15, the shebet is equated with reproof that gives wisdom. The current NRSV rendering of Prov. 29: 15 “the rod and reproof” might better be emended to replace “rod” with “correction”, so that it would read “Correction and reproof give wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by a neglected child” At the same text the New International Readers Version declares “If children are corrected, they become wise. But children left to themselves bring shame to their mothers.” Two verses later it reads “If you train your children, they will give you peace. They will bring delight to you.” (v. 17) More problematic is the instruction of Prov. 23:13-14 rendered in the New English Version “Do not withhold discipline from a boy; take the stick to him, and save him from death. If you take the stick to him yourself, you will preserve him from the jaws of death.” The NRSV is far more restrained: “Do not withhold discipline (musar) from your children; if you beat them with a rod, they will not die. If you beat them with the rod, you will save their lives from Sheol.” The New International Reader’s Version offers “Don’t hold back training from children. If you correct them, they won’t die. So correct them. Then you will save them from death.” Of all the versions that I checked this was the one that most consistently avoided reference to the actual rod or to beating. How tragic that an ugly political situation has forced Zondervan to remove it from circulation. The simplified translation, intended for children and those whose first language was not English, fell afoul of the inclusive language issue. Like the inclusive language NIV, it was banned. As John G. Stackhouse remarks in the most recent Christianity Today, the fervor over the latest translation question has “been aroused by the clash of social and political agendas.”2 But can we with integrity substitute an abstraction for the literal rod? In point of fact, this is already being done in Job 37:13. The NRSV reads “whether for correction, or for his land, or for love, he causes it to happen” while the NIV renders it “He brings the clouds to punish men or to water the earth and show his love.” The New King James has 2 John G. Stackhouse “The Battle for the Inclusive Bible,” Chirstianity Today, November 15, 1999, p. 83- 84/ ”He causes it to come, whether for correction, or for His land, or for mercy.” [2] Although shebet appears in the original text, these versions translate it in terms of a metaphor. The literal rod makes little sense in this context. Perhaps as an antidote to harsh interpretations of the Proverbs material, the New Testament writers encourage positive training, free from oppressive measures that will serve only to alienate the child. (Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21). The current translations might even be enhanced to emphasize the danger and the unfortunate consequences. At Ephesians 6:4 “Parents, do not arouse the bitter resentment of your children” would be stronger than the present “do not provoke your children to anger”. (Parorgizo, the verb of Ephesians 6:4 is an intensive, used primarily in the Septuagint when it speaks of arousing the fierce anger of God). Children are to be raised in the discipline (paideia) and instruction (nouthesia) of the Lord an echo of the instructions in Proverbs.[3] The NRSV rendering of Colossians 3:21 reads “Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart.” The verb erithizo is “to make resentful or embitter.” Associated with erithizo is the concept of aggravation to the point of making a person rebellious or perverse, while the verb athumeo is to become discouraged, despondent or disheartened. The implication is that under overly harsh discipline, children will despair of measuring up to what is demanded and will simply give up trying. Perhaps a fresh rendering could go something like this:” Do not goad your children into resentment, lest they be driven to despair.” The news article reporting the study concludes that “A growing body of research suggests parents should use their voice, not their hands or household tools.” A major motif of the book of Proverbs is that of treasuring the verbal instruction that both parents offer to their child (1:8, 2:1-5; 4:1-4, 10-13, 20-22; 6:20; 7:1). Editor’s Note: We do not listen to video links or read print material that is linked to items we print, so we may or may not agree with those links. We only look at print material that is sent to us for print. Laura Lee ——————————————————————————– Reprinted with permission from: God’s Word to Women http://www.godswordtowomen.org/ ——————————————————————————– [1] , New International Reader’s Version. Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1996. [2] . The New English Version omits verse thirteen altogether but offers in a foot-note “whether he makes him attain the rod, or his earth, or constant love” [3] In the writings of the Apostolic Fathers we find “You must not remove your hand from your son or daughter but you shall teach them the fear of the Lord from your youth.” (Epistle of Barnabas 19.5). Here the text is understood to indicate that withholding a guiding hand is neglect of one’s responsibility in training one’s children. |
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