Proverbs 29:15
in Proverbs 29A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The rod and reproof give wisdom; But a child left to himself causeth shame to his mother.
KJV
The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
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This verse in Proverbs 29
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe rod and reproof give wisdom, etc. About this rod, the Apostle to the Corinthians: "Do you want me to come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?" (1 Corinthians 4). For the child, whom he frequently admonishes to …
This site's exposition
A king who judges the poor with fairness
on Proverbs 29:14-16
"A king who judges the poor with fairness" is promised a throne "established forever." Verse 15 restates the book's teaching on discipline, correction now sparing shame later. Verse 16 gives the righteous the same assurance as earlier verses, for when the wicked thrive, "the righteous will see their downfall."
This site's exposition
A rod of correction imparts wisdom
Albert Barnes reads the neglected child as a pampered one. The mother who yields weakly abandons the child as surely as if she cast him out, and shame falls on her. Bede sets the rod beside Paul's question, whether he should come with a rod or with gentle love.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The rod and reproof give wisdom,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Left to himself - The condition of one who has been pampered and indulged. The mother who yields weakly is as guilty of abandoning the child she spoils, as if she cast him forth; and for her evil neglect, there shall fall upon her the righteous punishment of shame and ignominy.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
but a child left free Whom his father set free to follow the dictates of his heart, ultimately.. brings shame to his mother This is Ishmael; since he was wicked, he brought about that Sarah should say to Abraham (Gen.:10): “Expel this bondwoman and her son.”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שֵׁ֣בֶט | shevet | a rod | H7626 → | 190 times |
| וְ֭תוֹכַחַת | vetokhachat | and rebuke | H8433 → | 28 times |
| יִתֵּ֣ן | yiten | it gives | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| חָכְמָ֑ה | chokhmah | wisdom | H2451 → | 153 times |
| וְנַ֥עַר | venaar | and a youth | H5288 → | 239 times |
| מְ֝שֻׁלָּ֗ח | meshulach | let loose | H7971 → | 845 times |
| מֵבִ֥ישׁ | mevish | [is] putting to shame | H954 → | 127 times |
| אִמּֽוֹ׃ | ʾimo | mother his | H517 → | 220 times |
שֵׁ֣בֶטa rod
shevetH7626 →190 times
וְ֭תוֹכַחַתand rebuke
vetokhachatH8433 →28 times
יִתֵּ֣ןit gives
yitenH5414 →2011 times
חָכְמָ֑הwisdom
chokhmahH2451 →153 times
וְנַ֥עַרand a youth
venaarH5288 →239 times
מְ֝שֻׁלָּ֗חlet loose
meshulachH7971 →845 times
מֵבִ֥ישׁ[is] putting to shame
mevishH954 →127 times
אִמּֽוֹ׃mother his
ʾimoH517 →220 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 13:24He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
it leads to
- Proverbs 23:13–14
Do not withhold discipline from a child; although you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 19:18
Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be party to his death.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 29:17
Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will bring delight to your soul.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 22:15
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 12:6–8
For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.”
- Proverbs 23:13–14
Through
Proverbs 22:15Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
it leads to
- Proverbs 13:24
He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 13:24
Through
Proverbs 10:1The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
it leads to
- Proverbs 1:1
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
- Proverbs 1:1
Through
Proverbs 29:17Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will bring delight to your soul.
it leads to
- Proverbs 10:1
The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 10:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.