Today’s scripture: Proverbs 23:10-18 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Vivian Wyatt ):
Do not withhold discipline 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.
I have read and reread this passage of Proverbs many times and every time I stumble over these two verses like rocks in my path; I trip over them every time I stroll down Proverbs lane.
Is the author really encouraging his readers to beat their children with a stick? If so, how does one reconcile these verses with Ephesians 6:4: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
With corporal punishment frowned upon today, Christians and Jews have been attempting to devise alternative interpretations for this passage. Some feel that the real meaning of these passages in Proverbs is the opposite of their apparent literal interpretation. They believe the verses actually call on parents to NOT discipline their children by inflicting pain.
Others feel that the author of Proverbs did mean to tell parents to beat their children into submission with a rod. They argue that this passage simply reflect the customs of a very violent people. After all, they did practice slavery (Leviticus 25:44-46), stoned women to death who were not virgin brides (Deuteronomy 22:13-21), committed genocide (Joshua 6:20-21), and acted in other ways that we would find barbaric today.
All of these practices have pretty much been stopped (at least for those of us who live in the USA) but we struggle with letting go of this passage. We struggle with a few others tricky passages, as well: women should not talk in church, wives should be submissive to their husbands (though we rarely quote the rest of that passage — men should love their wives like Jesus loved the church). And do I need to mention those six poorly-read and even more poorly-interpreted passages of the Bible that are used to clobber homosexuals?
It seems to me that it’s all about control — controlling children, controlling women, controlling people who appear to be different. The Bible has been used to justify slavery, segregation, and apartheid; to keep women from being educated, voting, or being ordained; to justify war, to persecute and kill Jews; to condemn other religions; and to continue the oppression and rejection of gay and lesbian people. I suspect that repugnant preacher who said “beat the gay out of your children” used Proverbs 23:13-14 to support his argument.
I believe if the Bible is giving you permission to harm, oppress, persecute, or condemn a person or a people, then you need the following warning. It’s from The Text Remains, and it was written by Terry Menefee Gau, who writes the blog A Rage for Explaining:
READ [the Bible] WITH EXTREME CAUTION. REQUIRES THE USE OF CONTEXT AT ALL TIMES. INTERPRET ONLY IN GROUP SETTINGS. IF DISCERNING THE MIND OF GOD BY USING THIS BOOK, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN PERIL.
Prayer for the day: God, let me always view the harsh scriptures through the lens of your love. Let me never use the Bible as a bludgeoning tool to harm or keep others down. Let me never create you in my image by using Scripture as a weapon of control. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.